What is a black bear?

The black bear ( Ursus americanus ) is the most common bear species, found in North American forests and northern Mexico. Though called black bears, they show varied colors, including cinnamon, blue-gray, and white. Adults typically measure 1.3 to 1.9 meters (4.3 to 6.2 feet) long and weigh 60–300 kg (132–661 pounds). Males can be 70% heavier than females. Black bears are omnivores. They eat plants, carcasses, fruits, nuts, insects, and honey. They are also strong predators, known to kill moose calves and deer fawns. Black bears are not territorial and are mainly solitary animals. They are listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN, with an estimated population of 850,000 to 900,000 in North America.

Where do black bears live?

The black bear ( Ursus americanus ) is the most common bear species, dwelling in the forests of North America, including parts of northern Mexico. Though called black bears, their color varies from brown to black and even white. They are mostly solitary animals without territories. Male black bears' home ranges span approximately 40 to 200 square kilometers (15 to 77 square miles). Black bears are active during the day in natural habitats, but near humans, they become nocturnal to avoid contact. They hibernate in winter dens, which can be rock crevices, underground burrows, or hollow trees.

What do black bears eat?

Though classified as carnivores, black bears have an omnivorous diet. In the spring, they eat emerging plants and carcasses of animals that died during the winter. During the summer, fruits become the dominant part of their diet. In the fall, their diet consists of fruits and mast, like acorns and beechnuts. As opportunistic feeders, black bears consume pine cones, roots, ants, and honey. They are also strong predators, known to kill moose calves and deer fawns during the spring. Black bears that live near humans will eat garbage from dumps or campsites and handouts from tourists.

How do black bears adapt to different seasons?

Black bears adjust to the changing seasons through various adaptations. In anticipation of winter, they consume large amounts of food during late summer and fall to build up fat reserves, which allows them to survive the winter when food is scarce. They are not considered true hibernators, as their body temperature only drops slightly, and they can be easily aroused. During winter, black bears enter a state of dormancy in dens, where they sleep and conserve energy. The stored fat provides the energy needed to survive until spring when they emerge and food becomes available again.

What is hibernation and how does it affect black bears?

Hibernation is a state of dormancy that certain animals use to conserve energy during times when food is scarce. During hibernation, an animal's body temperature drops, and its respiration and heart rate slow down dramatically. Black bears are often associated with hibernation, though they are not considered true hibernators. Black bears go into a winter rest, also called winter lethargy, where their body temperature decreases slightly, but they remain warm and can be active if stimulated. Prior to this period, black bears consume large quantities of food to build up fat reserves, which allows them to survive the winter.

How do black bears interact with humans and other animals?

Black bears, though classified as carnivores, have an omnivorous diet . They consume emerging plants and animal carcasses in the spring, fruits in the summer, and fruits and mast in the fall. They are also opportunistic feeders, consuming pine cones, roots, ants, and honey. Black bears are strong predators and will kill moose calves and deer fawns. They adapt to alternate food sources near humans, such as garbage and handouts from tourists. Encounters with black bears can result in injury or death, but avoiding surprise encounters is the best defense, as black bears prefer to avoid people. Black bears are mostly solitary, and their home ranges overlap. Though generally quiet, they may growl when feeding, challenged, or competing for mates.

black bear

Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

Illustration of an American black bear (Ursus americanus) climbing a tree, showing its black fur and sturdy build, with a scale bar indicating 30 centimeters or 12 inches for size reference.

World map showing the geographic ranges of the eight bear species, each marked in a different color. The American black bear is found across much of North America, the polar bear in Arctic regions, the brown bear across northern North America, Europe, and Asia, and the spectacled bear in a small area of northwestern South America. In Asia, the Asiatic black bear, sloth bear, sun bear, and giant panda have distinct, mostly non-overlapping ranges in the eastern and southern parts of the continent.

Adult female black bear (Ursus americanus) with young

A black bear sow, Ursus americanus, sits on a tree branch with her two cubs among dense green leaves.

A Wildlife Filmmaker's Close Encounters With Black Bears

Close-up of an American black bear, Ursus americanus, showing its dark fur, rounded ears, and lighter snout against a blurred green background.

