Basic Owl Pellet Study
What owls eat can be determined by collecting owl pellets (or castings) that are fur balls of undigested material regurgitated from the stomachs of owls. In the first part of the activity, students dissect owl pellets and sort the various bones, teeth, beaks, claws, fur, and feathers found within them. The second part of the activity involves creating a food web based on the contents of the pellets and additional background information about common prey animals.
Details at a Glance
- 1-2 Days | 1-2 ~50 minute class periods
- 1 Activity
- Accommodates 1 class, with 15 groups of 4 students
- Consumables service 15 students
- Meets our criteria for supporting literacy
- Includes digital resources
- Requires a water source
Scientific Concepts
•What owls eat can be determined by collecting owl pellets.
•Relative populations of prey animals can be estimated by dissecting owl pellets.
•Food webs show relationships between predators and prey.
Key Vocabulary: food web, owl pellet, predator, prey
Guides & Student Sheets
Our kits and modules provide you with everything you need so you can open, review, and teach the material confidently the next day.
- Comprehensive Teacher Guide with background information, detailed instruction, example data and answers
- Student Sheets with age appropriate background information, full procedure(s), and analysis items
- Materials necessary for the investigation (beyond common classroom items)
- Safety Data Sheets
Kit Components
- 1 Teacher’s Guide
- 30 Student Worksheets and Guides
- 15 Owl pellets - sterilized, and individually wrapped
- 15 Probes
- Not included and needed for instruction: 1 pair of gloves per person, access to hand lenses or binocular microscopes.
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