Black Squirrel Map

It gives me great pleasure to present this map tracking sightings of black squirrels, whose range can principally be found on the eastern seaboard of the North American continent. Black squirrels are actually of members of the grey squirrel species but with black fur, and appear to have originated in this part of the world in Canada,. They have been sighted further and further south during 2007 and 2008. Please continue to send in your black squirrel reports and I will annotate the map accordingly. Keep watching the trees!

You can explore the complete set of sightings thus far on Google maps.

UPDATE: I have started a new blog for black squirrel sightings and other sciurophile nonsense. Please go to Shadowtail to report any black squirrels in your area! Thank you!

Comments

[dj i/o]

dj i/o here...

Here in Winston-Salem, NC, I don't think I've ever seen one. Just those brownish-grey squirrels that are ALL OVER THE PLACE.

[Brad]

Regular sightings by our (former) daycare provider's home.

1300 block of W Ardmore Ave
Chicago, IL 60660

[Beth]

We have one in our backyard here in Mansfield, Ohio! I love to keep an eye on him b/c he's so different!

[LG Smith]

This morning I saw a black squirrel in my yard at Glendale Road in Hudson, Massachusetts. It was very large, larger than a gray squirrel and very bushy. I've lived here for 30 years and I've never seen a black squirrel.

[Chris]

Thanks for the additional sightings everyone! I'll update the map later today. Mansfield and Chicago? The black squirrels are heading West! :)

[Mike Wilhelm]

I live in Dearborn Heights, Michigan. We have lots of Fox Squirrels here. Just about a mile west of us in Garden City MI, where I frequently ride my bike, I've never noticed a Fox Squirrel, but have seen plenty of Black Squirrels. It almost seems as if there is a squirrel political boundry between the two cities.

[Fran L]

We were at Niagara Falls the first part of September and saw our first black squirrel. He (or she) had a nest of leaves and twigs in one of the trees in the eastern part of Goat Island.

[not important]

I live in the Roxborough Manayunk area in Phila pa 19128

Lately we have seen many black squirrels around our neighborhood. Just to let you know they have arrived here also. So add these to your map

[Chris]

Thanks everyone! Keep them coming.

No sightings in Indiana or Kentucky yet, but this might be an issue with reporting rather than absence.

I doubt the range will expand again until Spring 2009, when the next breeding season will fall - I expect to see them expand into Georgia next year.

Watch out Atlanta - the black squirrels are coming! :)

[Bob Ford]

I have seen a black squirrel in Highland Park which is located in Pittsburgh, Pa behind the zoo. A co-worked of mine as seen it as well.

[jackie]

we have black and grey squirrels in Washington state, we live in Bellingham about 15 miles from Canada

[Chris]

Keep 'em coming guys! Many thanks.

[jean ely]

first time for us and we've been here 40 years -- a black squirrel in the front yard -- two sightings -- south norwalk, ct.

[Phil]

I saw a black squirrel run across the road yesterday in Lee NH. I've never seen one before!

[mary]

saw one in Hopewell NJ on 10-4-08

[Lori]

I live in Germantown, and saw one this week. It made me stop my car in the middle of the road- I've never seen one before.

[Wack]

Have been seeing a black squirrel here in Concord, MA. for the past few days. 1st time we have ever seen one.

[Jessica]

I saw 2 black squirrels in Columbia, Maryland. I also saw one while I was on rt 70East coming back to westfriendship from frederick, on the side of the highway.
Very interesting! I had never seen them before, and this was all very recent.

[kelly]

I saw a black squirrel for the first time today in FDR State Park in Pine Mountain, Georgia! I didn't even know it existed. It seems a bit larger that the average gray squirrel.

[BSUgirl]

I go to Ball State in Muncie IN. My roommate and I saw a black squirrel today and were so shocked, we folllowed him arund for a while.

[Kristina]

Hi, I live in Cameron Park california and I deliver mail. I have sighted 4 different black squirrels in my community over the last 3 months. Not sure how they got out here. Any thoughts?

[Chris]

Dear all,

Thanks for the new sightings!

Kelly makes it clear that the black squirrels have already passed Atlanta. Watch out Florida! :)

BSUgirl: first sighting in Indiana, although I have another sighting in Chicago which is further west. Thanks for this!

Kristina: you're the first person to report sightings in California, although I had a sighting reported from Washington state. Either the black squirrels have skipped across the continent or (equally possible) there's a separate population that has originated somewhere on or near the west coast.

Only more sightings will serve to resolve this!

I could use more input from Canadians to track the range of the black squirrels north of the border.

Many thanks for the information everyone!

[Donna B]

Have sighted Black squirrels in Blue Bell, Pa. A few seem to live in a small area off Butler Pike.

[Andrew McCulloch]

I'm not from Canada but I saw probably a half-dozen outside a Hospital at Hamilton, Ontario. One of them took crackers right out of may hand. Kinda strange to see black squirrels against white snow. You'd think they wouldn't last due to the lack of camouflauge.

DMac
Oak Ridge, TN

[Arnold Rosen]

While riding my bike in New York City, I saw 2 black squirrels in Manhattan. They were in Inwood Hill Park, where West 218th Street terminates. This is just across the Harlem River from the Bronx at the northern-most tip of Manhattan.

[Tim M]

Saw my first black squirrel in Ferndale Washington two days ago. Didn't know they were here.

black squirrels spotted in patchogue long island NY. there are quite a few of them.

[Bidu Tashjian]

There is a black squirrel feeding under my bird feeder right now. Have never seen one around here before. Have lived here in Putnam County, NY now since the summer of 2000.

[Jay Reilly]

I saw one at the side of US route 33 on the Indiana Ohio border yesterday 10/10. I had read about them but had never seen one. It was bigger than a gray squirrel and very bushy.

[steve]

I just spotted my first squirrel ever in Ambler, PA, right past the intersection of Bethlehem pike and Butler. Interesting little guy!

[Jason]

They are the most common squrrel in Van Wert county, Ohio. They are the majority here and do not like other colors of squirrel's very much, but they are intersting to watch

[Alex]

Parents were walking through Mendon Ponds Park in Mendon New York during a hike.

[Lisa Moore]

I'VE SEEN A BLACK SQUIRREL IN OSWEGO, NY!

[Al]

We spotted our first black squirrel here in Maumee, Oh just outside of Toledo. I have lived here for 16 years and have never seen a black one.....

[Heidi]

We just spent a week in Dubois, Pa. I saw 2 black squirrels at Treasure Lake.

I have seen a black squirrel in my back yard two times. Whitehall, NY

[ge]

I saw one in Colchester, Ct

[Lyss]

Just spotted two black squirrels tonight. The one appeared to be battling a grey squirrel. This was my first sighting of black squirrels, in the Roxborough section of Philadelphia.

[Sean]

I never knew there where black squirrels until I saw one the other day in my neighborhood. Levittown, PA
Took a pic with my phone camera. Pretty neat looking.

[Jen]

I saw my first black squirrel in Niagara Falls, Canada in the late 80's-early 90's.
Today one crossed my path as I drove into work today in Collins, N.Y.. Is that bad luck too or does that just apply to black cats? :)

[Chris]

Dear all, thank you so much for the continuous influx of sightings. However, you have now exceeded my ability to keep track, so I have been forced to take the disappointing step of closing the comments to this post.

I really appreciate the enthusiasm and volume of responses that this post has generated, but alas I have run out of time to manage them.

Thanks to everyone who contributed! I'm certain I will be asking about black squirrels again in February and March next year, when the next grey squirrel breeding season begins, and thus the black squirrels will once again be on the move.