Coyotes (Canis latrans) are a common sight in many of Silicon Valley’s open space preserves. As adaptable predators, they thrive in the patchwork of grasslands, woodlands, and urban edges that define the region’s natural spaces.
Where to see coyotes
Coyotes are native to North America, and their historical range spans the continent, including California. Over the last century, as development has transformed much of the Bay Area, coyotes have adapted to living in close proximity to humans. Open space preserves, such as those managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen), serve as refuges where coyotes can hunt, roam, and raise their young.
Coyotes thrive in a variety of habitats, including grasslands, oak woodlands, and scrub areas. Popular preserves such as Rancho San Antonio, Monte Bello, and Sierra Azul offer prime habitat for coyotes, with plenty of food, cover, and space to roam. These areas also serve as essential wildlife corridors, allowing coyotes to travel between fragmented habitats.
When to see coyotes
If you want to spot a coyote, keep your eyes open during dawn and dusk—the times when coyotes are most active. Look for their slender, dog-like silhouette moving across hillsides or through meadows. Even if you don’t see them, you might hear their distinctive yips and howls, which carry through the open spaces, especially at night.
The role of coyotes in the ecosystem
Coyotes are often referred to as “keystone predators” because of their important ecological role. By preying on small mammals, like ground squirrels, rabbits, and voles, they help control populations that might otherwise overgraze vegetation. This, in turn, benefits plant communities and other wildlife that depend on healthy ecosystems.
Coyotes are opportunistic feeders, meaning they eat whatever is available. Coyotes also eat insects, fruits, berries, and carrion (dead animals), recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.
This adaptability makes coyotes an essential part of the food web. By keeping prey populations in check, they support healthier plant communities and provide stability to the preserve’s ecosystem. Their role as scavengers also helps clean up the environment by removing carcasses.
Understanding coyote behavior
Coyotes are generally shy and avoid human contact, but they can become more visible during breeding season (spring to early summer) when they are caring for their pups. During this time, they become more territorial and protective of their dens, which are often hidden in brushy or secluded areas.
Vocal communication is a key part of coyote behavior. Their howls, barks, and yips are used to mark territory, coordinate with pack members, and warn off intruders. If you hear a coyote howl, it doesn’t necessarily mean they are close by; sound can travel far in open landscapes.
Social structure of coyotes
Coyotes are often thought of as solitary animals, but their social structure is more complex. While individual coyotes frequently hunt and travel alone, they are part of a family group, or pack, that typically consists of a breeding pair and their offspring. The size of a coyote group can vary based on habitat and food availability.
Coyotes in groups work together during pup-rearing season, with older offspring sometimes assisting in raising younger pups. However, lone coyotes, often juveniles seeking new territory, may travel great distances to find unoccupied habitat or a mate. Whether alone or in groups, coyotes maintain territories and communicate their presence through vocalizations and scent marking.
Tips for visitors: Sharing the trail with coyotes
As Silicon Valley’s urban areas expand, human-coyote interactions have become more frequent. While coyotes generally avoid people, they may be drawn to food sources left in parks or neighborhoods, such as pet food, garbage, or small domestic animals.
Coyotes generally keep their distance, but there are a few precautions you can take when visiting open space preserves to ensure safe and respectful interactions:
- Keep dogs leashed. Coyotes may see unleashed pets as a threat or prey.
- Stay on marked trails. Avoid wandering into brushy areas where coyotes may have dens.
- Don’t feed wildlife. Feeding coyotes makes them less fearful of humans and can lead to conflicts.
- Make noise if approached. Coyotes will usually retreat if you shout or wave your arms.
