What Do Coyotes Eat? 30 Foods They Love the Most

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are one of North America’s most adaptable predators, thriving in deserts, forests, mountains, grasslands, and even urban areas. Understanding what coyotes eat is crucial for appreciating their ecological role, managing human-wildlife interactions, and preserving balanced ecosystems. Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores that consume a wide range of foods, from small mammals and birds to fruits, vegetables, and even human food waste. Their diet is diverse and highly influenced by habitat, season, and food availability.

So, what do coyotes eat? Here is a comprehensive list of 30 foods that coyotes commonly consume:

Rabbits
Hares
Rodents (e.g., mice, rats)
Ground squirrels
Voles
Gophers
Chipmunks
Shrews
Moles
Beavers
Muskrats
Birds (adult)
Bird eggs
Reptiles (e.g., lizards)
Snakes
Amphibians (frogs, toads)
Insects
Crickets
Grasshoppers
Beetles
Ants
Caterpillars
Fish
Crustaceans (e.g., crayfish)
Frogs
Toads
Deer (fawns and sometimes adults)
Elk (calves)
Moose (calves)
Cattle (calves)
Sheep (lambs)
Goats
Pigs
Fruits (e.g., berries)
Wild berries
Apples
Grapes
Melons
Cherries
Vegetables (garden produce)
Corn
Pumpkins
Nuts (e.g., acorns)
Seeds
Carrion (dead animals)
Garbage and human food waste
Pet food
Companion animal small pets (e.g., cats/small dogs)*
Domestic poultry (chickens, ducks, etc.)
Honey

What Do Coyotes Eat in the Wild?

Coyotes are highly adaptable feeders whose diet reflects the diversity of their habitats. In forests and grasslands, they primarily hunt small mammals such as rabbits, hares, rodents, gophers, and voles. These prey animals are abundant and provide essential proteins and fats. Ground squirrels, chipmunks, shrews, and moles are also a significant part of their diet, especially in areas with dense underbrush or grassy fields.

Coyotes are not exclusively carnivorous. Insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, ants, and caterpillars are opportunistically consumed, particularly during warmer months when insect populations peak. Reptiles, including lizards and snakes, are commonly eaten by coyotes in desert and dryland habitats, while amphibians like frogs and toads become important dietary components in wetlands and riparian areas.

Birds, both adult and eggs, are another crucial food source. Coyotes will hunt ground-nesting birds or raid nests for eggs, supplementing their protein intake. Fish and crustaceans, including crayfish, are targeted in areas near streams, lakes, or rivers, adding variety to their diet and important nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids.

Larger prey like deer fawns, elk calves, moose calves, and livestock such as calves of cattle, sheep, and goats are occasionally hunted, though this behavior is less common and typically opportunistic, especially in regions with abundant small prey. Coyotes may also scavenge carrion, consuming dead animals to survive during periods of food scarcity.

Coyotes are also highly omnivorous and will consume fruits, berries, apples, grapes, melons, cherries, vegetables like corn and pumpkins, nuts such as acorns, and seeds. This flexibility allows them to thrive in urban and agricultural landscapes. Additionally, coyotes often scavenge human food waste, garbage, pet food, and occasionally prey on small companion animals or domestic poultry when available.

Main Food Categories of Coyotes

1. Rabbits

Coyotes are highly skilled predators of rabbits, which constitute a significant portion of their diet in many habitats across North America, particularly in grasslands, deserts, and suburban areas, because rabbits are not only abundant but also relatively easy to catch due to their small size, predictable hiding behaviors, and frequent use of open areas for feeding, making them ideal prey for coyotes, which rely on both stealth and speed to ambush them; rabbits provide a dense source of protein, essential amino acids, and fat that fuel coyotes’ active lifestyles, supporting their metabolism, muscle maintenance, and energy expenditure, particularly during periods when they are raising pups or traveling long distances in search of food, and their high reproductive rates ensure that even though coyotes frequently hunt them, rabbit populations remain resilient enough to provide a steady food supply, which is crucial for sustaining local coyote populations year-round, especially in environments where alternative prey may be seasonal or scarce, and coyotes often target juvenile or weakened individuals to maximize hunting efficiency while minimizing the risk of injury, using acute senses of hearing, smell, and vision to detect subtle movements in grassy areas, and then employing coordinated pouncing or chasing tactics to capture their prey quickly and efficiently, often dragging or consuming the rabbit immediately or caching portions for later, thereby demonstrating both their opportunistic feeding behavior and their role as top mesopredators in controlling rabbit populations and maintaining ecological balance.

2. Hares

Hares, which are larger and more robust than rabbits, also form a critical part of the coyote’s diet, particularly in regions where open fields, forests, or scrublands provide suitable habitats, as they offer a substantial amount of lean protein and energy-dense meat that helps coyotes meet their caloric needs, especially during colder months when energy demands are higher; hunting hares requires more strategic planning compared to smaller prey like rabbits, as hares possess powerful hind legs and exceptional speed that allow them to evade predators through zigzagging sprints and sudden directional changes, so coyotes must rely on stealth, patience, and the element of surprise, often stalking their prey silently through vegetation or ambushing them along well-worn paths, and occasionally working in pairs or small family units to increase the likelihood of a successful capture, demonstrating the adaptability and intelligence inherent in coyote hunting behavior, and the consumption of hares provides not only nutritional benefits but also important minerals such as calcium and phosphorus, which contribute to skeletal health and overall vitality, while also offering an ecological service by regulating hare populations, preventing overgrazing of vegetation, and indirectly supporting plant biodiversity in grassland and forest ecosystems.

