Squirrels blamed for fall in birds

THE DECLINE in numbers of woodland birds reported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the British Trust for Ornithology is down to Grey Squirrels, according to the European Squirrel Initiative.

The ESI said the fall in woodland bird numbers came as “no surprise”.

“The American Grey Squirrel, which has been over-running British woodlands over the past 50 years will have played a leading role in the demise of birds,” said the ESI’s Roger Cook.

“This remorseless predator has been observed eating the eggs and the young of woodland birds, which are at the peak of their breeding season just as the Grey Squirrel needs optimum protein intake to nourish its own offspring.

“We believe that DEFRA must act immediately if it is to protect our native birds and the remaining pockets of red squirrels in the country.”

The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) has confirmed that squirrels are major nest predators of birds in Europe and that, in Britain, they could locally have a severe impact on songbird breeding success.