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Owl Pellets

We dissected owl pellets as part of a special meeting in early January, 2002.  Here's some more information about owls, owl pellets, and the bones you find within them.  The books all came from the Oak Park Public Library < http://www.oppl.org/ >. 

Web Sites About Owl Pellets

Owl Pellets by Jody Hildreth
   < http://www.borg.com/~svcselem/sauquoit/clubs/wingers/owlpellet/ >
This site has lots of information and a few pictures.  

Virtual Owl Pellet Dissection and lots of other activities, too.
   < http://www.kidwings.com/owlpellets/index.htm >

Genesis, Inc.
   < http://www.pellet.com/ >
They sell sterilized barn owl pellets, plus all the supplies and information you need to dissect them.  (We bought our pellets from them.)

"The Polite Term is Pellets," an article by Doug Newman
   < http://www.mdc.mo.gov/conmag/1998/01/30.htm >

Dissecting Owl Pellets, a step-by-step guide.
   < http://www.brandonsd.mb.ca/waverly/taylor/Enviro%20Studies/dissecting_owl_pellets.htm >
  

Books About Owls

Our library has some great books about barn owls.

Owl, words by Mary Ling and color photos by Kim Taylor.  New York: Dorling Kindersley, 1992. 21 p.
See How They Grow series
J 598.97/TAY
With great photos and simple words, this book tells the first-person story of a barn owl growing up.  There are no photos of owls catching or eating prey.  This is a good story to read to Starflight level children.

Barn Owls, words by Wolfgang Epple and color photos by Manfred Rogl.  Minneapolis, MN: Carolrhoda Books, 1992. 48 p.
Carolrhoda Nature Watch Book series
J 598.97/EPP
This book has great photos of a barn owl family raising its young and hunting, catching and swallowing prey.  There’s even a photo of a partly dissected owl pellet.  Although the photos tell the story of a barn owl family, the text is written in more as a series of facts than as a story.  Adults might read this book to older Starflight level children who are interested in owls.

The Barn Owls, words by Tony Johnston, color illustrations by Deborah Kogan Ray. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2000. (about 30 pages, unnumbered)
J E/JOH
“For at least 100 years, generations of barn owls have slept, hunted, called, raised their young, and glided silently above the wheat fields around an old barn.”  The story, told with pictures and a few words, follows a barn owl family through a sleepy day and a night of hunting for mice and feeding the young owls.  (The owl catches a mouse, but no owl pellets are shown.)  This is a good story to read to Starflight level children.

Books About Bones and Skeletons

So far we've only found one good book with lots of pictures of animal skeletons.  (We found more books about human skeletons.)

Skeleton, words by Steve Parker and color photos and drawings from many sources.  New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1998. 64 p.
Eyewitness Books series
(originally created by Dorling Kindersley Limited, London)
J 591.471/PAR
Like all the Eyewitness Books, this one has lots of great photos set against a white background.  There are lots of pictures of skeletons and skulls, plus information about why individual bones and limbs are shaped as they are .
  

Books About Mice

If you're curious about the animals that owls ate, try these books:

Lucky Mouse, words by Elizabeth Ring and beautiful color photographs by Dwight Kuhn. Brookfield, Conn.: Millbrook Press, 1995. (about 28 pages, unnumbered)
J 599.323/RIN
This book tells the story of a wild deer mouse.  The mouse is lucky because it’s adopted into a new nest when it loses its own, and because it doesn’t get eaten by a cat, owl, or weasel.  The book ends with four pages of questions and answers about mice.  This is a good story to read to Starflight level children.

Outside and Inside Rats and Mice, words by Sandra Markle, color photos from many sources.  New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2001.  39 p. 
J 599.35/MAR
This book describes the habits and habitats of both mice and rats, using examples from around the world.  There are lots of great photos, including an X-ray of a rat, a color photo of rat insides, a photo of an owl about to catch a mouse, and lots of photos of baby rats and mice.  This would be a good book for Starflight or Adventure level (provided they are interested in rat insides!)

House Mouse, words by Barrie Watts, black-and-white drawings by Helen Senior, color photos not credited.  Parsippany, NJ: Silver Burdett Press, 1997.  24 p. Originally published: London, England: A & C Black, 1991.
Stopwatch series
J 599.32/WAT
This book tells the story of how house mice are born and grow up.  This is a good book to read to Starflight level children.

It’s a Mouse!  Words by D.M. Souza and color photos from many sources. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1998. 40 p.
Creatures All Around Us series
J 599.35/SOU
This book describes the habits and habitats of mice, using examples from around the world.  This would be a good book for Starflight children who are especially interested in mice, or for Adventure level.

Discovering Shrews, Moles and Voles, words by Jill Bailey, illustrations by John Yates, and color photos from Oxford Scientific Films.  New York: Bookwright Press, 1989.
Discovering Nature series
599.33/BAI (Maze)
Voles are short-tailed mice, shrews are tiny carnivorous mammals, and moles are small burrowing mammals that eat lots of earthworms.  Voles skulls are really common in barn owl pellets, and shrew and mole skulls are also found in pellets, although not a commonly.  This book describes the habits and habitats of these mammals, using examples from around the world.  This would be a good book for Starflight children who are especially interested in small mammals, or for Adventure level.

The World of Mice, words by Virginia Harrison and color photographs by Oxford Scientific Films.  Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens Pub., 1988. 32 p.
Where Animals Live series
J 599.3233/HAR
This book describes the habits and habitats of mice, using examples from around the world.  There’s a photo of young barn owls on page 25.  This would be a good book for Starflight children who are especially interested in mice, or for Adventure level.

Mice, words by Susan Horner & Celia B. Lottridge, color photos from many sources.  Danbury, CT: Grolier Educational Corp., 1985.  46 p.
Nature’s Children series
J 599.323/HOR
This book describes the habits and habitats of mice, using examples from about a dozen types of mice found in North America.  This would be a good book for upper Starflight children who are especially interested in mice, or for Adventure level.