Discover how to dissect an owl pellet

Dissecting an owl pellet provides a fascinating insight into the secretive lives of owls. As birds of prey, owls will often swallow their prey whole, but parts of their prey – such as the fur and bones – can’t be digested. It’s these indigestible parts that get clumped together into a pellet and regurgitated (coughed up). By finding these pellets and looking at what’s inside them, you can work out what your local owls have been eating.


What you will need:

  • An owl pellet
  • Tweezers (optional)
  • Cocktail sticks or a needle pushed into a cork (optional)
  • A tray
  • A magnifying glass (optional)
  • Plain paper
  • Water

How to dissect your owl pellet:

Watch our video to find out how to dissect your pellet.

 

 

Let us know how you get on using #DiscoverLearnPlay

Time to complete

30 - 60 mins

Suitable for age

Suitable location

Resource Level

Curriculum linked

Sciences (Biology; ecology; natural history; planet Earth topic).

 

 

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