Warning over grey-squirrel threat to songbirds

Ireland’s growing number of grey squirrels is threatening to silence the country’s songbirds, it was claimed today.

They are the main culprits behind the loss of up to 85% of Britain’s songbirds, according to Fine Gael MEP Avril Doyle. Ireland is now facing the same threat as the grey-squirrel population soars, she said.

She told a European Parliament debate in Brussels that about two thirds of the world’s ecosystems were in decline.

With 42% of mammals, 43% of birds, 45% of butterflies, 30% of amphibians, 45% of reptiles and 52% of freshwater fish threatened with extinction in Europe, there was no room for complacency about the damage being wreaked by grey squirrels.

“Songbirds are acutely at risk from invasive alien predators,” warned Ms Doyle, referring to a new report from UK charity Songbird Survival, which identifies grey squirrels, introduced to Europe from America a century ago, as mostly responsible for a sharp decline of up to 85% in the adult songbird population in the UK.

She added: “The grey squirrel population in Ireland is being allowed to spiral out of control, and will soon approach the levels in Britain if immediate steps are not taken.

"The effect of this population explosion could be catastrophic for our native songbirds, as well as our native red squirrel, which is under serious pressure on these islands.”

She called for increased EU funding into research to counter the impact, adding: “We must take immediate action to halt our native biodiversity loss through the eradication of the grey squirrel, or it’s goodbye, Tweety-pie.”