3. Rodents (e.g., mice, rats)

Rodents, including mice, rats, and voles, are a foundational component of the coyote’s diet, particularly in agricultural areas, grasslands, and urban fringes where these small mammals are abundant and reproduce rapidly, providing an easily accessible source of protein and fat that is critical for coyotes’ survival, especially during winter months when larger prey may be scarce; coyotes are opportunistic hunters, and their keen senses of smell, sight, and hearing allow them to detect rodents burrowing, running, or foraging, and their agility and rapid pouncing skills enable them to capture these small prey efficiently with minimal energy expenditure, which is particularly advantageous for younger or smaller coyotes that may lack the strength to pursue larger animals, and by consuming rodents, coyotes perform an essential ecological function, controlling rodent populations that might otherwise impact crop production, spread disease, or disrupt local ecosystems, while the variety of rodent species ensures a diverse nutritional intake, supplying essential micronutrients such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins, which support metabolic processes, immune function, and reproduction, and this dietary flexibility allows coyotes to adapt to different habitats and fluctuating prey availability, demonstrating their remarkable resilience and opportunistic feeding strategy in both natural and human-modified environments.

4. Ground Squirrels

Ground squirrels are frequently hunted by coyotes due to their moderate size, high reproductive rates, and availability in open fields, grasslands, and forest edges, providing a reliable source of protein, fat, and essential nutrients, and their burrowing habits make them both a challenge and an opportunity for coyote hunting strategies, as coyotes must detect subtle signs of activity such as fresh tracks, disturbed soil, or audible movements, and then dig or ambush at burrow entrances to capture the squirrels, which requires both intelligence and dexterity; these hunting behaviors illustrate the coyote’s capacity for problem-solving and adaptation, as capturing ground squirrels often involves timing, patience, and the ability to exploit environmental features, and the nutritional content of these small mammals supports coyotes’ energetic needs, particularly for lactating females or those maintaining large territories, while simultaneously exerting population control on ground squirrels, which helps prevent overgrazing, soil erosion, and crop damage, demonstrating the ecological significance of coyotes as mesopredators, and highlighting how their diet is carefully balanced between nutritional gain, prey availability, and risk management in their natural habitats, ensuring survival and reproductive success across seasons.

5. Voles

Voles, being small burrowing rodents, are an important prey item for coyotes, especially in grasslands, meadows, and forested regions where they are abundant and reproduce rapidly, providing a steady and easily obtainable source of nutrition that is high in protein, fat, and essential micronutrients, which is crucial for sustaining the energy requirements of coyotes, particularly during the breeding season when adults are caring for young pups and need additional calories to support both hunting efforts and parental care, and coyotes exploit their acute hearing and keen sense of smell to detect vole movement beneath grass or snow, sometimes using pouncing techniques that send the prey scattering or emerge from tunnels to maximize hunting efficiency, and because voles feed on plant roots and seeds, coyote predation helps regulate their populations, indirectly protecting vegetation, preventing overgrazing, and maintaining ecosystem stability, illustrating the dual role of coyotes as both apex predators in small mammal food webs and as ecological regulators, and emphasizing how voles, despite their small size, are a nutritionally and ecologically significant component of the coyote’s diet in a variety of habitats.

6. Gophers

Gophers, known for their extensive underground burrow systems and high reproductive rates, constitute a favored prey item for coyotes in many regions, particularly in prairies, farmland, and forested edges, because they offer a dense source of protein and fat that is easily digestible and highly beneficial for coyotes’ energetic needs, and hunting gophers involves detecting subtle signs of burrow activity, such as fresh soil mounds or movement within tunnels, and then employing either digging behaviors or ambush tactics to capture them efficiently, which demonstrates the coyote’s adaptability, intelligence, and ability to exploit both visible and hidden prey, while the consumption of gophers also provides ecological benefits by regulating their populations, preventing excessive damage to vegetation, and reducing the risk of soil erosion, and nutritionally, gophers supply essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that support growth, reproductive health, and immune function, making them an important component of the coyote’s diet throughout the year and a reliable source of sustenance in habitats where other prey may be seasonal or scarce, highlighting the species’ versatility as a predator in diverse ecosystems.

7. Chipmunks

Chipmunks, small and agile members of the squirrel family, are targeted by coyotes as a source of high-protein, energy-rich food, especially in forests, woodland edges, and suburban areas where they are abundant, and their predation requires keen observation, stealth, and rapid reaction times from coyotes, as chipmunks are fast, alert, and capable of evading predators through burrows, climbing, and zigzagging movements, which means that coyotes must rely on acute senses and learned hunting strategies to succeed, and once captured, chipmunks provide essential nutrients, including protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals, supporting coyotes’ metabolic needs, growth, and reproductive success, while also helping to control chipmunk populations that might otherwise overconsume seeds, nuts, and young plants, demonstrating the ecological balance maintained by coyote predation, and reflecting the species’ ability to exploit a wide range of prey sizes, behaviors, and habitats, emphasizing their versatility and resilience as opportunistic predators that adapt hunting techniques according to prey availability and environmental conditions.

8. Shrews

Shrews, though small and often overlooked due to their size, play an important role in the diet of coyotes, particularly in forest floors, grasslands, and areas with abundant leaf litter, as they are high in protein and essential nutrients and are relatively easy to catch due to their low speed and frequent surface activity, and coyotes use acute hearing and smell to locate these tiny mammals, sometimes digging or pouncing strategically to secure them, and while shrews individually provide modest caloric content, their high reproductive rates and abundance make them a reliable supplemental prey, particularly during times when larger mammals are scarce, and by preying on shrews, coyotes help regulate small mammal populations that can affect insect populations, seed dispersal, and soil structure, illustrating the coyote’s ecological role as a mesopredator that maintains the balance of complex ecosystems, and highlighting how even the smallest prey items contribute significantly to their diet in terms of nutrient diversity and overall survival strategy.

9. Moles

Moles, subterranean mammals that feed primarily on worms and insects, are occasionally consumed by coyotes, particularly in open fields, gardens, and forested regions where mole activity is detectable by surface mounds and soil disturbances, providing coyotes with protein-rich prey that, while small and low in fat compared to larger mammals, is abundant and relatively defenseless, making them an accessible food source that requires minimal energy to capture, and coyotes often exploit their strong forelimbs and digging behavior to extract moles from shallow tunnels, demonstrating their problem-solving abilities and adaptability in securing prey that is otherwise hidden, while consuming moles also contributes to ecological balance by controlling their populations, which indirectly affects soil aeration, insect populations, and root consumption, and nutritionally, moles offer amino acids and minerals essential for maintaining coyotes’ health and energy levels, illustrating how coyotes’ opportunistic feeding strategies enable them to incorporate a wide range of small mammals into their diet to meet nutritional needs and maintain survival across seasons.

