Hey Trileigh! (Hey tweets too!)

While I don't believe I have ever taken away any of the skulls, I would
allow a small chance of others occasionally taking skulls as souvenirs
or to study. And I don't know, but I also think that sometimes the
contents of one pellet might not contain all of a given dinner. I too
have found pellets a number of times in more than one park that don't
have a skull. Also some animals, such as shrews tend to have the skulls
get crushed in the process of being eaten and going through whatever
process they go through before being coughed up. With the shrews you
will find shiny bits of skull. There are also prey items with no skulls
or possibly even more fragile skulls than the shrews. Earthworms, moths
and some other invertebrates are among the prey items of Barred Owls. I
believe the Barred Owls at Camp Long eat Northwestern Salamanders, but
if I have ever found a pellet disgorged after a salamander dinner, I
have never found the evidence. I suspect their skulls are quite fragile
also.

-Stewart.

Stewart Wechsler
Sharing Knowledge and Enthusiasm for Plant, Animal and Fungi and the mutually supportive local communities that we humans share with them
Nature walks and adventures for all ages and levels
Grandparents and Grandchildren always welcome!
Children at heart with or without children always welcome too!
West Seattle
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On 11:59 AM, Tucker, Trileigh wrote:
> Hi Tweeters,/
> /Second, a local birding question. Under one of the local Barred Owl?s
> favorite hangout trees are at least 6-7 pellets in various stages of
> disintegration. None of them seem to contain a skull, though there are
> lots of other bones. Only once in the past three years or so have I
> found what I think is a skull in a local owl pellet. What happens to
> the skulls? Or have I just happened not to find them/not been looking
> carefully enough?
>
> Thank you,
> Trileigh
>
> * * * * *
> Trileigh Tucker
> Lincoln Park, West Seattle
>
> /
> /
>


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