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Haley Selen

Pellet Sizes

"How big is an owl pellet?"

Like most answers in nature, it depends!


First it depends on the size of the bird in question. A small owl will naturally have a smaller pellet.


But it also depends on how much casting material (fur, feathers, and bones) they consume. A large owl might pass a small pellet if they had a small meal. Or they might have a massive pellet after a feast.


I was amazed to find a huge pellet in our Great Horned Owl's mew. It was about twice the size of his normal pellet! Otto had received a whole rabbit head as a treat the day before, and that extra-large meal created an extra-large pellet.


Two Great Horned Owl pellets (left) compared to two pellets from an American Kestrel (right). Pellet size depends on the size of the bird and the size of their meal.

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