Pellets (also called castings) are bundles of indigestible items such as bones, teeth, feathers, insect exoskeletons, plant parts and fur that are spit out in a solid form. Pellets can be acquired from VINS for a donation of $1 each plus shipping. See below for more information.

Raptors and other birds of prey eat live food. Because they do not have teeth, they cannot chew their food so they use their beaks to rip the food apart and then swallow large chunks. Owls and some other birds of prey often swallow their food whole. As the meal is digested the soft materials (such as meat) is separated from the hard material (such as bones) in the stomach. When digestion is complete indigestible items (bones, feathers, fur, etc.) are spit out in a solid form called a pellet or casting.

Hawk, falcon and eagle pellets do not contain as many bones as do owl pellets. To discover what the owl ate you can gently break open the pellet and identify the bones by measuring them and looking them up in a book or a chart.

For a virtual owl pellet dissection and more pellet information go to KidWings.com
(Information courtesy of KidWings.com - www.kidwings.com)

PELLET ORDERING:

VINS Raptor Center does have a limited number of owl pellets for schools and other groups that are collected from the non-releasable exhibit and program owls. The owl diets consists of mice of various sizes and ages, hamsters, gerbils, rats and guinea pigs. All pellets are heated to dehydrate then frozen to minimize any bacteria.

Pellets (castings) can be acquired for a donation of $1 each plus shipping. For more information, call Allison Stark, 802-359-5001 x 212 or email: astark@vinsweb.org

Owl pellets can also be purchased from various companies on the internet.