My experience with squirrels at my feeder is that the birds completely
ignores them. In fact, it often seems as if the birds feel safer with a
squirrel in their midst, to warn them against the many feral cats in the
neighborhood. I guess the birds in our backyard unfortunately have
frequent enough encounters with cats that they know the difference.
However, I also know that squirrels will eat eggs and nestlings from any
bird nest that they can reach. I guess they need proteins too.

Frode Jacobsen
Baltimore, MD


> I have always noticed that birds around feeders are extremely wary of
> squirrels.  I read several years ago that despite the famous study of  the
> predator/prey relationship between lynx and hares, the #1 predators of
> snowshoes were
> red squirrels snatching babies from the nest.
>
> Has anyone ever seen a squirrel go for a bird or are the birds just
> generally weary of anything that large?
>
> Tom Beal
> Glenn Dale, MD
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-- 
Frode Jacobsen
PhD student
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Maryland Baltimore County
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250

Phone: 410-455-1704
email: