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Unraveling the Mystery of Owl Pellets

Discover the fascinating world of owl pellets - indigestible parts of an owl's meal that reveal its diet. Learn how owls hunt and their unique adaptations. Owl Pellets provide insights into the ecosystem. Explore owl pellet dissection and its significance.

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Unraveling the Mystery of Owl Pellets

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  1. OWL PELLET PRE-LAB

  2. OWL PELLETS • Owl pellets are masses of bone, teeth, hair, feathers, and exoskeletons of various animals preyed upon by raptors.

  3. OWL PELLETS • These pellets are the undigestable parts of an owl’s meal that the bird will then regurgitate.

  4. OWL PELLET • The owl will first capture the prey before ripping them apart with his sharp beak and swallowing large chunks.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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

  8. 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.

  9. OWL PELLET • Owls are a type of raptor. • These are also called birds of prey. • Some other raptors are falcons, vultures, hawks, and eagles.

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. OWL PELLET • Owls differ from other birds of prey in how they eat.

  13. OWL PELLET • For instance, eagles soar in the sky looking for prey.

  14. 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.

  15. OWL PELLET • An owl will swallow its prey whole.

  16. OWL PELLET • Owls have many adaptations that make them incredible hunters.

  17. OWL PELLET • They have large, forward-facing eyes that widen inside the skull, allowing the retinas to almost touch.

  18. 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.

  19. Helpful Links • Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection: http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/flash/v4/index.htm • Owl Pellets Song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FENowCc-A8M&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-vomit-collector.html

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