What do pellets tell us about the bird

Once you have identified the contents, you can use the results to discover a great deal about the habits of the bird.

When does it hunt?
Some mammals are active during the day as well as by night. Others, especially the wood mouse, are strictly nocturnal. You may be able to discover whether a bird hunts by day or by night.

Where does it hunt?
Small mammals prefer certain kinds of habitat. The field vole lives in grassland, the bank vole in woods and hedges. Such creatures will give you clues as to where the owl was hunting.

How much does it eat?
You can work out the number of animals in each pellet from the number of skulls or jawbones. Some people prefer to count the number of pelvic bones, in case the head of the prey was not swallowed. Remember that an owl probably produces two or three pellets each 24 hours.

Does its diet change with the season?
If you can find enough pellets at different times of the year, you may find some interesting differences.

What part does the owl play in the food chain?
Find out what the prey animals eat. Some are vegetarian, like voles. Others eat only animal food, like shrews which feed on insects and other small creatures.
You can construct a diagram of a food chain from your results.