Finding and Dissecting Owl Pellets

When owls eat a small animal, like a bird or rodent they swallow the animal whole. This means that fur, feathers, claws and bones remain in the owl's digestive tract. They regurgatate these remnants of their meals in the form of owl pellets. Owl pellets are a great place to find small bones, and they also teach you what your local owls are feeding on.

Finding Owl Pellets

Finding owl pellets requires patience and a sharp eye. Here are some ways to improve your success:

• Know Their Habitat

Different species prefer different locations. Woods, fields, and barns are a good place to look.

• Look Underneath Potential 'Perches'

I find most of my pellets under a tree that an owl was sitting in. Bases of trees and underneath rafters in old barns are great places to look.

Dissecting Owl Pellets!

The best part. Owl pellets are like a blind bag for naturalists and bone collectors. This is a great activity for kids; dissecting owl pellets was a highlight for me when I was younger. For this, go slowly. Bones are delicate after going through stomach acid. You will need:

• A clean work surface

Or, dissect right where you find it, and leave bones you don't want to keep for animals!

• Tweezers

If you don't have any, a needle, toothpick, or other sharp intrument works-- you will need this to pull apart fur from the bones.

• Small dish of water and/or hydrogen peroxide

Soaking bones in water loosens the fur from the bones, so that you can remove the fur with tweezers.

• Other materials

You can use paper and pencil for notes. If you have iNaturalist, that is a good way to ID your bones, and some users can identify right down to exact species.