10. Beavers

Beavers, large, semi-aquatic rodents, are targeted by coyotes primarily when they are young, sick, or otherwise vulnerable, as their size and aggressive defense mechanisms make adult beavers a more challenging prey, and in habitats such as rivers, streams, and wetlands, coyotes utilize stealth, ambush tactics, and careful observation to exploit periods of vulnerability, often preying on kits near lodges or along shorelines, providing a rich source of protein, fat, and essential nutrients that are particularly valuable for lactating females or during periods of high energy demand, while the predation of beavers, though limited to vulnerable individuals, contributes to ecological dynamics by influencing population structure and indirectly affecting dam-building activity, water flow, and wetland ecosystems, and nutritionally, even a single young beaver can supply a coyote with a high-calorie meal, illustrating the importance of flexible hunting strategies and the ability to exploit prey of various sizes and habitats, demonstrating the coyote’s adaptability, intelligence, and role as a mesopredator in shaping community dynamics and maintaining ecological balance across diverse environments.

11. Muskrats

Muskrats, semi-aquatic rodents that inhabit wetlands, marshes, and riverbanks, are a valuable food source for coyotes, particularly in areas where water sources support dense muskrat populations, as they provide a rich source of protein and fat that is crucial for meeting the high-energy demands of coyotes, especially during periods of reproduction, pup rearing, or territorial expansion; hunting muskrats requires coyotes to employ both patience and ingenuity, as muskrats are adept swimmers and capable of retreating into water channels or dense vegetation to evade predators, so coyotes often lie in ambush near burrow entrances, along stream edges, or on ice during colder months, using their keen sense of smell and sharp eyesight to detect subtle movements, and once captured, muskrats not only provide essential nutrients such as amino acids, fatty acids, and micronutrients but also help coyotes maintain a balanced diet that includes a mix of terrestrial and semi-aquatic prey, while muskrat predation indirectly influences wetland ecosystems by regulating population densities, which in turn affects vegetation growth, water quality, and the availability of habitats for other species, highlighting the multifaceted ecological role that coyotes play through their feeding behaviors, and underscoring their adaptability in exploiting prey that requires specialized hunting strategies due to habitat complexity, aquatic abilities, and seasonal behavioral patterns of the prey itself, ensuring the coyote’s survival and ecological impact in a variety of wetland landscapes.

12. Birds (adult)

Adult birds, ranging from small passerines to medium-sized fowl, form a significant component of the coyote’s opportunistic diet in habitats that include forests, grasslands, and agricultural landscapes, as they offer high-quality protein, fat, and essential nutrients that help coyotes maintain energy levels, build muscle mass, and support reproductive health, particularly during periods when mammalian prey is less abundant, and hunting birds requires a combination of stealth, timing, and strategy, as birds are highly mobile and possess acute vision and rapid flight capabilities that make them difficult to capture, prompting coyotes to exploit behaviors such as ambushing feeding flocks, targeting nests with eggs or fledglings, or stalking resting birds on the ground, often using cover and terrain to conceal their approach, and consuming birds not only provides nutritional benefits but also contributes to population control, preventing overabundance of certain species that could otherwise impact seed dispersal, insect populations, and local plant communities, while the diversity of bird species in a coyote’s range allows for dietary flexibility and ensures access to a balanced mix of nutrients, illustrating the predator’s adaptability and opportunistic feeding strategy, which enables coyotes to thrive in both natural and human-modified landscapes where birds are plentiful and occasionally vulnerable to predation.

13. Bird Eggs

Bird eggs represent an easily digestible and highly nutritious food source for coyotes, particularly in spring and early summer when nesting activity peaks, and they provide a concentrated source of protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals that are critical for supporting energy-intensive behaviors such as hunting, territory defense, and raising pups, as well as for maintaining overall health and reproductive success, and coyotes often locate eggs by observing nesting behaviors, identifying nest sites in trees, shrubs, or ground locations, and accessing them using dexterous paws, teeth, and careful positioning, which demonstrates their problem-solving abilities and keen observational skills, while egg predation can influence avian population dynamics by limiting reproductive success and altering nest site selection, ultimately affecting species distribution and local biodiversity, and by consuming eggs in addition to other prey items, coyotes maintain a varied diet that provides essential nutrients in concentrated forms, ensuring survival during periods of scarce larger prey, and highlighting the predator’s role in shaping ecological interactions, regulating prey populations, and influencing reproductive strategies of bird species, demonstrating the intricate balance between nutritional needs, foraging efficiency, and ecosystem management inherent in the coyote’s opportunistic feeding behavior.

14. Reptiles (e.g., lizards)

Reptiles, including lizards and small snakes, are a versatile food source for coyotes in a variety of habitats such as deserts, grasslands, forests, and scrublands, providing concentrated protein and essential minerals that supplement their diet, particularly in warmer months when reptile activity is highest, and hunting reptiles requires keen observation, patience, and rapid reflexes, as many species are agile, well-camouflaged, and capable of quick escape into burrows, crevices, or dense vegetation, so coyotes rely on their acute eyesight and stealth to approach undetected, often pouncing at the precise moment to secure the prey, while the consumption of reptiles not only fulfills nutritional needs but also plays a role in regulating their populations, preventing overabundance that could disrupt insect communities, small mammal dynamics, and vegetation patterns, and the inclusion of reptiles in the diet exemplifies the coyote’s opportunistic strategy and ecological versatility, allowing them to exploit prey with diverse behaviors, habitats, and activity patterns, ensuring access to a broad spectrum of nutrients that supports growth, reproduction, and survival across multiple seasons and environmental conditions, demonstrating their adaptability and critical role in maintaining ecosystem balance through predation.

