Red squirrel and pine martens sightings are needed.
Members of the public are being asked to submit sightings of red squirrel or pine marten as part of a nationwide citizen science effort to track these animals across the island of Ireland
On the 21st January, to celebrate Red Squirrel Appreciation Day, the 2026 All-Ireland Squirrel and Pine Marten Survey was launched.
Led by researchers in University of Galway, Ulster Wildlife and the Vincent Wildlife Trust, the survey aims to map the latest distribution of red and grey squirrels, and the pine marten across the island of Ireland.
Members of the public are invited to record their sightings of the three species throughout 2026, helping researchers build a detailed picture of how their populations are changing.
The 2026 survey is being delivered with the support of the National Biodiversity Data Centre in the Republic of Ireland and by CEDaR, the Centre for Environmental Data and Recording (CEDaR) in Northern Ireland.
Sightings of all three mammals can be recorded on the online survey forms hosted on these organisations’ websites.
The Red Squirrel and Pine Marten Survey
The Red Squirrel and Pine Marten survey is part of a long-running monitoring programme, with previous surveys carried out on four occasions since 1997, providing vital insights into long-term trends and conservation success.
Dr Colin Lawton of University of Galway’s School of Natural Sciences explained the significance of the new survey, “In our most recent survey in 2019, we found that the grey squirrel had all but disappeared from 10 midland counties, and the red squirrel and pine marten were doing particularly well.
“However, the dynamics between the three species is finely balanced and we need to continue to monitor the animals to make sure things don’t change again. The greys continue to spread in the south and northwest, and they are doing particularly well in urban areas, where pine martens are very rare.”
Squirrels in Ireland
The red squirrel is Ireland’s only native squirrel species, once widespread in forests and wooded areas. The introduction of the grey squirrel in 1911 has had devastating consequences on our native species through disease and competition for food, leading to the disappearance of red squirrels from large parts of the country.
For many years, the future of the red squirrel looked bleak.
However, recent surveys have revealed a remarkable and unexpected turnaround, with the grey squirrel being knocked back in certain areas, and the reds showing signs of recovery. In several regions, grey squirrel numbers have declined sharply, while red squirrels are showing encouraging signs of recovery.
Research linked this shift to the successful comeback of another native species, the pine marten – tree dwelling carnivores and one of the few predators that can successfully hunt grey squirrels.Because the red squirrel evolved alongside pine martens, they are better adapted to avoiding them and can escape danger more easily.
All data submitted as part of this citizen science project will be invaluable to the conservation work for red squirrel and pine marten in Ireland.
Report Red Squirrel and Pine Marten Sightings:
National Biodiversity Data Centre Ireland:
www.biodiversityireland.ie
CEDar – Northern Ireland
www2.habitas.org.uk/records.
Information on:
Red Squirrel https://www.vincentwildlife.ie/species/red-squirrel
Pine Marten https://www.vincentwildlife.ie/species/pine-marten
Read:
All-Ireland Squirrel and Pine marten survey 2019
https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM121.pdf
Get in Touch
If you have a tip for an animal welfare issue, an animal news article, a press release, or just want to just reach out to us, we’d love to hear from you. John Tierney, Animal News Ireland/Editor