THE ANIMAL FILES

Western barn owl

Tyto alba

A pellet can preserve the evidence of dinner.

Western barn owls hunt over rough grassy habitats and regurgitate pellets containing indigestible prey remains. Their chicks hatch at different times within the same nest because incubation starts before the full clutch has been laid.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Western barn owl
Image: User:Alun Williams333 · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Evidence in pellets
Prey fragments reveal meals.[1]
Chicks of different ages
Incubation starts before all eggs are laid.[1]
Low over grass
Broad wings support low hunting flight.[3]

Evidence in pellets

Researchers identify bones and other remains in regurgitated pellets to study diet. Small mammals dominate many studied places, but local food differs: some island populations use much more reptile prey. A regional pellet sample describes that place rather than every barn owl.[1]

Chicks of different ages

Eggs are laid on alternate days and incubation begins with the first egg. Hatching is therefore spread over time, leaving older and younger chicks together in the same nest.[1]

Low over grass

In Britain, barn owls fly low over farmland and rough grass, especially around dawn or dusk. They also sometimes hunt by day. A heart-shaped face and pale underside help identify the bird in flight.[3]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Must chicks in one nest all be the same age?

No. Early incubation and sequential laying produce staggered hatching.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

What can a bone-filled pellet reveal without seeing the hunt?

Reveal the explanation

Identifiable prey fragments provide evidence of animals eaten, though not the exact capture sequence.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Western barn owl (cited revision)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Tyto alba
  3. RSPB — Barn owl, Tyto alba

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

Snowy owlA snowy owl’s nest is a scrape in open tundra, not a tree hollow.Bubo scandiacus ↗Andean condorA huge bird can travel on rising air.Vultur gryphus ↗Peregrine falconA hunting dive is not the same measurement as level flight.Falco peregrinus ↗