15. Snakes

Snakes, both venomous and non-venomous, represent a challenging yet highly rewarding component of the coyote’s diet, as they are rich in protein, fat, and essential nutrients, and predation on snakes requires careful risk assessment, skill, and knowledge, since venomous species present potential danger, prompting coyotes to develop specialized hunting techniques such as targeting juvenile or smaller individuals, biting the head or neck, or quickly shaking the snake to neutralize it before consumption, while non-venomous snakes are more straightforward prey, yet still demand stealth, precision, and adaptability, and by consuming snakes, coyotes not only meet critical dietary requirements but also help control local snake populations, indirectly influencing prey species such as rodents, amphibians, and insects, and their predation patterns may also shape snake behavior, habitat use, and community interactions, illustrating the coyote’s role as an apex mesopredator capable of exerting influence across trophic levels, while demonstrating their intelligence, flexibility, and opportunistic feeding habits that allow them to exploit diverse prey types in complex and sometimes hazardous environments, reinforcing their importance in ecosystem regulation and biological control.

16. Amphibians (frogs, toads)

Amphibians, particularly frogs and toads, are an essential part of the coyote’s diet in wetland, riparian, and forested habitats, providing highly digestible protein, water, and fat that support metabolic processes, reproductive health, and hydration, especially during warmer seasons when amphibian activity is at its peak, and hunting these prey items involves stealthy stalking, rapid lunging, and careful timing, as many frogs and toads can jump considerable distances or secrete toxins as a defense mechanism, requiring coyotes to use intelligence, dexterity, and selective prey choice to ensure safety and maximize nutritional gain, and by preying on amphibians, coyotes contribute to the regulation of local amphibian populations, which in turn affects insect abundance, water quality, and ecosystem health, while also gaining access to a nutrient-dense food source that complements their intake of mammals, birds, and reptiles, highlighting their ability to integrate multiple prey types into a flexible diet that supports survival across varying seasonal and environmental conditions, emphasizing the species’ ecological role as a generalist predator capable of maintaining balance among trophic levels in diverse habitats.

17. Insects

Insects, including crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, ants, and caterpillars, serve as an important supplemental food source for coyotes, particularly in grasslands, meadows, forests, and agricultural areas where insects are abundant, offering highly digestible protein, fats, and micronutrients that can be especially beneficial during periods when larger prey is scarce, and coyotes employ a combination of foraging behaviors such as digging, pouncing, and opportunistic scavenging to capture these small but nutritionally valuable prey items, which require minimal energy expenditure relative to the caloric gain, and the consumption of insects also provides indirect ecological benefits, such as regulating populations of herbivorous species that could otherwise damage crops, vegetation, and seedling growth, while enhancing the coyote’s dietary diversity, contributing to immune function, and maintaining energy balance across seasons, and this opportunistic insectivory underscores the species’ adaptability and generalist feeding strategy, allowing them to exploit a wide range of prey sizes, behaviors, and habitats to ensure survival and reproductive success even in dynamic or human-modified environments.

18. Crickets

Crickets, abundant in grassy fields, forests, and agricultural margins, are a highly accessible source of protein and fat for coyotes, particularly for juveniles or during times of scarcity of larger mammals, and hunting crickets involves a combination of acute hearing, keen vision, and rapid reflexes, as crickets are capable of leaping long distances and evading predators with sudden movements, prompting coyotes to stalk quietly, listen for chirping or movement, and pounce at the exact moment of vulnerability, providing both a caloric boost and essential nutrients such as amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that support growth, energy metabolism, and reproductive success, while cricket predation also helps control local insect populations, preventing overgrazing of grasses, seedlings, and other plants, and illustrating the coyote’s role as an opportunistic, generalist predator capable of incorporating small invertebrates alongside larger vertebrate prey into a balanced, adaptive diet that ensures survival in diverse ecosystems, while maintaining ecological stability and supporting complex food web interactions.

19. Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers, which are abundant during the warm months in fields, meadows, and agricultural lands, provide coyotes with a convenient, nutrient-dense source of protein, fat, and micronutrients that supplement their primary prey of mammals, birds, and amphibians, and hunting grasshoppers requires acute auditory and visual detection, quick reflexes, and timing, as grasshoppers are agile and capable of sudden jumps or flight to escape predators, which prompts coyotes to employ rapid lunging or pouncing strategies, sometimes in conjunction with environmental features such as rocks, vegetation, or water margins to corner or flush the prey, and consuming grasshoppers not only provides dietary diversity and essential nutrients for maintaining metabolism, energy, and reproductive health, but also contributes to ecological regulation by controlling herbivorous insect populations, which might otherwise impact plant growth, seedling survival, and agricultural productivity, while illustrating the coyote’s opportunistic feeding behavior, generalist predatory strategy, and ability to integrate both large and small prey into a flexible diet that supports survival and reproductive success across seasons and environmental conditions, highlighting their resilience and adaptability in ecosystems ranging from wildlands to human-modified landscapes.

20. Beetles

Beetles, encompassing a wide range of species from ground beetles to scarabs and leaf beetles, serve as a highly accessible and nutritious component of the coyote’s diet, particularly in grasslands, forests, and agricultural landscapes where they are abundant, providing essential protein, fat, and micronutrients that are valuable during periods of food scarcity or when hunting larger vertebrate prey is energetically costly, and capturing beetles requires acute observational skills, patience, and dexterity, as many species are capable of rapid movement, flight, or burrowing, prompting coyotes to adaptively use stalking, pouncing, or digging techniques to secure them, and by consuming beetles, coyotes not only gain dietary diversity and vital nutrients to support growth, metabolism, and reproductive success, but also contribute to ecosystem regulation by controlling insect populations that might otherwise overconsume vegetation, seeds, or other invertebrates, demonstrating the predator’s ecological role as a generalist mesopredator capable of integrating invertebrate and vertebrate prey into a flexible diet that supports survival, maintains energy balance, and ensures reproductive success across diverse habitats, while maintaining ecological stability through predation.

