How are pellets produced

An owl will often swallow its prey whole. If it is too large to swallow, it can be pulled apart with the strong, hooked beak. Once the food is swallowed, it passes first down to the gizzard, where the food is broken up, and then on to the stomach for digestion.

Some of the harder parts of the prey are not (or only partly) digested. These solid remains are prevented from passing any further down the gut. Instead, they are squeezed in the gizzard into a compact mass. This is then coughed up, or regurgitated as the pellet.

Owls normally produce two (sometimes three) pellets each 24 hours. It takes about six to eight hours between prey being eaten and any undigested remains being ejected from the mouth as a pellet.