Owl Food Web

This food web shows a barn owl and great horned owl as the top-level consumers. Owls feed on rodents, insects, reptiles, amphibians and small birds.

An owl generally swallows its prey whole. Some parts of the prey, such as bones, are indigestible and form an oval-shaped mass called a pellet in the owl’s gizzard.

The pellet is regurgitated through the owl’s mouth. A pellet may contain the remains of more than one prey if the owl has eaten multiple meals within several hours.

Scientists can learn about an owl’s diet by examining its pellets. Bones, fur and feathers provide evidence of what the bird has eaten.

The bones can be specifically identified as part of the skeletal system of a particular animal.