21. Ants

Ants, which are small but highly abundant insects found in virtually every terrestrial habitat ranging from forests and grasslands to urban gardens and agricultural fields, serve as an opportunistic but important supplemental food source for coyotes, particularly when larger prey such as mammals or birds are less available, and despite their tiny size, ants provide a concentrated source of protein, fats, and essential micronutrients including minerals that support immune function and metabolic processes, and hunting ants requires coyotes to employ careful observation and precision, as ants often travel in colonies, utilize chemical defenses, or inhabit complex nests that can deter predation, prompting coyotes to focus on foraging near foraging trails, disturbed soil, or accessible ant mounds to extract high-density prey with minimal energy expenditure, and by including ants in their diet, coyotes not only diversify their nutrient intake but also contribute indirectly to ecosystem regulation by moderating ant populations, which in turn affects seed dispersal, soil aeration, and the structure of insect communities, while demonstrating their remarkable adaptability and generalist feeding behavior that allows them to exploit prey of vastly different sizes, energy content, and behavioral complexity, ensuring survival in dynamic and sometimes human-modified landscapes where opportunistic predation on small invertebrates complements their consumption of larger vertebrate prey and supports both seasonal and year-round nutritional balance.

22. Caterpillars

Caterpillars, the larval stage of moths and butterflies, provide coyotes with a nutrient-rich source of protein, fats, and essential vitamins, particularly in forested, meadow, and agricultural habitats where caterpillar populations can fluctuate seasonally, and despite being small and seemingly defenseless, caterpillars often possess chemical defenses, spines, or hair-like structures that make handling and consumption challenging, requiring coyotes to be selective, skillful, and patient in locating, extracting, and ingesting these larvae, which often inhabit leaves, tree bark, or low vegetation, and this prey item contributes not only to the dietary diversity of coyotes but also plays an ecological role in controlling herbivorous insect populations, which could otherwise defoliate plants, damage crops, and alter plant community dynamics, while ensuring that coyotes receive a low-energy, high-nutrient food supplement during periods when larger prey may be scarce, illustrating the predator’s ability to exploit a wide spectrum of prey types ranging from tiny insects to medium-sized mammals, and highlighting the importance of opportunistic foraging strategies and dietary flexibility in maintaining metabolic balance, reproductive success, and overall survival across varied habitats and fluctuating seasonal prey availability.

23. Fish

Fish, which include species ranging from small freshwater minnows to medium-sized river or coastal species, represent an important protein-rich and highly digestible food source for coyotes that inhabit riparian zones, wetlands, and coastal areas, providing essential amino acids, fatty acids such as omega-3, and minerals that support cardiovascular health, growth, and reproduction, and hunting fish requires a combination of sharp observational skills, patience, and agility, as fish are often elusive, highly mobile, and capable of rapid escape in aquatic environments, prompting coyotes to forage along shallow streams, riverbanks, or tide pools, sometimes wading into water to capture prey with precise timing and coordination, and consuming fish not only contributes to the nutritional balance of coyotes’ diets but also helps regulate local fish populations, influences aquatic food web dynamics, and supports the overall ecological equilibrium by preventing overabundance of certain species, while demonstrating the predator’s versatility and opportunistic feeding behavior, which enables it to exploit terrestrial, semi-aquatic, and aquatic prey across seasons and diverse habitats, thereby reinforcing their ecological role as adaptive, generalist mesopredators with significant influence on multiple trophic levels.

24. Crustaceans (e.g., crayfish)

Crustaceans such as crayfish are an occasional but highly valuable component of the coyote’s diet, especially in regions with rivers, streams, wetlands, or estuaries where these invertebrates are abundant, and they provide a rich source of protein, minerals such as calcium, and essential fats that contribute to energy metabolism, growth, and reproductive success, and capturing crustaceans often requires careful planning and dexterity, as crayfish can retreat into burrows, hide under rocks, or use pincers defensively, prompting coyotes to employ strategies such as pawing through sediment, flipping stones, or ambushing them at shallow water edges, and the consumption of crustaceans not only supplements the coyote’s diet with high-quality nutrients but also aids in controlling invertebrate populations, which can influence aquatic plant composition, water quality, and the distribution of other invertebrate species, while illustrating the species’ adaptability in exploiting both terrestrial and aquatic prey, the ability to integrate diverse food types into a balanced diet, and the importance of opportunistic feeding behavior in maximizing survival and maintaining ecological stability across riparian, wetland, and coastal habitats where crustaceans provide an additional protein and mineral resource essential for year-round health and energy requirements.

25. Frogs

Frogs, which are highly abundant in wetlands, ponds, and riparian zones, offer coyotes a protein-rich, water-dense, and nutritionally diverse food source that is particularly valuable during spring and summer when amphibians are most active, and hunting frogs requires a combination of stealth, keen observation, and rapid reflexes, as frogs are capable of jumping considerable distances and often seek refuge in water or dense vegetation, prompting coyotes to employ stalking, ambushing, or quick lunging techniques, and the inclusion of frogs in their diet not only fulfills dietary needs with high-quality protein, fats, and vitamins but also plays an ecological role by regulating amphibian populations, which in turn affects insect abundance, aquatic plant growth, and the balance of local wetland ecosystems, while demonstrating the coyote’s generalist and opportunistic feeding strategy that allows it to exploit diverse prey across habitats, seasons, and environmental conditions, thereby ensuring survival, reproductive success, and contribution to the ecological stability of both terrestrial and semi-aquatic food webs.

26. Toads

Toads, which are closely related to frogs but often more terrestrial and less agile, provide coyotes with a reliable source of protein, fat, and water content, particularly in fields, grasslands, and forest edges where they are plentiful during rainy seasons or periods of high humidity, and while toads possess chemical defenses such as toxins in their skin that can deter predation, coyotes often selectively prey on smaller individuals, juveniles, or species with lower toxicity, using careful handling, quick bites, and avoidance of toxic areas, and the predation of toads contributes to the regulation of amphibian populations, which affects insect densities, soil moisture, and plant health, while simultaneously providing essential nutrients that complement other vertebrate and invertebrate prey items in the coyote’s diet, exemplifying the predator’s adaptability, opportunistic behavior, and ability to balance risks and rewards in pursuit of nutritionally valuable prey, thereby reinforcing the species’ ecological role as a generalist predator capable of shaping both terrestrial and semi-aquatic food webs through selective and strategic consumption of amphibians.

