Science: Owls and Owl Pellets

Life Science - Middle School

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Copyright © NewPath Learning. All rights reserved. www.newpathlearning.com Charts Charts 34-6015 Pellets owls AND owl Pellets owls AND owl \|xiBAHBDy01376rzu Sturdy, Free-Standing Design, Perfect for Learning Centers! Reverse Side Features Questions, Labeling Exercises, Vocabulary Review & more!
Phone: 800-507-0966 Fax: 800-507-0967 www.newpathlearning.com NewPath Learning® products are developed by teachers using research-based principles and are classroom tested. The company’s product line consists of an array of proprietary curriculum review games, workbooks, posters and other print materials. All products are supplemented with web-based activities, assessments and content to provide an engaging means of educating students on key, curriculum-based topics correlated to applicable state and national education standards. Copyright © NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Curriculum Mastery® and NewPath Learning® are registered trademarks of NewPath Learning LLC. Science Curriculum Mastery® Flip Charts provide comprehensive coverage of key standards-based curriculum in an illustrated format that is visually appealing, engaging and easy to use. Curriculum Mastery® Flip Charts can be used with the entire classroom, with small groups or by students working independently. Each Curriculum Mastery® Flip Chart Set features 10 double-sided laminated charts covering grade-level specific curriculum content on one side plus write-on/wipe-off charts on reverse side for student use or for small-group instruction. Built-in sturdy free-standing easel for easy display Spiral bound for ease of use Activity Guide with black-line masters of the charts for students to fill-in, key vocabulary terms, corresponding quiz questions for each chart, along with answers Ideal for Learning centers In class instruction for interactive presentations and demonstrations Hands-on student use Stand alone reference for review of key science concepts Teaching resource to supplement any program HOW TO USE Classroom Use Each Curriculum Mastery® Flip Chart can be used to graphically introduce or review a topic of interest. Side 1 of each Flip Chart provides graphical representation of key concepts in a concise, grade appropriate reading level for instructing students. The reverse Side 2 of each Flip Chart allows teachers or students to fill in the call-outs of key structures and summarize key concepts. Note: Be sure to use an appropriate dry-erase marker and to test it on a small section of the chart prior to using it. The Activity Guide included provides a black-line master of each Flip Chart which students can use to fill in before, during, or after instruction. On the reverse side of each black-line master are questions corresponding to each Flip Chart topic which can be used as further review or as a means of assessment. While the activities in the guide can be used in conjunction with the Flip Charts, they can also be used individually for review or as a form of assessment or in conjunction with any other related assignment. Learning Centers Each Flip Chart provides students with a quick illustrated view of grade-appropriate curriculum concepts. Students may use these Flip Charts in small group settings along with the corresponding activity pages contained in the guide to learn or review concepts already covered in class. Students may also use these charts as reference while playing the NewPath’s Curriculum Mastery® Games. Independent student use Students can use the hands-on Flip Charts to practice and learn independently by first studying Side 1 of the chart and then using Side 2 of the chart or the corresponding graphical activities contained in the guide to fill in the answers and assess their understanding. Reference/Teaching resource Curriculum Mastery® Charts are a great visual supplement to any curriculum or they can be used in conjunction with NewPath’s Curriculum Mastery® Games. Chart # 1: Chart # 2: Chart # 3: Chart # 4: Chart # 5: Chart # 6: Chart # 7: Chart # 8: Chart # 9: Chart #10: Owls - Birds of Prey The Barn Owl Owl Food Web All About Owl Pellets Dissecting an Owl Pellet Rodent Skeleton Identification Vole Skeleton Identification Mole Skeleton Identification Shrew Skeleton Identification Bird Skeleton Identification
The Great Gray owl is one of the largest owls. It measures up to 29 inches long. Its body is dark gray with streaks of light gray. Its head is rounded, lacks ear tufts and has a large well defined facial disk with dark gray concentric circles surrounding the eyes. Great gray owls inhabit dense forests and prey on small mammals and birds. A Great Horned owl measures up to 23 inches long. It is readily identified by its prominent dark ear tufts pointed toward the sides of the head, reddish facial disk and yellow eyes. Great horned owls inhabit forests, swamps, orchards and even deserts. They prey on birds, large insects, mice and rabbits. The Long-Eared owl is a slender bird measuring up to 14 inches in length with long ear tufts near the middle of its head. Its upper body is dark brown with speckles of white and barring on the abdomen. It is commonly found in