Squirrels listen to birds' chitchat to gauge if trouble's afoot – study

Research shows eavesdropping more widespread and broader than originally thought

Squirrels eavesdrop on the chatter of songbirds to work out whether the appearance of a predator is cause for alarm, researchers have found.

Animals including squirrels have previously been found to tune in to cries of alarm from other creatures, while some take note of "all-clear" signals from another species with which they co-exist to assess danger.