Journal article
Vocal and Non-Vocal Communication of American Black Bears (Ursus americanus): Implications for Conservation
Conservation, v 6(1), 17
03 Feb 2026
Abstract
To establish the best approach for conserving a species, it is necessary to understand the biology of that species. To better understand the behavior of American black bears (Ursus americanus), we observed 246 black bears for 7950 h in nature over a 24-year period to quantify how the bears communicated. Black bears communicated using several different behaviors. These included thirteen types of vocalizations, eight olfactory behaviors, eight marking behaviors, sixteen different body postures and gestures constituting their body language, and various emotional expressions. Some behaviors appeared to be automatic, including facial expression, ear movements, some forms of body language, the intensity of various vocalizations, and various moans. Other behaviors appeared to be intentional, including mechanically generated sounds and actions that could be used to bluff or deceive, such as the chomping of teeth, huffing, swatting, false charging, and various vocalizations. The conservation of black bears can be improved by establishing management strategies that take into account the vocal and non-vocal communication of the bears. Conflicts and negative encounters between humans and bears can be reduced through behavioral modifications by humans based on our new understanding of the communication system of bears. Knowledge of the communication system of the black bear provides a basis for improved conservation through the non-lethal management of bears involved in bear-human conflicts.
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Details
- Title
- Vocal and Non-Vocal Communication of American Black Bears (Ursus americanus): Implications for Conservation
- Creators
- Benjamin Kilham (Corresponding Author) - Drexel University, Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES)James R. Spotila - Drexel University, Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES)Andrew A. Timmins - New Hampshire Fish and Game Department
- Publication Details
- Conservation, v 6(1), 17
- Publisher
- Mdpi
- Number of pages
- 22
- Grant note
- The Knopf Family Foundation David and Barbara Roby of Bear Hill Conservancy Trust Robert and Sandra Green of Green Woodlands Foundation Susan Kilham, The Charles and Edna Brundage Foundation Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire Debra Kilham, John and Sheri Spotila and The Global Cause Foundation
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science (BEES)
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001725136900001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105034344408
- Other Identifier
- 991022173776504721