The howling cries of coyotes are a familiar sound across many parts of North America. But could these opportunistic canines also be found prowling the forests and fields of Europe? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take an in-depth look at the evidence around coyotes in Europe.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: There have been a small number of confirmed coyote sightings and killings in Europe, but no established breeding populations. Most evidence points to coyotes being very rare vagrants in Europe that likely arrived from North America by ship.
A Brief Overview of Coyote Biology and Range
Native Range and Habitat
The coyote (Canis latrans) is a medium-sized canine native to North America. Coyotes historically occupied the plains, deserts, and mountainous regions of central North America, ranging from Panama in Central America all the way up through Mexico and the United States into Canada.
Coyotes can thrive in a variety of habitats including prairies, forests, deserts, and even tropical ecosystems. They are highly adaptable and can be found at elevations from below sea level to over 4,000 meters.
Coyotes prefer areas with plenty of prey and access to water, but they can survive on very little water in arid environments.
Diet and Hunting Behavior
Coyotes are opportunistic carnivores and will eat almost anything they can catch. The majority of their diet consists of small mammals like rabbits, rodents, shrews, and squirrels. They also prey on larger animals like deer, especially fawns.
In addition, coyotes eat birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, crustaceans, insects, fruit, grass, and even garbage.
Coyotes primarily hunt alone but will sometimes cooperate in packs to bring down larger prey. They are nocturnal and crepuscular hunters, meaning they are most active during the night and dawn/dusk hours.
Coyotes have extremely keen senses of smell, hearing, and vision to help them locate and ambush prey.
Coyotes are intelligent, cunning hunters and employ various techniques to capture prey, such as stalking, patient waiting, and chasing prey over long distances. Some interesting coyote hunting behaviors include:[1]
- Using calls and vocalizations to draw prey closer.
- Jumping and pouncing high into the air to land on prey.
- Digging into burrows and tunnels to flush out or capture rodents and other burrowing animals.
- Wading into water to catch fish or aquatic prey like frogs.
Ability to Adapt to New Environments
One of the coyote’s most remarkable attributes is its ability to adapt and thrive in a wide variety of environments, including those shaped by human activity. As humans began eliminating wolves and expanding west across North America in the 1800s, coyotes were able to capitalize on the newly vacant ecological niches.
Coyotes began shifting their ranges northward and eastward into previously wolf-occupied areas. They were able to adapt to landscapes fragmented by agriculture, ranching, and urbanization. While wolves could not withstand extensive persecution and habitat loss, coyotes could.
Coyotes today inhabit most of North and Central America in populations estimated between 5 and 7 million. [2] Even major urban centers like New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles now have resident coyote populations.
Coyotes succeed in these environments by utilizing city parks, golf courses, canal embankments, and other patches of habitat.
Some key adaptations that allow coyotes to thrive in diverse environments include:
- Ability to shift between being solitary and hunting in packs depending on food availability.
- Flexibility in habitat tolerances and diet.
- Avoidance behaviors toward humans and human activity.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
The coyote’s intelligence and adaptability continue to enable its expansion across North America despite extensive urbanization. These characteristics explain how the coyote has become one of the most widespread and resilient wild canine species on the continent.
History of Coyotes in Europe
Early Unconfirmed Sightings
There have been sporadic reports of coyote sightings in Europe dating back several decades, but most of these were unverified or lacked sufficient evidence. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were alleged sightings in Spain, Italy, Germany and even Scotland, but experts believe these may have been cases of mistaken identity involving dogs or wolves (iNaturalist).
Without photographic proof or physical remains like fur or scat, early reports remain questionable.
Recent Confirmations in Western Europe
It was not until recently that the presence of coyotes in Europe was confirmed with tangible evidence. In 2013, camera traps in the Pyrenees mountains between Spain and France recorded images of coyotes on the Spanish side (Mulder 2021).
Genetic testing revealed their links to the Great Lakes region coyote population that had migrated northeast. Further analyses showed limited gene flow between these coyotes and European wolves or dogs, confirming them to be pure coyotes.
Since then, multiple roadkill carcasses, camera trap images and even live-captured individuals have provided solid proof of coyotes inhabiting areas of Spain, Portugal and France. A 2021 study estimated about 200-250 breeding adults occupying roughly 25,000 km2 in southwestern Europe so far (iNaturalist).
While still early, their population appears to be slowly growing and expanding its range.
Lack of Evidence for Breeding Populations
Despite confirmed sightings in western continental Europe, self-sustaining breeding populations have not yet become established further east or in other areas like the UK or Scandinavia. The coyotes in Spain and France likely migrated directly from North America rather than dispersing stepwise from eastern Europe.
There was one 2014 report near Thale, Germany which provided photographs and genetic material indicating a coyote ancestry for the animal (Kays 2018). However, extensive camera trapping follow-ups detected no further individuals in that region, suggesting it was a lone migrant rather than part of an expanding group.
While occasional solitary coyotes may sporadically appear in eastern or northern Europe after migrating significant distances, the lack of additional sightings implies no breeding populations have gained footholds yet.
But with western European groups growing slowly, experts speculate coyotes may gradually enlarge their non-native territories across more of Europe in the coming decades.
How Coyotes Could Arrive in Europe
Stowing Away on Ships
Coyotes are resourceful and adaptable animals that can survive in a variety of environments. As human activity and transportation increases globally, the possibility exists for coyotes to secretly board cargo ships or other oceangoing vessels to traverse long distances.
