Field Guide - Owls and Owl Pellets

Produced by the Field Studies Council. This chart is both an identification guide to British owls and a practical resource for investigating owl pellets.

Included are colour paintings of the five species of owl permanently resident in the British Isles. They are shown both perched and at rest. Illustrations and written descriptions of the different pellets produced by each species of owl and by other birds (kestrel, sparrow hawk, gull and corvids) could be confused. Also, a systematic identification key to owl pellets' contents, including complete skulls, jaws, teeth, and other recognizable bones and animal parts.

Text on the reverse side provides background information on owls' taxonomy, their adaptations for hunting, food chains and conservation status. Further identification information for each species – body length, wingspan, call, habitat, UK breeding range, main prey and conservation status – is given in a table. Included is guidance on where to find pellets and how they can be prepared and dissected. The chart is laminated to make it shower-proof and robust for use outdoors.

The definitive guide to identifying British owls, including a resource for information on the small mammal remains within owl pellets.

Clean by wiping with a damp cloth.