If a squirrel chatters at you, it is using vocal communication to express alarm, territorial warning, or annoyance, and it generally means the squirrel sees you as a potential threat or intruder near its territory, food, or nest. Squirrel chattering is a rapid series of clicks, squeaks, and buzzes often accompanied by tail flicking, foot stomping, and intense staring, which together form an alarm signal to warn other squirrels of danger. When a squirrel chatters at you, it may mean you are too close to its drey or nest where it has babies, you are near its food cache or favorite feeding spot, or you have startled it and it is trying to scare you away. In some cases, chattering is territorial, telling other squirrels and you to keep away. If you are in a park where squirrels are used to people, chattering may mean it is frustrated that you are not giving it food or that another squirrel is competing. Loud, continuous chattering with a flicking tail indicates high agitation, while softer chattering may be curiosity. If a squirrel chatters at you, the best response is to back away slowly, give it space, and avoid approaching its nest or cornering it, as an agitated squirrel may bite if it feels trapped. Observing from a distance allows it to calm down.
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