Mrs. Demarco’s Science Students Dig Into Owl Pellet Discoveries
Mrs. Demarco’s science class has been wrapping up their unit on energy in a fascinating—and slightly messy—way: dissecting owl pellets! Students eagerly took on the challenge of uncovering what barn owls eat by examining the contents of these compacted, regurgitated masses.
To their amazement, many students found remains of several animals within just one pellet, highlighting the owl’s role in the food chain. Most commonly, they discovered the bones of shrews, mice, and moles. Using bone identification charts, students carefully matched each bone to the correct animal and determined which part of the body it came from.
This hands-on activity not only helped reinforce lessons on energy transfer and ecosystems, but also sparked curiosity and discussion about predator-prey relationships in nature. Great work, scientists!
