Long-eared Owl Pellets, found under a known nest site, June 2013 (with many thanks to Adrian Rooney)
Like most birds of prey, Long-eared Owls are unable to digest the bones, fur and other 'hard parts' of their prey. As with Barn Owls and Kestrels, they regurgitate one to three pellets a day which vary in size according to what they have recently eaten. In some cases, these are small, marble-sized, in others, larger and longer thumb-sized pellets. By carefully dissecting the contents of these pellets it is possible to identify what they have eaten. As part of the Duhallow Project, we are collecting Long-eared Owl pellets for later analysis to determine what makes up their diet.
