Any ornitholigists out there
- Thread starter Dart7383
- Start date
Well, I was just wondering if anybody could identify anything I found in the pellet. Here is a link to the album of pictures I took.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.553943162757.2046197.145602504&l=5c9327ff18&type=1
My friend's mom teaches 4th grade, and her class is dissecting owl pellets right now. Tuesday she is going to bring me the id materials her class uses. She did call me a nerd, but I take that as a compliment.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.553943162757.2046197.145602504&l=5c9327ff18&type=1
My friend's mom teaches 4th grade, and her class is dissecting owl pellets right now. Tuesday she is going to bring me the id materials her class uses. She did call me a nerd, but I take that as a compliment.
Hello; I tried to look at the pictures but facebook does not allow me to look at more than two because I could not log in. After looking at two in closeup they wanted me to log in in order to continue. I do not have a facebook account, i guess this is the reason. I got a brief look at one of the composit pictures. I was looking for a skull but did not spot one. Owls often swallow their meals whole. The large prortion of the ones my classes dissceted had rodent bones. There was a leg bone visible in the photo that seemed large, perhaps a young rabbit? Perhaps a bird? I was not really able to tell. The larger the owl, the larger the prey they can catch and eat.
I know that what I found is a bird. The bones were all hollow, and I found a lot of feathers. The feathers were all black. Unfortunately I did not find a scull. Apparently finding and dissecting this makes me a nerd according to the people I know. Somehow that makes me happy. I guess normal people would just walk past this find, but I couldn't do that. If that makes me a nerd, I am happy to be one. FTW
Hello; Birds of prey like the owls and raptors can butcher a carcass with their beaks, so the skull may not have been swallowed. Skulls are very useful when trying to identify skeletal remains. The shape of a bird's beak is a good indicator of how it makes a living. The black feathers and the long upper leg bone may be the best clues to go by. The length of that leg bone can help narrow down the type of birds with black feathers. Science nerds with good math skills are in demand and likely will continue to be. That you seem to naturally enjoy this sort of thing is a plus. The study and work involved will be less of a chore. Many avoid the sciences because of the extra lab time involved with the various courses.
Gloves and a mask? My students are told to wash their hands afterwards, but they just dig in with their fingers...
Here is a link to the chart we use to ID bones:
http://www.biologycorner.com/resources/Owl_Pellet_Bone_Chart_grid.pdf
Here is a link to the chart we use to ID bones:
http://www.biologycorner.com/resources/Owl_Pellet_Bone_Chart_grid.pdf
Hello; I used that chart or a similar one in my classes as well. I made gloves available for those that wished to wear them, but did not make it a lab rule.