Weird bird call, not!

[Thoth]

I've been in local woodland recently wondering what the prominent bird call I didn't recognise was. On my walk out l spotted the source; it was the mating call of the grey squirrel! :-D There are some clips with sound on YouTube if you want to hear it for yourselves. I had no idea they made such a weird noise until now. Always something to learn . . .

 

[Woody girl]

Localy we have a squirrel that makes a sound very similar to a woodpecker. I was always muddling them up but now can tell the difference. Took a few seasons though to get it right.

 

[Wildgoose]

Heard that noise today at my local country park, managed to spot the pair “together” too....
first time I’ve heard or seen such squirrel behaviour.

 

[santaman2000]

I tried YouTube but all the videos they had portrayed the same call. U fortunately contrary to what the video posters claimed it’s not a mating call. It’s the everyday barking they do when they see something that alarms them. This call:

 

[petrochemicals]

No doubt plotting our downfall!

 

[woodsorrel]

I use squirrel calls to help me track wildlife. Like birds, squirrels see everything... and they talk!

Here's an article with sound clips that illustrates common calls you can learn.

https://www.natureoutside.com/enormous-coming-toward-interpret-squirrel-alarm-calls-audio/

- Woodsorrel

 

[Thoth]

Thanks for posting those links. What I was hearing was alternating 'kuks' and 'quaas' as a repeating series. Here's a further handy link: https://soundcloud.com/user-911020041/sets/greay-squirrel-calls Like Wildgoose I saw a pair mating, the male having been making what I'm going to describe as the 'kuk-quaa' call repeatedly as he followed the female up and around an oak tree before mating.