Seventh grade science students began September
investigating owl pellets. Owls are raptors – winged predators. All
raptors have a unique way of managing ingested food. Barn owls are even
more unique because of the way they digest their prey. The common barn
owl, Tyto alba, swallows its prey whole. Once ingested the fleshy
parts are digested in the stomach leaving the bone fur and feathers in the
stomach. These indigestible remains are then concentrated into a blackish
clod and regurgitated. These pellets are harvested by scientific supply
companies, sterilized and then sold.
The study of these pellets
provided the students an opportunity to study both simple food webs and
skeletal anatomy of small mammals and birds. The experience serves as a
wonderful introduction to the world of the living environment.
