OWL PELLET PRE-LAB
OWL PELLETS
• Owl pellets are masses of bone, teeth, hair,
feathers, and exoskeletons of various animals
preyed upon by raptors.
OWL PELLETS
• These pellets are the undigestable parts of an
owl’s meal that the bird will then regurgitate.
OWL PELLET
• The owl will first capture the prey before ripping
them apart with his sharp beak and swallowing
large chunks.
OWL PELLET
• These chunks make their
way down the esophagus
into the proventriculus,
which secretes juices onto
the food.
• This mass then moves to
the gizzard, which
separates what the owl
can digest from what he
can not.
OWL PELLET
• The digestable portion continues on through the
digestive tract.
• The undigestable part forms into a round pellet.
• This pellet moves back into the proventriculus where it
will stay for many hours.
OWL PELLET
• Before the owl can eat again, he
must regurgitate the pellet.
• The owl appears to be in great pain
and seems like he can not breathe
during this process, but once the
pellet is out, he is okay.
• YouTube Video: Baby owl ejects
pellet
OWL PELLET
• Looking into the pellet can give some idea of
what the owl has eaten.
• Pellets also indicate where an owl’s nest has
been located.
OWL PELLET
• Owls are a type of raptor.
• These are also called birds of prey.
• Some other raptors are falcons, vultures,
hawks, and eagles.
OWL PELLET
• Barn owls are very common and pellets are
numerous.
• A barn owl can usually be found in many
habitats, but commonly in open woods.
• They usually roost during the day in tree
hollows.
OWL PELLET
• Barn owls usually eat small ground mammals such as
voles, shrews, and mice.
• These animals usually eat things like insects, nuts and
berries, and sometimes worms.
OWL PELLET
• Owls differ from other birds of prey in how they
eat.
OWL PELLET
• For instance, eagles soar in the sky looking for
prey.
OWL PELLET
• Once spotted, it will attack with its talons and peck with
the beak until the prey is dead.
• The eagle then rips out the insides, eats, and leaves.
OWL PELLET
• An owl will swallow its prey whole.
OWL PELLET
• Owls have many adaptations that make them incredible
hunters.
OWL PELLET
• They have large, forward-facing eyes that widen inside
the skull, allowing the retinas to almost touch.
OWL PELLET
• Their retinas are so advanced that owls can catch prey
in total darkness.
• Owls also have very sensitive ear openings.
• They can also rotate their heads about 270 degrees,
giving them a wide range of vision.
Helpful Links
• Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection:
http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4/index.htm
• Owl Pellets Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FENowCcA8M&feature=related
• Owl Pellet Dissection Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPm689pxjV4
• Owl Pellet Lab Directions Online:
http://crescentok.com/staff/jaskew/isr/biology/bpellet.htm
• Dirty Jobs: Owl Vomit Collector:
http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/dirty-jobs-owl-vomitcollector.html