The crimes were caught on video camera by scientists, who said grey squirrels are also known to raid birds’ nests for eggs and chicks. Over 40% of households across the UK put out bird feed, totalling about 150,000 tonnes a year and costing £210m. But the new analysis, based on video recordings of more than 33,000 visits to bird feeders, showed much of the food is being snaffled by squirrels. Overall, squirrels were responsible for almost half the recorded visits to feeders, a frequency that surprised the scientists. Feeders that incorporate a protective cage were also watched during the study and these cut squirrel visits to peanut feeders by half.

Source: The Guardian May 10, 2018 06:00 UTC