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A pellet, in ornithology, is the mass of undigested parts of a bird's food that some bird species occasionally regurgitate. The contents of a bird's pellet depend on its diet, but can include the exoskeletons of insects, indigestible plant matter, bones, fur, feathers, bills, claws, and teeth. In falconry, the pellet is called a casting.
The pellets are typically grey coloured and are found in groups under trees used for roosting or nesting. At least some tawny owl pellets can measure up to 84 mm (3.3 in) long and can include large objects such as an intact 10 cm (3.9 in) bill of a snipe. [7] [1] [29] [32] Undigested material coughed up often reveals different prey than pellets ...
In some cases, pellets of Bubo owls can range up to 150 mm (5.9 in) in length. [3] [9] Eagle-owl pellets average slightly larger (about 10%) than those of great grey owls (Strix nebulosa). [10] As is the case with all owls, pellets are indisputably the best method to examine the main diversity of prey consumed by an owl.
Scientists studying the diets of owls are helped by their habit of regurgitating the indigestible parts of their prey (such as bones, scales, and fur) in the form of pellets. These "owl pellets" are plentiful and easy to interpret, and are often sold by companies to schools for dissection by students as a lesson in biology and ecology. [37]
Pellet (ornithology), regurgitated by birds; Pellets (petrology), a carbonate sedimentary structure in limestone; Pellet (steel industry), a processed form of iron ore; Pellet fuel, mostly as wood pellets used as biofuel; Pellet (software), an OWL semantic reasoner; Pellet stove, to burn compressed wood or biomass pellets
The great horned owl (Bubo virginianus), also known as the tiger owl (originally derived from early naturalists' description as the "winged tiger" or "tiger of the air") [3] or the hoot owl, [4] is a large owl native to the Americas. It is an extremely adaptable bird with a vast range and is the most widely distributed true owl in the Americas. [5]
Scientists study the owl pellets to keep track of vulnerable or endangered species in the area since sooty owls are known to prey on these species. Owl pellets are compact clusters of partially digested food pieces like fur, bone and feathers that the owl regurgitates from its gizzard. [15] Owls from the family Tytonidae are known to eat their ...
The ear tufts are usually dusky in front and paler tawny on the back. Long-eared owl possess a blackish bill color while its eyes may vary from yellowish-orange to orange-red, tarsi and toes feathered. [4] [8] [36] The long-eared owl is a medium-sized owl, which measures between 31 and 40 cm (12 and 16 in) in total length.