Barn Owl pellets
Watch a Barn Owl cast (regurgitate) an owl pellet in this video! (Russell Savory, UK)
What is a Barn Owl pellet?
Facts about owl pellets
- Pellets are the undigested parts of a bird’s food, such as hair or bones, which are regurgitated (cast up through the beak).
- Many kinds of birds produce pellets, including birds of prey, crows and even sparrows. The appearance of the pellet depends on what they eat.
- All owls produce pellets and dissecting them is a great way to find out what different owls eat!
- Owl pellets are not droppings (faeces/poo) – and they do not smell!
- Barn Owl pellets are black when fresh and gradually turn grey as they get older.
- Barn Owl pellets are fascinating to investigate and analyse – be a scientist, by gently pulling the pellet apart to see what it is made from. Record your findings in a notebook with drawings or photos. Why do you think there is a ruler in the photo of a Field Vole skull below?
- Wild Barn Owls in the UK feed mainly on voles, shrews and mice, which are sometimes swallowed whole.
- Barn Owl pellets contain the undigested fur and bones of as many as 6 small mammals, sometimes even more! Occasionally, very unusual remains may be found such as moles or frogs.
- You can identify what animal the bones came from by looking at the skull and measuring the jaw bones.
- Bird bones and even bird rings are sometimes found too. A Barn Owl pellet from Essex contained a BTO ring that had been fitted to a wren in Northumberland – 300 miles away!
- For more information about small mammal bones an old, but very good book is: Mammals of Britain, Their Tracks, Trails and Signs by Lawrence & Brown.
- Video: How to dissect an owl pellet, by the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
- How to dissect and analyse a Barn Owl pellet: Download a free* Barn Owl pellet analysis worksheet – (Suitable for use in schools.) *Free for personal and educational use only – copyright Barn Owl Trust.
- Buy a pellet dissection pack direct from the Barn Owl Trust – everything you need, including a real Barn Owl pellet for you to dissect!
A variety of bird pellets. What might the birds eat?
Field Vole skull
Barn Owl pellet dissection for kids – free* PDF to download
*Free for personal and educational use only – copyright Barn Owl Trust.
Educational resources
Free for personal and educational use only – copyright Barn Owl Trust.