27. Deer (fawns and sometimes adults)

Deer, particularly fawns and occasionally weakened adult individuals, represent one of the most significant protein and fat-rich prey items in the coyote’s diet, providing the high caloric intake required to support energy-intensive activities such as hunting, territorial defense, reproduction, and pup-rearing, and hunting deer requires advanced predatory skills, including stealth, endurance, strategy, and the ability to exploit vulnerability in age, health, or isolation, often focusing on fawns in spring or summer when they are less mobile and more vulnerable, or adults during extreme conditions of food scarcity or illness, and the consumption of deer not only sustains the coyote nutritionally but also plays a critical ecological role by regulating ungulate populations, influencing vegetation patterns, forest regeneration, and habitat structure, while highlighting the predator’s capacity for strategic hunting of large prey, demonstrating their physical prowess, cooperative behavior in some instances, and ability to exert top-down control in terrestrial ecosystems, which maintains balance among herbivore populations, prevents overgrazing, and contributes to long-term ecological stability.

28. Elk (calves)

Elk calves, typically targeted during spring and early summer, provide coyotes with an exceptionally nutrient-rich food source due to their high protein, fat, and mineral content, which is essential for the growth, survival, and reproductive success of coyotes, and hunting elk calves requires significant skill, timing, and knowledge of elk behavior, as adult elk are formidable and protective, prompting coyotes to focus on isolating calves that may be separated from their mothers or herds, often utilizing stealth, terrain advantages, and coordinated effort when multiple coyotes are involved, and by preying on elk calves, coyotes help regulate population densities, influence herd dynamics, and indirectly affect vegetation communities by controlling ungulate grazing pressure, while ensuring access to a high-calorie, easily digestible prey item that supplements their omnivorous and opportunistic diet, demonstrating their adaptability to large prey hunting, ecosystem management role, and the critical balance they maintain between predator-prey interactions, habitat use, and nutrient acquisition in temperate and montane ecosystems.

29. Moose (calves)

Moose calves, although less frequently targeted than smaller ungulates, are an occasional but highly valuable prey item for coyotes in northern forests, wetlands, and boreal regions, providing substantial protein, fat, and micronutrients that contribute to growth, reproductive health, and survival, and hunting moose calves requires significant strategic acumen, as adult moose are formidable, heavily built, and often aggressive toward predators, prompting coyotes to rely on timing, observation, and opportunism, often targeting calves that are young, ill, or temporarily separated from mothers, while consuming moose calves also affects population dynamics, herbivore density, and vegetation patterns, influencing tree regeneration, shrub composition, and wetland plant communities, and the inclusion of large ungulate prey in their diet highlights coyotes’ adaptability, capacity to exploit both small and large prey, and their role as versatile mesopredators that maintain ecosystem balance, exerting top-down effects across trophic levels, supporting biodiversity, and demonstrating the predator’s intelligence, physical prowess, and opportunistic feeding strategy across challenging environments.

30. Cattle (calves)

Cattle calves, while often domestic and associated with human-managed landscapes, can become prey for coyotes, providing a nutrient-rich source of protein and fat that supports energy requirements, growth, and reproduction, particularly in regions where natural prey is limited or fragmented by human development, and hunting or scavenging cattle calves requires coyotes to assess risk, often relying on nocturnal foraging, targeting unattended or weakened individuals, and utilizing stealth, patience, and cooperative behaviors when hunting in family groups, while consumption of cattle calves has ecological and economic implications, influencing predator-livestock interactions, necessitating management strategies, and illustrating the predator’s ability to adapt to human-modified environments, supplement natural prey, and maintain dietary flexibility, thereby demonstrating the coyote’s generalist, opportunistic feeding strategy, resilience across habitats, and the critical balance between natural predation, ecosystem health, and interactions with anthropogenic food sources that shape modern landscapes.

Feeding Behavior & Hunting/Foraging Techniques

Coyotes are exceptionally adaptable predators whose feeding behavior reflects a combination of opportunism, intelligence, and physical dexterity, allowing them to exploit a wide range of prey across diverse habitats from deserts and grasslands to forests, wetlands, and urban landscapes; they rely heavily on acute senses of smell, hearing, and vision to detect movement, scent trails, and the subtle signs of vulnerability in potential prey, and they employ a variety of hunting strategies that range from solitary stalking and ambush tactics to coordinated pack hunting for larger prey such as deer fawns, elk calves, or livestock, often taking advantage of terrain features, cover, and timing to maximize success while minimizing energy expenditure, and in addition to hunting, coyotes are adept scavengers who will readily consume carrion, garbage, or human food waste when natural prey is scarce, demonstrating a remarkable ability to switch between carnivorous, omnivorous, and opportunistic feeding behaviors that allow them to maintain caloric balance, sustain reproductive health, and ensure survival in environments subject to seasonal, ecological, or anthropogenic changes, while their dexterous forepaws, sharp teeth, and strong jaws enable them to handle prey of varying sizes, crack open bones, and extract nutrient-rich tissues efficiently.

Seasonal Diet Changes

The diet of coyotes varies significantly with the changing seasons, reflecting fluctuations in prey availability, plant phenology, and environmental conditions; in spring and early summer, coyotes tend to focus on highly nutritious juvenile mammals such as rabbits, hares, and deer fawns, as well as amphibians like frogs and toads, which are abundant during this period, while insects, small reptiles, and tender plant shoots supplement their nutrition, and as summer progresses, coyotes increasingly consume fruits, berries, and vegetation when these resources peak in ripeness and abundance, which provides essential carbohydrates and vitamins, and in fall, coyotes shift toward nuts, seeds, and harvested crops such as corn and pumpkins, coinciding with migration of birds and seasonal abundance of rodents, whereas in winter, when plant-based foods are scarce and small mammals may be less active, coyotes rely more heavily on scavenging carrion, hunting larger mammals like deer, and opportunistically consuming human-associated food sources, all of which highlights their remarkable flexibility, the adaptive significance of a generalist diet, and the role of behavioral plasticity in sustaining energy balance and survival across seasonal and climatic fluctuations.

