Eastern Grey squirrel sounds - Sound of warning or distress?

[TheyCallMeMumford]

Mumford is not a very vocal squirrel. But sometimes he does have something to say. The sound is something like a very low chirp. Repeated usually every 30 seconds or so for about ten minutes. Is this a distress call or a warning of some kind?
Funny thing is a few minutes later, he’s taking a nap. Any thoughts? Thank you for any replies.

[McCarthy]

How old is he? He looks like he is hurting.

[stepnstone]

Mumford is not a very vocal squirrel. But sometimes he does have something to say. The sound is something like a very low chirp. Repeated usually every 30 seconds or so for about ten minutes. Is this a distress call or a warning of some kind?
Funny thing is a few minutes later, he’s taking a nap. Any thoughts? Thank you for any replies.

Likely a warning, squirrels are territorial of their surroundings both inside or out and the chirping could be a warning to announce or protect it's territory.
The majority of their alarms tend to be predator-specific, he may have seen something outside or a unexplained shadow or movement from something that caught his eye.
They do have a variety of different combinations of alarm calls and signals. They may exhibit a single alarm call through tail flicks, use vocal signals or a combination of both.
An act of aggression could be in the form of a guttural growl, chattering of teeth or stamping of feet, it's usually used as means of showing displeasure and warning that the
squirrel may bite or attack. In case of aggression, avoid face plants, keep your head down, move out of harms way... fast!

[TheyCallMeMumford]

How old is he? He looks like he is hurting.

Not hurting. He takes naps on my couch sometimes. Curls his tail over his head when he does. He’s almost ten months old now.

[TheyCallMeMumford]

Likely a warning, squirrels are territorial of their surroundings both inside or out and the chirping could be a warning to announce or protect it's territory.
The majority of their alarms tend to be predator-specific, he may have seen something outside or a unexplained shadow or movement from something that caught his eye.
They do have a variety of different combinations of alarm calls and signals. They may exhibit a single alarm call through tail flicks, use vocal signals or a combination of both.
An act of aggression could be in the form of a guttural growl, chattering of teeth or stamping of feet, it's usually used as means of showing displeasure and warning that the
squirrel may bite or attack. In case of aggression, avoid face plants, keep your head down, move out of harms way... fast!

That’s what I was thinking it was. He’s only exhibited it a few times. Never has he fallen asleep directly afterwards. Hmm.

[Chirps]

Would love to hear it if you can post a video.

[TheyCallMeMumford]

Would love to hear it if you can post a video.

I couldn’t get the video to attach or upload to submit. Any tips? Need to convert to a supported file? It’s an iPhone vid.

[CritterMom]

Can you put it on youtube or another host and just post the link to it here?

[TheyCallMeMumford]

Can you put it on youtube or another host and just post the link to it here?

https://youtu.be/wemsWRwVIeQ

[CritterMom]

I believe that he either saw or smelled something outside that concerned him. If he decided it was truly dangerous he would leap up with the tail all rigid and start barking. I have also heard this mournful whining from my boy when there is obvious mating behavior taking place outside. The thing is, I swear the "whining/barking" switch is sticky and once thrown, is hard to turn off. They will go on and on and on LOOOOONG after the danger is over. I have handed my squirrel a nut to try to focus him on something else and he has eaten the nut while whining/barking, spewing nut crumbs all over the place and totally ignoring my imploring him to not talk and chew at the same time... It isn't anything to be concerned about.

My first squirrel was the Marcel Marceau of squirrels. Other than squealing and mumbling at me when I did something he didn't like (prying a button out of his mouth for example) I heard him make this noise 2 times in almost 10 years. Zeke, my current, is his opposite, very talky and comments on everything, so I have gotten pretty used to hearing this sound, often punctuated with the barking, as part of my home background noise...!

[Chirps]

https://youtu.be/wemsWRwVIeQ

That's the hawk alarm.

[TheyCallMeMumford]

I believe that he either saw or smelled something outside that concerned him. If he decided it was truly dangerous he would leap up with the tail all rigid and start barking. I have also heard this mournful whining from my boy when there is obvious mating behavior taking place outside. The thing is, I swear the "whining/barking" switch is sticky and once thrown, is hard to turn off. They will go on and on and on LOOOOONG after the danger is over. I have handed my squirrel a nut to try to focus him on something else and he has eaten the nut while whining/barking, spewing nut crumbs all over the place and totally ignoring my imploring him to not talk and chew at the same time... It isn't anything to be concerned about.

My first squirrel was the Marcel Marceau of squirrels. Other than squealing and mumbling at me when I did something he didn't like (prying a button out of his mouth for example) I heard him make this noise 2 times in almost 10 years. Zeke, my current, is his opposite, very talky and comments on everything, so I have gotten pretty used to hearing this sound, often punctuated with the barking, as part of my home background noise...!

It makes feel better to know it is not that uncommon. Just trying to understand Mumford’s communication better. I’ve witnessed him do this once before but he only chirped for a few minutes. I wondered exactly what it is that makes him decide to use his voice in this particular instance. Sounds so sad. But I hear ya buddy & im hear with you.