Fact Sheet for Owl Pellets

Owl PelletBefore performing experiments with owl pellets, it is a good idea to know more about these things first. This fact sheet will attempt to answer the most frequently asked questions on the subject.

What Is It?

Simply put, a pellet is a mass of undigested parts from a bird’s food. Some bird species usually throw up these masses. Their lack of teeth requires them to swallow their food whole where the stomach does the digesting.

What Is It For?

Owl pellets provide a glimpse of their diet, that is, what they actually eat. Ornithologists study and collect these specimens to find out seasonal variations in a bird’s eating habits. This allows experts to learn more about the bird without having to kill and dissect it.

Where Are They Found?

Birds usually get rid of pellets before hunting. A good place to look is the bird’s nest or its known hunting grounds. These are the most common locations although there are slight variations with different bird species.

What Is Inside?

The contents of a pellet depend on what the bird eats. Typically found are small bones from rodents, plant matter that cannot be digested, exoskeletons of some insects, fur, feather, and the list goes on.

As a rule of thumb, if the bird cannot digest it, it will end up in a pellet that it expels.


How Do They Form?

After an owl swallows its meal, it travels down its digestive tract. Unlike humans though, it cannot break down all that material. All the substances that cannot be broken down must be expelled by the owl. It may look difficult but the owl will be fine afterwards.

Is It Safe To Dissect?

Since it is essentially animal dropping, it may contain harmful substances. As a safety measure, be sure to sterilize the pellet before starting an experiment. Also, observe proper laboratory guidelines especially when using proper safety equipment.

Some Important Guidelines

Dissecting pellets should be carried out on proper venues such as science laboratories. Adult supervision is necessary when children are performing the experiment. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after dissecting.

Owl pellets provide a great opportunity as teaching tools. Any curious child or adult can get started right away. Luckily, kits are available from educational materials suppliers to satisfy anyone’s curiosity. These kits contain all the necessary material for the experiment including the pellet itself. Have fun learning with this exceptional tool.