For example, coyotes likely reached Newfoundland in Canada after sneaking onto fishing boats or ferries (Hakai Magazine).
Similarly, a coyote or mating pair could sneak onto a transatlantic ship docked in a North American port and remain hidden among cargo to later disembark at a European destination. With access to abundant food sources like rodents and trash around major shipping ports, a coyote stowaway would stand a reasonable chance of surviving the voyage.
Once arriving in Europe, these resourceful animals could then establish a foothold if conditions allow.
Deliberate Introductions
In some instances, coyotes have been deliberately transported and released into new habitats by humans. For example, a Russian fur farm allegedly introduced coyotes into the wild in the 1940s (Encyclopedia Britannica).
Similarly, humans could conceivably bring coyotes to Europe intentionally for hunting or fur farming purposes. If coyotes escaped or were released, they might have an easier time adjusting and surviving with a head start from humans caring for them initially.
However, while possible, it is unlikely coyotes would be brought to Europe for these purposes, as many European countries have banned fur farming and restrictive exotic pet laws. The CITES treaty also regulates transporting many wildlife species across borders, further reducing chances of deliberate coyote introductions.
Climate Change Impacts on Range Expansion
Some research predicts that climate change may open up more northern terrain for coyotes to expand their range in the coming decades. As Arctic and subarctic regions become more hospitable, coyote migration north from the continental U.S. into Canada and Alaska will likely increase (Conde Nast Traveler).
From there, coyotes may be positioned to cross the Bering Strait during winter months into Russia and western Asia when sea ice bridges temporarily connect the continents.
If coyotes gained an Asian foothold and thrived, they could then conceivably migrate westward throughout Russia and eventually into Eastern Europe. With climate warming trends expected to continue, coyotes may slowly expand their range and progressively encroach on Europe over the next 50-100 years.
However, a lot depends on food availability, habitat suitability, and willingness of coyotes to traverse huge distances out of their native comfort zones.
Potential Habitat for Coyotes in Europe
Forests and Agricultural Areas
Coyotes could potentially thrive in the vast forests and agricultural areas across Europe. The extensive woodlands and farmlands offer excellent habitat for coyotes to establish territories, and provide ample prey like small mammals, birds, reptiles and crops.
In particular, agricultural lands growing crops like corn or wheat can attract rodents which coyotes prey on. Wide open spaces with low human disturbance are prime real estate for coyotes. However, competition with native foxes, wolves and other carnivores may limit their expansion into forested regions of Europe.
Urban Environments
Surprisingly, coyotes have shown an incredible ability to adapt to urban areas in North America. Their intelligence and flexible diets allow them to thrive in cities despite high human activity. Coyotes already inhabit major European cities like Berlin and Zurich after migrating from the east.
Urban green spaces like parks, golf courses and ravines offer shelter and food sources like rodents, rabbits and even human trash. However, coyotes may face persecution from residents who view them as pests.
Public education on coexistence could enable urban coyotes to carve out a niche in European cities.
Coexistence with Native Carnivores
A major question is whether coyotes can coexist with native carnivores like wolves, foxes and lynx. In North America, coyotes avoided areas occupied by wolves. But with few wolves in modern Europe, interference may be limited.
Red foxes occupy similar niches to coyotes, so competition could arise over food resources. But urban foxes and coyotes coexist in North American cities by partitioning habitat. Overall, Europe’s carnivore guild has changed vastly due to human impacts, so the ecosystem effects of coyotes are hard to predict.
Careful monitoring of predator populations will be crucial for managing this new arrival.
Impacts Coyotes Could Have on Native Wildlife
Threats to Small Mammals and Ungulates
If coyotes become established in Europe, they could pose threats to populations of small mammals and young ungulates. As opportunistic predators, coyotes prey on species like rabbits, hares, rodents, and deer fawns.
Increased coyote predation could negatively impact reproduction and survival rates of these animals.
For example, in Yellowstone National Park, researchers found that coyote predation accounted for 50-90% of annual elk calf mortality. Similarly, small mammal populations tend to decline within a few years after coyotes colonize an area.
While concerning, these impacts may level off over time as predator-prey dynamics reach a new equilibrium.
Competition with Foxes and Wolves
Coyotes could compete with native European predators like foxes and wolves for food resources. As cunning foragers, coyotes are able to adapt their diets to a variety of prey. This dietary plasticity gives them a competitive edge over more specialized carnivores.
For example, in North America, expanding coyote populations have been linked with declining red fox numbers. Similarly, some research suggests that coyotes can limit wolf population recovery in areas of sympatry.
Further study would be needed to predict how coyotes might affect European predator populations.
Spread of Diseases
As carriers of diseases like rabies, mange, and canine distemper, coyotes also have potential to transmit pathogens to native wildlife. For example, during a 2011 rabies outbreak in New Brunswick, at least 10 coyotes tested positive for the virus.
| Disease | Native Species at Risk |
|---|---|
| Rabies | Foxes, wolves, dogs |
| Mange | Foxes, wolves |
| Distemper | Dogs, wolves, farmed mink |
Fortunately, mass vaccination programs in England have shown success at managing rabies spread between wildlife reservoirs. Similar disease control measures may be necessary if coyotes establish populations in Europe.
Conclusion
While coyotes are extremely rare in Europe today, their incredible adaptability means it’s possible they could gain a foothold on the continent in the future. However, complex dynamics with native carnivores and strict wildlife regulations in many European nations likely limit their invasion potential.
The howls of coyotes may remain a sound heard only in the Americas for the foreseeable future.
