Squirrels are skilled climbers and jumpers, and they are justly famous for their ability to board and loot bird feeders at will. Gray squirrels can leap up to 8 feet from an adjacent house or tree to a feeder, and they are known to drop from heights of 10 feet or more to achieve the same goal. They scare away desirable birds, and often damage perches and plastic or wood seed accesses on feeders.