Category: News

More Reports Doesn't (Necessarily) Mean More Coyotes

10/28/2024

There have been a few recent news articles reporting on the feeling some people have that there are more coyotes than ever this year. Our project gets reports of coyotes every year, and every year we have more reports during the fall and winter. Coyotes have lived in the city of Portland for at least 50 years and, at this point, their population is probably relatively stable. If you live in a neighborhood where it feels like there are more coyotes all of the sudden, it probably means coyotes have become too comfortable around people—not that there are a bunch of new coyotes in the area. Coyotes thrive in the forgotten areas of neighborhoods and coyotes, people, and pets are safer if they continue to avoid close proximity with people.

Be sure to remove food sources (never feed a coyote), supervise pets, and scare off bold coyotes.

A few clarifications:
●Our project received the highest number of reports in 2016 and 2017 (around 2,500 each year). We haven't reached that number yet in 2024, but probably will by the end of the year.
●More reports doesn't necessarily mean there are more coyotes.
●Reports indicate that people are seeing coyotes, know about our project, and decide to report their sighting.

Why might people see or report more coyotes?
- Individual coyotes and packs may be more or less visible in different seasons and years because of:
  - changes in coyote behavior (e.g., young coyotes venturing out in fall or food sources near people's homes attracting coyotes) or
  - changes in the environment (e.g., less tree cover in fall or construction that blocks one of their familiar routes through a neighborhood).
- A community might become aware of coyotes (and our project) and be on the lookout. Coyotes often slip by unnoticed until you start looking for them.

●Coyotes are not "invading" city neighborhoods; they already live here. Resident coyote numbers can fluctuate and individual animals and groups may be more or less visible in different seasons and years.
●Coyotes and wolves are related, but have important differences. Coyotes and wolves along with jackals and domestic dogs are all in the same genus, Canis, which means they are closely related. Gray wolves are around 70-120 pounds and do not live in the Portland metro area, western coyotes are around 25-40 pounds and are year-round residents of the Portland metro area. Gray wolves (Canis lupus) and coyotes (Canis latrans) are different species.

*The jump in sighting reports from 2014 to 2015/2016 demonstrates how much our data relies on people knowing about our project. The main reason for the jump in sightings was a few major new articles/interviews and other awareness-raising activities. As many locals will tell you, coyotes were here in the city long before our project existed.

Read articles from The Oregonian, FOX 12 Oregon, and Courthouse News.

Learn more on our research and learn pages.

Seeing more coyotes? by Zuriel van Belle

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