wooded areas and preys on small mammals. A Short-Eared owl measures up to 14 inches long. It is lightly colored with a large rounded head and small ear tufts that are hardly visible. Its upper body is yellowish to buff color with brown streaks on the crown, neck and back and barring on the wings. Short-eared owls inhabit grasslands, marshes, and farmland. They prey mainly on mice and voles. A Barred owl measures up to 20 inches long. The barring of the head, neck and breast feathers forms the appearance of wearing a collar. Barred owls have a facial disk with concentric circles around the eyes. Its abdomen is white with dark brown vertical streaks. They are commonly found in swamps and dense forests and prey mainly on mice, fish, frogs, insects and small birds. A Barn owl is a bird of prey adapted to live near humans. It has a round head without ear tufts and a heart-shaped white face. Barn owls nest in silos, barns and other buildings in rural areas. They prey almost exclusively on mice and other small rodents, making them excellent pest control. Like all owls, they have superb hearing giving them the ability to hunt prey by sound alone. Great Gray Owl Great Horned Owl Long-Eared Owl Short-Eared Owl Barred Owl Barn Owl Great Gray, Long-eared & Barr ed owl photos; Copyright © E ducational Images Ltd., Elmira, NY, USA. All right reserved - used by permission. Barn owl; Copyright © K aren Arnold/Dreamstime.com Short-eared owl & Gr eat Horned owl photos; courtesy of USFWS. Owls - Birds of Prey www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4611
Great Gray Owl Great Horned Owl Long-Eared Owl Short-Eared Owl Barred Owl Barn Owl Great Gray, Long-eared & Ba rred owl photos; Copyright © E ducational Images Ltd., Elmira, NY, USA. All right reserved - used by permission. Barn owl; Copyright © K aren Arnold/Dreamstime.com Short-eared owl & Gr eat Horned owl photos; courtesy of USFWS. Describe this owl. __________________ __________________ ___________________ Where does it live? _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ What does it eat? _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ Describe this owl. ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ Where does it live? ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ What does it eat? _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ Describe this owl. _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ Where does it live? _____________________ ____________________ ____________________ What does it eat? ____________________ ____________________ _____________________ Describe this owl. __________________________ __________________________ ________________________ Where does it live? _______________________ _______________________ _______________________ What does it eat? ____________________ ___________________ ___________________ Describe this owl. _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Where does it live? ________________________ ________________________ ________________________ What does it eat? _______________________ ________________________ _________________________ Describe this owl. _____________________ _____________________ _____________________ Where does it live? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ What does it eat? _________________________ _________________________ _________________________ Owls - Birds of Prey www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4611 \|xiBAHBDy01766qzZ
Nesting & Ma ting Habits The breeding season of barn owls begins as early as March and may last until October. Barn owls do not construct their own nests. They nest in open silos, barns and other buildings in rural areas or in human-made nest boxes. Barn owls stay with one mate for life. A pair of owls will incubate 2-3 broods of 2-18 eggs each during the nesting season. The female incubates the eggs for 30-34 days, starting with the first laid egg. Hatching occurs in the same order as the eggs were laid usually a day or two apart, so that various ages and sizes can be observed in a brood. On average, 3-4 young survive the nesting period and leave the nest at 8 to 10 weeks of age. Hunting Techniques Barn owls are primarily nocturnal hunters but may hunt before dusk and around dawn when feeding young, and in daylight during winter. They hunt using their exceptional hearing and low-light vision. While they can see during the day, their relatively small eyes are directed forward and are better adapted for night vision. Their facial disk directs sound into their ear holes, which are located beneath the feathers on each side of their face. These openings are different sizes; one is level with the nostril and the other is higher, nearer the forehead. This enables the owls to sense direction and distance of the sound by differences in the sound intensity that reaches each ear. Barn owls are so good at locating prey by sound that they can do so even when the prey is completely hidden from view. Prey is normally swallowed whole, with indigestible body parts such as hair, feathers and bones regurgitated in the form of a large pellet. Owl photos courtesy of USFWS. A barn owl is a bird of prey adapted to live near humans. It has a round head without ear tufts and a heart-shaped