What was in a big Barn Owl Pellet

June 20, 2022

So a few days after the bird count with the help of my grandson Leo (aged 8) I dissected out the largest of the Owl pellets. First we soaked it in cold water and then teased all the fur appart and found an amazing number of tiny animal skulls -TEN!!


This is how Barn Owls deal with all the indigestible fur and bones of their pray, they cough it all up as a pellet!


The large skull is a rat, then eight field vole skulls and one with very different teeth - a shrew. Leo cleaned them all veery carefully to make the display you see here.

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