Unknown pellet

[Dogghound]

Found this the other day in an area of farmland on the edge of woodland.
It was made up of mainly feathers, as you can see by the photo.
I Have seen Kestrel's, Sparrowhawk, Barn and tawney owls in the area, but there are other species around it could be. I personally thought sparrowhawk due to the feathers although seemed large.
Size: 8cm (seem's very large for a pellet)




Cheers

[Gill Catton]

wow 8cm is huge!! I don't think I have seen a pellet that big before!

what about heron? I'm just trying to think about what size of bird could even make a pellet that big, kestrel pellets I found (under a regularly used roost spot) were about 2.5cm long, BO pellets 5 cm(ish) and glossy black in colour.

I don't thinkI've ever seen a Sprawk pellet and the females can get to some size can't they.... perhaps that is what it is!

[Dogghound]

I Sure about the size, and i though the same big pellet, also it was in the middle of a field not under a roost is this common? Would a heron eat birds? Its definately made up of feathers.

[Dogghound]

Im Sure about the size, and i though the same big pellet, also it was in the middle of a field not under a roost is this common? Would a heron eat birds? Its definately made up of feathers.

[paulchandler6]

Herons will eat almost anything. A bird is certainly on the menu.

Paul

[Gill Catton]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Im Sure about the size, and i though the same big pellet, also it was in the middle of a field not under a roost is this common? Would a heron eat birds? Its definately made up of feathers.

I would have been exactly the same!! herons will eat anything that moves absolutely anything provided they can fit it in! and they will loaf around in fields. However, I have done a fair amount of survey of heronries and have never found a found a pellet, plenty of droppings and dropped food items, dead chicks, but no pellets. Its logical that they produce them as they swallow prey whole, maybe they don't cough them up a the nest?

we could do with a falcolner who might be able to assess buzzard / sparrowhawk possibilites....

[Lance Morgan]

'sparrowhawk pellets are 25-35mm long, rounded at one end and tapered at the other. The main ingredient is feathers, but bones are only rarely found'. From RSPB site. No reference to Herons

[paulchandler6]

Other possibilities are Goshawk or Peregrine ?

Paul

[C C]

I am not sure of id. But, i have come across Short eared owl pellets that size, and shape. And they can revert to birds if the mice population is low.

[naturelover]

i was going to say owl,we have a large owl in this country havnt we,?dont know its name though.