white face. Barn owls nest in silos, barns and other buildings in rural areas. They prey almost exclusively on mice and other small rodents, making them excellent pest control. A family of two adults and six young may consume over 1,000 rodents during the 3-month nesting period. Like all owls, they have superb hearing, giving them the ability to hunt prey by sound alone. The Barn Owl The Barn Owl: At a Glance Classification: Bird (Raptor) Habitat: Large areas of pasture, hayfields, grasslands or wet meadows around farms and rural towns Weight: Males, 14-19 ounces; females, 17-25 ounces Length: Males, 13-15 inches; females, 14-20 inches Wingspan: Males, 41-45 inches; females, 43-47 inches Life Expectancy: Typically 3-4 years; high mortality the first year Diet: Meadow voles, mice and shrews; bats, skunks and various birds; occasionally frogs, insects and reptiles location of ear holes facial disk dissected owl pellet www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4612
Nesting & Ma ting Habits The _______________ _______________ of barn owls begins as early as March and may last until October. Barn owls do not construct their own nests. They nest in open silos, barns and other buildings in rural areas or in human-made nest boxes. Barn owls stay with one mate for life. A pair of owls will incubate ____________ broods of ____________ eggs each during the nesting season. The female incubates the eggs for ____________ days, starting with the first laid egg. ________________ occurs in the same order as the eggs were laid usually a day or two apart, so that various ages and sizes can be observed in a brood. On average, ____________ young survive the nesting period and leave the nest at ____________ weeks of age. Hunting Techniques Barn owls are primarily _________________ hunters but may hunt before dusk and around dawn when feeding young, and in daylight during winter. They hunt using their exceptional _________________ and _______________ ___________. While they can see during the day, their relatively small eyes are directed forward and are better adapted for night vision. Their ________________ _______________ directs _________________ into their ear holes, which are located beneath the feathers on each side of their face. These openings are different sizes; one is level with the _______________ and the other is higher, nearer the _________________ . This enables the owls to sense direction and distance of the sound by differences in the sound ________________ that reaches each ear. Barn owls are so good at locating prey by sound that they can do so even when the prey is completely hidden from view. Owl photos courtesy of USFWS. A barn owl is a ___________ ____ ___________ adapted to live near humans. It has a ___________ head without ___________ ___________ and a __________________ white face. Barn owls nest in silos, barns and other buildings in rural areas. They ___________ almost exclusively on mice and other small rodents, making them excellent pest control. A family of two adults and six young may consume over 1,___________ rodents during the ___________ nesting period. Like all owls, they have superb ___________ , giving them the ability to hunt prey by ___________ alone. The Barn Owl The Barn Owl: At a Glance Classification: Habitat: Weight: Length: Wingspan: Life Expectancy: Diet: ___________________________________________________ ______________________ ______________________ www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4612 \|xiBAHBDy01773ozX
A food web is a system of overlapping food chains. A food chain is a sequence of organisms showing who eats whom in an ecosystem. An ecosystem has many food chains that are interconnected. An animal can be eaten by many different animals and therefore be a part of many different food chains. Organisms of a food web are linked by arrows to indicate the direction of energy transfer. Energy, in the form of food, passes as an organism from a higher level consumes an organism from a lower level. Owls are predators which prey on rodents, shrews, moles, insects, reptiles and small birds. Since very few predators feed on owls, they hold the top position of the food chain. Owl Pellet Biologists learn about an owl’s diet by examining its pellets that are regurgitated. Owl Food Web www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4613 Great Horned Owl Woodpecker Grasshopper Barn Owl Chickadee Beetle Chipmunk Weasel Ant Rabbit Plants Seeds Robin Shrew Worm Mouse Snake
A __________ ___________ is a system of overlapping food chains. A __________ ___________ is a sequence of organisms showing who eats whom in an _______________ . An _______________ has many food chains that are interconnected. An animal can be eaten by many different animals and therefore be a part of many different _______________ _______________ . Organisms of a food web are linked by arrows to indicate the direction of __________ ___________ . _____________ , in the form of ____________ , passes as an organism from a _____________ ____________ consumes an organism from a ______________ ______________ . Owls are _______________ which ____________ on rodents, shrews, moles, insects, reptiles and small birds. Since very few predators feed on owls, they hold the ________ ______________ of the ___________ ___________ . \|xiBAHBDy01764mzV Owl Pellet Biologists learn about an owl’s _________________ by examining its pellets that are __________________________ . Owl Food Web www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4613 Woodpecker Grasshopper Barn Owl Chickadee Beetle Chipmunk Weasel Robin Shrew