At a Glance

black bear summary

Quick Facts

Also called:: American bear or American black bear

On the Web:: The Royal Society Publishing - Proceedings B - Untangling the influence of ambient temperature and photoperiod surrounding hibernation activity in American black bears (Ursus americanus) (Nov. 06, 2026)

See all related content

black bear

mammal

Also known as: American bear, American black bear, Ursus americanus, blue-black glacier bear, blue-gray glacier bear, brown bear, cinnamon bear, white bear(Show More)

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 6, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a black bear?
The black bear (Ursus americanus) is the most common bear species, found in North American forests and northern Mexico. Though called black bears, they show varied colors, including cinnamon, blue-gray, and white.

Adults typically measure 1.3 to 1.9 meters (4.3 to 6.2 feet) long and weigh 60–300 kg (132–661 pounds). Males can be 70% heavier than females. Black bears are omnivores. They eat plants, carcasses, fruits, nuts, insects, and honey. They are also strong predators, known to kill moose calves and deer fawns.

Black bears are not territorial and are mainly solitary animals. They are listed as a species of least concern by the IUCN, with an estimated population of 850,000 to 900,000 in North America.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where do black bears live?
The black bear (Ursus americanus) is the most common bear species, dwelling in the forests of North America, including parts of northern Mexico. Though called black bears, their color varies from brown to black and even white. They are mostly solitary animals without territories. Male black bears' home ranges span approximately 40 to 200 square kilometers (15 to 77 square miles).

Black bears are active during the day in natural habitats, but near humans, they become nocturnal to avoid contact. They hibernate in winter dens, which can be rock crevices, underground burrows, or hollow trees.
7 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do black bears eat?
Though classified as carnivores, black bears have an omnivorous diet. In the spring, they eat emerging plants and carcasses of animals that died during the winter. During the summer, fruits become the dominant part of their diet. In the fall, their diet consists of fruits and mast, like acorns and beechnuts.

As opportunistic feeders, black bears consume pine cones, roots, ants, and honey. They are also strong predators, known to kill moose calves and deer fawns during the spring. Black bears that live near humans will eat garbage from dumps or campsites and handouts from tourists.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do black bears adapt to different seasons?
Black bears adjust to the changing seasons through various adaptations. In anticipation of winter, they consume large amounts of food during late summer and fall to build up fat reserves, which allows them to survive the winter when food is scarce. They are not considered true hibernators, as their body temperature only drops slightly, and they can be easily aroused.

During winter, black bears enter a state of dormancy in dens, where they sleep and conserve energy. The stored fat provides the energy needed to survive until spring when they emerge and food becomes available again.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What is hibernation and how does it affect black bears?
Hibernation is a state of dormancy that certain animals use to conserve energy during times when food is scarce. During hibernation, an animal's body temperature drops, and its respiration and heart rate slow down dramatically.

Black bears are often associated with hibernation, though they are not considered true hibernators. Black bears go into a winter rest, also called winter lethargy, where their body temperature decreases slightly, but they remain warm and can be active if stimulated. Prior to this period, black bears consume large quantities of food to build up fat reserves, which allows them to survive the winter.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do black bears interact with humans and other animals?
Black bears, though classified as carnivores, have an omnivorous diet. They consume emerging plants and animal carcasses in the spring, fruits in the summer, and fruits and mast in the fall. They are also opportunistic feeders, consuming pine cones, roots, ants, and honey.

Black bears are strong predators and will kill moose calves and deer fawns. They adapt to alternate food sources near humans, such as garbage and handouts from tourists. Encounters with black bears can result in injury or death, but avoiding surprise encounters is the best defense, as black bears prefer to avoid people.

Black bears are mostly solitary, and their home ranges overlap. Though generally quiet, they may growl when feeding, challenged, or competing for mates.
2 Britannica Sources
1. black bear
2. 9 of the World’s Deadliest Mammals: Bears (Family Ursidae)
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

black bear, (Ursus americanus), the most common bear (family Ursidae), found in the forests of North America, including parts of northern Mexico. The American black bear consists of only one species and 16 subspecies. Its colour varies, however, even among members of the same litter. White markings may occur on the chest, sometimes in the shape of a V. Depending on their colour variations, black bears are often referred to as cinnamon bears, blue-gray or blue-black glacier bears, and white bears (found mainly on Princess Royal Island, British Columbia). Black bears that are actually brown in colour are most common in western North America. They are sometimes called brown bears, but the true brown bear (Ursus arctos; also called the grizzly bear in North America) is much larger.

