Encountering Coyotes: Signs of Coyotes
Coyote Sounds and Songs
One sure sign of coyotes is hearing their distinctive song. Coyotes in urban environments don't always sing, but when they do it can be quite the performance! Coyotes use vocalization to communicate with one another—they might be maintaining contact with their families, identifying their territory to other coyotes, hoping to attract a mate, or simply celebrating being together. Often, just a few coyotes sound like a large group because of the way they overlap their yips, yowls, and howls. Watch and listen to the videos below to get familiar with the song coyotes sing.
In this video, coyote pups hear an adult coyote calling to them and respond with enthusiastic howls. |
In this video, the coyotes' howls are prompted by a siren—a common sequence of events in urban areas. |
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Listen to more coyote sounds from Yellowstone's sound library here.
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