What does the Red Squirrel eat?

The Red Squirrel's diet shapes where and when you'll find it. Understanding what it eats helps you predict where to look.

Diet overview

Omnivore (primarily conifer seeds, nuts, fungi, buds, sap, occasionally bird eggs or nestlings)

How it forages

Primarily granivorous, specializing in conifer seeds. They meticulously strip scales from cones to extract seeds. They also consume fungi (including toxic varieties), nuts, buds, sap, and occasionally bird eggs or nestlings. They are famous for creating large middens (piles of discarded cone scales) near their caches.

When it feeds

Diurnal, most active during early morning and late afternoon, though they can be active throughout the day.

Explore the Red Squirrel