The black bear is large and stocky and has a short tail. Adults range from 1.3 to 1.9 metres (4.3 to 6.2 feet) in length and weigh 60–300 kg (132–661 pounds), the largest males growing to 2 metres long (6.6 feet) and 409 kg (902 pounds). Males can be up to 70 percent heavier than females. The head is small but is supported by a strong neck. The ears are small and rounded. The curved claws are nonretractile, and, unlike cats and dogs, bears walk on the soles of their feet (plantigrade locomotion).

Though classified as carnivores, black bears have an omnivorous diet. In spring they consume emerging plants and carcasses of animals that died during the winter. Fruits dominate the diet in summer, and both fruit and mast, especially acorns and beechnuts, constitute most of the fall diet. As opportunistic feeders, black bears will also eat pine cones, roots, ants, and honey from wild or domestic bees. Nonetheless, black bears are strong predators, and in some areas they frequently kill moose calves and deer fawns during spring. Black bears living near humans adapt readily to alternate food sources, such as garbage from dumps or campsites and handouts from tourists in parks. Encounters with black bears occasionally result in injury or death, and attacks are reported every year. In almost all cases, avoiding surprise encounters is the best defense, as black bears prefer to avoid people.

Britannica Quiz

Deadliest Animals Quiz

Throughout most of their range, black bears become dormant during winter. They spend the winter in dens located in rock crevices, in underground burrows, under tree roots, in hollow trees, in brush piles, or simply on open-ground beds. Prior to winter sleep, bears must accumulate large quantities of body fat during late summer and fall. Not only does this enable them to survive the long period of winter fasting, but it also allows them to have sufficient energy in spring when they emerge and food is rare. For females, the amount of fat stored before winter is linked with reproductive success: fatter females typically have more and bigger young than leaner females do. Accumulating fat for the winter is thus a strong drive, and it explains the constant search for food through the summer and fall.

Black bears are not territorial. They are mostly solitary, and the home ranges of both males and females may overlap. Home ranges typically are larger where food is less abundant and smaller where food is plentiful. Throughout Canada and the United States, home ranges of black bears extend from about 40 to 200 square km (15 to 77 square miles) for males but are considerably smaller for females. Breeding begins in the spring and peaks during June and July. Black bears are promiscuous, males and females often mating with several individuals. Implantation of the fertilized egg is delayed, occurring in November or December. Actual gestation then lasts 60–70 days, and one to four young cubs are born in January or February. Born blind, fully furred, and toothless, the cubs remain with the mother for 16 months, and the female breeds every second or third year. Although the mother is very protective of her litter, young cubs may be killed by coyotes, wolves, brown bears, or other black bears. Black bears can live more than 20 years in the wild, but in areas near human habitation most black bears die sooner as a result of hunting, trapping, poaching, nuisance removal near campgrounds or dumps, and collision with vehicles.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) lists the black bear as a species of least concern. The species is widespread across North America, and population studies estimate that some 850,000 to 900,000 black bears currently live in North America. Human beings, who have persecuted black bears in several areas since European settlement of the continent began, remain the greatest threats to the species. Some 40,000 to 50,000 black bears are hunted for sport in the United States and Canada every year, and ecologists note that increased road density and higher speed limits have increased the likelihood of vehicle collisions in some areas. In natural habitats, black bears are active during the day. However, in areas of high human activity such as dumps and campsites, black bears often become nocturnal to avoid encounters with humans. Even so, black bears habituate quickly to handouts given by tourists, and this lack of fear of humans often leads to conflicts. In parks, human-habituated bears often must be killed as they become hazardous around campsites. Not feeding wild black bears is therefore better for both humans and bears. The black bear was once a common performer in circuses and other animal acts. The Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) is similar to the American black bear in size and appearance.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.

black bear

Thank you for signing up!