Ecological Role of Coyotes’ Diet

Coyotes play a vital ecological role as mesopredators, and their diverse diet helps maintain ecosystem balance by regulating populations of small mammals, birds, insects, and other prey species, which in turn affects vegetation, soil health, and overall biodiversity; by preying on herbivorous rodents, rabbits, and deer fawns, coyotes indirectly reduce overgrazing and seed predation, promoting forest regeneration, grassland health, and wetland plant diversity, while scavenging on carrion accelerates nutrient recycling, supports decomposer communities, and prevents the spread of disease, and their opportunistic feeding on insects and invertebrates contributes to pest control, whereas consuming fruits, berries, and nuts facilitates seed dispersal and supports plant reproduction, demonstrating the coyote’s dual role as both predator and ecological engineer; furthermore, their ability to adapt their diet to human-modified environments while maintaining natural hunting behaviors underscores their resilience and critical contribution to ecosystem stability in both wild and urbanized landscapes.

Fun Facts About Coyotes’ Eating Habits

Highly adaptable foragers: Coyotes can switch from hunting large mammals to eating fruits, insects, or human food depending on seasonal and environmental conditions.
Scavengers as well as predators: They are not strictly hunters and will readily consume carrion or human garbage when natural prey is scarce.
Opportunistic feeders: Coyotes sometimes hunt unusual prey such as domestic poultry, small pets, or crayfish, demonstrating extreme dietary flexibility.
Team hunting: While mostly solitary hunters, coyotes will sometimes cooperate in packs to take down larger prey like deer fawns or elk calves.
Impact on ecosystem: Their feeding habits help regulate prey populations, promote plant regeneration, and support overall ecosystem health.

Conclusion

In conclusion, coyotes exhibit an extraordinary range of dietary habits that span small mammals, insects, amphibians, birds, fruits, vegetables, nuts, carrion, and even human-related food sources, reflecting their adaptability, intelligence, and role as opportunistic generalist predators capable of thriving in nearly every North American habitat; their diverse diet not only meets their nutritional requirements, ensuring survival, reproduction, and growth, but also plays an essential ecological role by controlling prey populations, facilitating seed dispersal, regulating herbivore impact on vegetation, and contributing to nutrient cycling, while seasonal and regional variation in prey availability highlights their behavioral plasticity, strategic hunting techniques, and capacity to navigate dynamic environments, making the coyote a keystone mesopredator whose feeding habits are critical for maintaining ecosystem balance, biodiversity, and ecological resilience across both natural and human-modified landscapes, and understanding what coyotes eat provides valuable insight into predator-prey dynamics, wildlife management, and conservation strategies that aim to harmonize the coexistence of humans and wildlife in shared environments.

Absolutely! Here’s a 50+ FAQ section for coyotes in HTML format, fully detailed and ready for WordPress:
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Coyote Diet FAQs

1. What do coyotes eat?

Coyotes are omnivorous generalists, meaning they consume a wide range of foods including small mammals like rabbits, rodents, ground squirrels, birds, insects, fruits, vegetables, nuts, carrion, and occasionally human food waste, allowing them to survive in diverse habitats.

2. Do coyotes eat rabbits?

Yes, rabbits are a staple in many coyote diets, especially in areas where rabbit populations are abundant; they provide high protein and fat content, which is crucial for energy and reproduction.

3. Do coyotes eat rodents?

Absolutely. Coyotes frequently hunt mice, rats, voles, gophers, shrews, and chipmunks, which are smaller prey that can be caught more easily and consumed in large numbers to meet caloric needs.

4. Do coyotes eat birds?

Coyotes opportunistically consume adult birds and bird eggs, particularly during nesting seasons, which supplements their diet with protein and fat and helps control bird population density in some ecosystems.

5. Do coyotes eat reptiles?

Yes, coyotes hunt lizards and snakes, especially when small mammals are less available; reptiles provide a valuable source of nutrients and are easier to catch in open areas.

6. Do coyotes eat amphibians?

Coyotes consume frogs and toads, particularly during spring and early summer when amphibians are abundant, and these prey items are rich in moisture and protein, which is beneficial for hydration and nutrition.

7. Do coyotes eat insects?

Coyotes eat a variety of insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, ants, and caterpillars, especially in warmer months, supplementing their diet with protein and micronutrients.

8. Do coyotes eat fish?

In areas near rivers, lakes, or wetlands, coyotes may eat fish or crustaceans such as crayfish, especially if other food sources are scarce.

9. Do coyotes eat deer?

Coyotes commonly prey on deer fawns in spring and early summer, but adult deer are rarely taken unless the coyote is in a pack and the deer is weakened or injured.

10. Do coyotes eat livestock?

Coyotes occasionally hunt young or small livestock such as calves, lambs, goats, or pigs, particularly in rural or farmland areas, which is why livestock protection measures are often necessary.

11. Do coyotes eat fruits?

Yes, coyotes consume fruits like berries, grapes, apples, cherries, and melons, which provide essential sugars, vitamins, and hydration, particularly in summer and fall when fruits are abundant.

12. Do coyotes eat vegetables?

Coyotes may consume garden vegetables such as corn, pumpkins, and other crops, especially if natural food is scarce, providing an additional source of carbohydrates and nutrients.

13. Do coyotes eat nuts?

Yes, nuts like acorns are eaten seasonally and provide energy-rich fats and carbohydrates, helping coyotes build fat reserves for colder months.

14. Do coyotes eat seeds?

Coyotes occasionally eat seeds directly or consume them indirectly while eating fruits and nuts, which contributes to energy intake and diet diversity.

15. Do coyotes eat carrion?

Coyotes are opportunistic scavengers and will eat dead animals, including roadkill, deer carcasses, and small mammals, which helps them survive when hunting is unsuccessful.

