Last year, the Wolf Conservation Center Integrative Ecology & Coexistence Lab (WCC-IECL) initiated a study of local wildlife in Westchester County, New York, with a particular focus on coyote ecology. We placed trail cameras in the local parks and preserves to answer key questions about coyotes in the area: Where are they? How many are there? When and where do they encounter people?

Generally, coyotes across the United States display different levels of activity throughout the year, depending on their age and social status. New lives begin in the spring, and after about a year or two of life with their pack, young coyotes venture out to establish territories and families of their own.

The first six months of our project showed that Westchester coyotes follow this pattern faithfully, along with other details about their daily lives. Here’s a glimpse into the ecology of eastern coyotes and how it can support WCC’s work in conserving wolves throughout the nation.

The ‘September Spike’ in Coyote Activity

From jogging through woodlands to stashing carcasses brush, coyotes became noticeably more active in the transition from summer to fall. During July-December, our trail cameras captured fewer than 10 observations of coyotes per month in northeastern Westchester County. Interestingly, September had a total of 46 observations, aligning with past research into coyotes’ seasonal behavioral patterns [1,2].

Although many of these observations were repeated visits to a site where one coyote cached parts of a deer carcass, the spike in activity is notable. The change in activity levels is likely due to the fall being “dispersal season” for coyotes. This is a time when juvenile coyotes between the ages of 1.5-2.5 years old venture off from their packs to establish territories and families of their own [1,3].

This particular group of “transients,” coyotes who have no territories to defend, are known as “dispersers.” While all dispersers are transients, not all transients are dispersers. Some transients are older animals that lost their territories and are back in the market for new mates and homes. Plus, not all coyotes end up dispersing—some end up remaining in their natal home range (where they were born) for their entire life [3].

Transience in coyotes is severely understudied in the northeastern United States [4]. Though our preliminary findings so far suggest that their temporal behaviors are in line with the general population across the country, WCC-IECL will continue monitoring these individuals to learn more about their unique ecological dynamics.

Daily Lives of the Locals

What could the coyote pictured above have seen? At this time of day—and considering their response—it was most likely a human, perhaps a human with a dog. This type of behavior is typical of a coyote. Since they normally perceive humans as a threat, they do their best to stay away from us and even keep track of our activity patterns so they can move about while we’re asleep.

From our observations so far, coyotes in northeastern Westchester County are generally active between 12am–5am and 3pm – 8pm with peak activity occurring during 5am-7am and 7pm-9pm. This places them in a category known as “crepuscular,” when animals are active mainly at dawn and dusk. Such periods allow transient coyotes to forage and travel between biding areas (smaller areas where coyotes are more locally active between traveling greater distances) and optimal habitat where they might establish a territory.

Although we can only speculate about the social statuses of coyotes we observed, it is likely that many of the individuals we observed via our remote wildlife monitoring cameras were transient. This is because transients often avoid strife by using areas not occupied by resident coyotes—those living in packs and defending territories. These areas are lower quality habitat typically broken up by residential and commercial areas, for example. Such land cover force coyotes to travel further and more often to seek out food and safe places to avoid human interaction, putting them at greater risk of conflict. Still, coyotes are known for being able to thrive in urban environments. Because of this, further research will provide greater clarity on what makes up the most ideal territory for Westchester’s coyotes.

Our pilot study took place across ~24 km² (5,895 acres) yielded a population density estimate of 0.743/km² (0.003/ac) coyotes in northeastern Westchester County habitats, amounting to roughly 13-16 coyotes living within the area we monitored. This estimate, though preliminary, aligns with previous findings about the relatively small resident home ranges of coyotes living in urbanized areas, which can get down to 0.25 km² [5].

Without individual identification or GPS tracking data, we don’t yet have enough information to accurately determine how much of this estimate is made up of transients just passing through, or residents who call this area home. WCC-IECL will continue to monitor the county’s parks and preserves to not only strengthen the accuracy of our results but further engage local residents on matters of coexistence.

Coyotes’ Importance to Red Wolves

Understanding coyote ecology in the Eastern United States is essential to advancing red wolf recovery throughout its historical range. Red wolves once lived in all states east of the Mississippi River, along with Texas and Oklahoma. Today, the only wild population exists in eastern North Carolina—and we’re working to fix that.

To achieve recovery of the red wolf throughout its historical range, one of the primary goals of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s revised red wolf recovery plan is to identify future sites for red wolf reintroductions. A key challenge to red wolf recovery is mitigating hybridization between coyotes and red wolves. As new reintroduction sites are identified, our understanding of coyote ecology in eastern states will better inform non-lethal management of coyotes co-occurring with red wolves [6, 7] and will influence the success of future red wolf releases.

Coyotes play such a significant role in red wolf recovery because the two species share similar habitat and food resources, as evidenced by the coyotes currently living in the red wolf recovery area. Although fundamental differences in the species’ ecology—such as body size and its influence on space use (e.g., small vs large territory size) and prey use (e.g., small mammals vs deer) by carnivores—typically prevent red wolves and coyotes from interbreeding, some red wolves are small enough that they can live with coyote mates [8]. Understanding where coyotes currently reside within the red wolf’s historical range, as well as their movement and the resources they use, can help us to better prepare for broader red wolf reintroduction.

Additionally, the feelings people have toward coyotes may closely resemble those they feel—or would feel—for wolves. This is because public sentiments toward wildlife are more often about social relationships and political perspectives than the animals themselves [8, 9].

For example, a team of researchers led by Lily M. van Eeden of The University of Sydney’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences found that an individual’s identity as “animal rights activists,” “wildlife conservationists,” or “farmers” directly influenced their opinions on wildlife management. Those who identified as farmers were more likely to support lethal control of predator species, such as red foxes, than those who primarily identified as the former two [8]. Another study later suggested that political affiliation and other social factors may contribute to individual perspectives on wolf conservation [9].

For this reason, our study not only aims to investigate coyote ecology, but also the species’ relationship to the people who live alongside them. The continued pursuit of mutual understanding as it relates to coexistence and its challenges is essential to the Wolf Conservation Center’s mission to advance the survival of wolves by inspiring a global community through education, advocacy, research, and recovery.

Cultivating a Future for Human-Canid Coexistence

Understanding coyote ecology throughout the red wolf’s historical range is critical for strategic management of the endangered red wolf and identification of areas for future red wolf reintroductions.

Our work is essential for building ecological knowledge, as well as human awareness and relationships with canids. Engaging the public on their feelings toward canid species, such as wolves, coyotes, and foxes, equips WCC to be proactive in building bridges between humans and the wildlife we share space with.

To learn more about the project and contribute your own sightings of coyotes during the upcoming 2025 dispersal period, visit our Westchester Urban Wildlife Project webpage.

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