Three common squirrels of Richmond Hill

Hello Richmond Hill Naturalists. Today I will be talking about three common species of squirrels living in Richmond Hill that you could see at your closest park.

1. Eastern Gray Squirrel

Eastern Gray Squirrel by Jessica Korosi

The Eastern Gray Squirrel is the mammal on this post that you’re most likely to have seen before. They are abundant in the city and will often visit backyards. They are gray or black with a bushy tail. One of the less known aspects of these squirrels are their vocalizations. Gray Squirrels will sometimes make grunts and similar noises that sound nothing like what you’d expect from a squirrel. Once you see them do those sounds though, you will never forget that it’s a squirrel. Gray Squirrels mostly eat nuts from various trees and different types of seed. If you set up a bird feeder, expect to face challenges from grey squirrels finding ways to access the seed you put up. They will also eat bird eggs and nestlings if the chance presents itself, although birds are not part of its regular diet. 

2. American Red Squirrel

American Red Squirrel by Jessica Korosi

The Red Squirrel is also common in many Richmond Hill parks, however, it is not as abundant as the Gray Squirrel. These squirrels can sometimes be hard to see, but their calls are distinctive if you know them. The Red Squirrel makes a chattering sound that sounds like something expected from a bird such as a woodpecker. I spent over a year in my local park looking for the “woodpeckers” before I finally realized that sound was a Red Squirrel. Once I recognized their calls, I realized how common they were in areas of the park that have more coniferous trees such as spruce. Red squirrels love to eat seeds and cones from coniferous trees such as spruce and pine. As with the Gray Squirrel, the Red Squirrel will eat bird eggs and young when given the chance, but it is not a common occurrence since they are not part of its regular diet. 

3. Eastern Chipmunk 

Eastern Chipmunk by Jessica Korosi

The Eastern Chipmunk is smaller than both the red and gray squirrels, being 30 cm long. It is a reddish brown colour with brown stripes on its back, and it can be found in many parks during the spring, summer and fall. During the winter, chipmunks enter a state of torpor during which they sleep in their dens and occasionally wake up to eat cached food. Chipmunks make repeated “tuc” calls that can sometimes be confused for birds. Chipmunks feed mostly on seeds, but will also take bird eggs if the opportunity presents itself. 

I hope after reading this post, you have learned at least one new thing about the different squirrels you may see around our city. 

Special thanks to Jessica Korosi for her amazing photographs