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Expedition 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Red Squirrel in United Kingdom

Britain's native squirrel — a tufted-eared acrobat of pine forest, outcompeted by greys but holding on in strongholds.

Red Squirrel

The species

The red squirrel is Britain's only native squirrel — smaller and nimbler than the introduced grey, with distinctive ear tufts in winter and a chestnut coat. It leaps through Scots pine canopy with effortless grace, caching seeds and stripping cones with practiced efficiency.

Habitat in United Kingdom

Conifer woodland and mixed forest across Scotland, northern England, and Wales suit red squirrels. They prefer Scots pine and spruce, where they can exploit cone crops that grey squirrels handle less efficiently.

Where to spot one

  • Richmond Park

    London

    Ancient parkland where red deer graze at dawn, mallards paddle the ponds, and foxes slip through bracken at the woodland edge.

    View on map →Official site →

  • The New Forest

    Hampshire

    Open heath and oak woodland where foxes, deer, ponies, and woodland birds share a landscape that feels surprisingly wild for southern England.

    View on map →Official site →

  • Hyde Park & Regent's Park

    London

    Urban park lakes for mallards, tree lines full of sparrows, and pigeons along the Serpentine — starter discoveries in the heart of the city.

    View on map →Official site →

  • Cotswolds Farmland

    Gloucestershire & Oxfordshire

    Hedgerows, pasture, and village edges — classic fox country where russet coats show clearly against green fields at last light.

Conservation status

EN — Endangered

Red squirrels are Endangered in the UK after grey squirrel competition and squirrelpox devastated populations. Scotland holds roughly 75% of Britain's remaining reds.

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