16. Do coyotes eat garbage?

In urban and suburban areas, coyotes frequently scavenge human food waste and garbage, which can lead to conflicts with humans if not managed carefully.

17. Do coyotes eat pet food?

Coyotes may eat pet food left outdoors, which is why it’s recommended to feed pets indoors or remove leftover food at night in coyote-inhabited areas.

18. Do coyotes eat small pets?

Coyotes can prey on small pets like cats and small dogs, particularly in urban or suburban areas where natural prey may be limited, highlighting the need for vigilance.

19. Do coyotes eat domestic poultry?

Yes, chickens, ducks, and other domestic birds are sometimes targeted, especially in rural farms, which is why coops should be secured against coyote predation.

20. Do coyotes eat honey?

Coyotes occasionally consume honey if they access bee hives or wild honey sources, although this is less common than other dietary components.

21. Are coyotes omnivores?

Yes, coyotes are omnivorous, consuming both animal protein and plant-based foods, which allows them to adapt to seasonal and regional variations in food availability.

22. How often do coyotes hunt?

Coyotes hunt daily or nightly depending on prey availability, often traveling several kilometers in search of food and consuming multiple small meals rather than one large meal.

23. Can coyotes survive without hunting?

In urban environments, coyotes can survive largely on scavenged food, human waste, and pet food, but natural hunting provides essential nutrients and exercise for maintaining health.

24. How much do coyotes eat daily?

Adult coyotes consume approximately 1 to 2 pounds of food per day, but this varies with size, season, reproductive status, and food availability.

25. Do coyotes store food?

Coyotes rarely cache food, although they may partially bury small prey to consume later, unlike some fox species which actively store food.

26. Do coyotes eat fish eggs?

In aquatic habitats, coyotes may consume fish eggs, which are nutrient-rich and easily accessible during spawning seasons.

27. Do coyotes eat amphibian eggs?

Coyotes may eat frog or toad eggs when they are abundant in ponds or wetlands, especially during spring breeding events.

28. Do coyotes eat snakes?

Yes, snakes are part of the coyote diet, particularly smaller or non-venomous species, which provide protein and fats essential for growth and reproduction.

29. Do coyotes eat insects for protein?

Insects like grasshoppers, beetles, and caterpillars are supplemental protein sources, especially for young coyotes learning to hunt or during lean seasons.

30. Do coyotes eat crayfish?

In regions near freshwater, coyotes will catch and eat crayfish, which offer protein, fat, and minerals while being relatively easy to capture along riverbanks.

31. Do coyotes eat gophers?

Yes, gophers and voles are frequently preyed upon because they are abundant, slow-moving, and easy to catch, contributing significantly to coyote nutrition.

32. Do coyotes eat shrews?

Shrews provide small but protein-dense prey, and coyotes will capture them along burrows or under vegetation, adding dietary diversity.

33. Do coyotes eat beavers?

Occasionally, coyotes may hunt small or juvenile beavers near water sources, though adult beavers are rarely targeted due to size and defensive capabilities.

34. Do coyotes eat muskrats?

Muskrats are hunted in wetlands or river edges, offering coyotes a rich source of protein, fat, and water content, which is vital during hot or dry seasons.

35. Do coyotes eat vole populations?

Voles are prolific and easy prey, making them a reliable food source that supports coyote populations throughout the year.

36. Do coyotes eat chipmunks?

Chipmunks, being small rodents, are opportunistic prey for coyotes, especially in forests and suburban woodlots, providing protein and fat with minimal effort.

37. Do coyotes eat deer calves?

Deer fawns are vulnerable in spring, and coyotes will hunt them when available, playing a natural role in regulating deer population dynamics.

38. Do coyotes eat elk calves?

In regions where elk are present, coyotes may opportunistically prey on calves during spring, though they are more likely to hunt in packs or target weakened individuals.

39. Do coyotes eat moose calves?

Moose calves may be preyed upon by coyotes in northern regions, particularly if abandoned, sick, or weak, though adult moose are too large to target successfully.

40. Do coyotes eat cattle calves?

In farmlands, cattle calves can be vulnerable to predation, particularly by solitary coyotes or small packs, highlighting the need for protective livestock management.

41. Do coyotes eat sheep?

Young lambs are sometimes taken by coyotes, especially during spring lambing seasons, which is why fenced and supervised pastures are important for prevention.

42. Do coyotes eat goats?

Goats may be vulnerable to coyote predation in rural areas, with small or young goats being most at risk, necessitating secure enclosures.

43. Do coyotes eat pigs?

Small or young pigs can be preyed upon by coyotes, particularly in regions where natural prey is scarce or in unfenced areas near human settlements.

44. Do coyotes eat berries?

Wild berries are consumed seasonally, offering essential sugars, vitamins, and hydration that complement their protein-rich diet from mammals and insects.

45. Do coyotes eat apples?

Apples provide readily available carbohydrates and are eaten opportunistically, particularly when dropped from orchards or in urban areas.

46. Do coyotes eat grapes?

Grapes are occasionally eaten in vineyards or wild grape areas, supplying sugars and calories for energy-intensive activities like hunting or traveling long distances.

47. Do coyotes eat melons?

Melons, when available, are opportunistically consumed, providing hydration and carbohydrates in addition to their regular protein-rich diet.

48. Do coyotes eat cherries?

Wild or cultivated cherries are eaten opportunistically and seasonally, supplementing their diet with sugars, antioxidants, and vitamins.

49. Do coyotes eat corn?

Corn is consumed in agricultural areas, particularly during harvest, providing energy-dense carbohydrates and supporting caloric needs in winter months.

50. Do coyotes eat pumpkins?

Pumpkins are occasionally eaten in fall when ripe, offering fiber, hydration, and carbohydrates, and they complement the coyote’s omnivorous dietary habits.

51. Do coyotes eat acorns?

Acorns are consumed seasonally, providing fats, carbohydrates, and essential micronutrients that help coyotes build reserves for colder months.

52. Do coyotes eat seeds?

Seeds are eaten either directly or as part of fruits and nuts, offering additional calories and supporting diet diversity in different habitats and seasons.