What is an owl pellet? Owls generally swallow their prey whole. They digest all the fleshy parts of the prey but are unable to digest the hair, fur and bones. In the gizzard, the indigestible body parts are formed into oval-shaped masses, called pellets. These pellets are regurgitated through the mouth, since they cannot be excreted through the digestive track. Each pellet may contain the remains of more than one prey animal if multiple animals were eaten within several hours. We can find out what an owl has eaten by examining the prey remains within a pellet. What’s inside an owl pellet? Biologists learn about an owl’s diet by examining its pellets that are regurgitated. Pellets contain the indigestible remains of prey animals such as rodents, shrews, moles, insects, reptiles and small birds. Catching the prey Once the prey is caught, it is positioned head first in the beak. This barn owl has caught a shrew. 1 Swallowing the prey The prey is swallowed, passing through the esophagus where it enters the glandular stomach or proventriculus. 2 Digestion The digestion process begins in the glandular stomach where enzymes break down the prey which then passes into the muscular stomach or gizzard. Nutrients pass through the intestines and are absorbed into the body while the indigestible parts are retained in the gizzard and formed into an owl pellet within six to ten hours of a meal. This pellet then travels back up into the glandular stomach where it is stored for several hours before it is regurgitated. 3 Regurgitation Before the owl eats another meal, it must cough up or regurgitate the pellet. During this process, which can last from a few seconds to a few minutes, the esophagus begins to contract forcing the pellet out. The owl appears to be in great discomfort and seems like it is having difficulty breathing. However, once the pellet is out the owl is back to normal. 4 How do pellets form? How do pellets form? What’s inside an owl pellet? What’s inside an owl pellet? What is an owl pellet? What is an owl pellet? bones feathers, claws, teeth Photo © K aren Arnold; Dreamstime.com glandular stomach glandular stomach muscular stomach (gizzard) esophagus esophagus glandular stomach pellet pellet forming vent pellet whole owl pellets owl pellet contents All About Owl Pellets www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4614
What is an owl pellet? Owls generally swallow their _______________ whole. They digest all the fleshy parts of the prey but are unable to digest the hair, fur and bones. In the _________________, the indigestible body parts are formed into oval-shaped masses, called ________________ . These pellets are ________________ through the _______________ , since they cannot be excreted through the digestive track. Each pellet may contain the remains of more than one prey animal if multiple animals were eaten within several hours. We can find out what an owl has eaten by examining the _______________ _______________ within a pellet. What’s inside an owl pellet? ______________ learn about an owl’s ______________ by examining its ______________ that are regurgitated. Pellets contain the ______________ ______________ of prey animals such as rodents, shrews, moles, insects, reptiles and small birds. Catching the prey Once the prey is caught, it is positioned _______________ _______________ in the beak. This barn owl has caught a shrew. 1 Swallowing the prey The prey is swallowed, passing through the _______________ where it enters the _______________ _______________ or _____________________ . 2 Digestion Briefly describe the digestion process. __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ 3 Regurgitation Before the owl eats another meal, it must cough up or _______________ the pellet. During this process, which can last from a few seconds to a few minutes, the _______________ begins to contract forcing the _______________ out. 4 How do pellets form? How do pellets form? What’s inside an owl pellet? What’s inside an owl pellet? What is an owl pellet? What is an owl pellet? bones feathers, claws, teeth Photo © K aren Arnold; Dreamstime.com esophagus All About Owl Pellets www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4614 owl pellet contents \|xiBAHBDy01765tz]
Bone Identification/Sorting Chart Skulls Mandible (Jaw) Scapula Front Limbs Pelvis Hind Limbs Ribs Vertebrae Materials Materials Identifying Bones and Reassembling Skeletons Identifying Bones and Reassembling Skeletons Procedure Procedure Inspect the outside texture, color, size and shape of the owl pellet. 1. tweezers magnifier dissecting needle owl pellets Use a dissecting needle to carefully separate the bones from the fur or feathers. As you expose the bones, carefully remove them using tweezers. 3. Gently break the pellet in half and continue to pull it apart into smaller pieces. 2. Use a magnifying glass to examine each bone; then, group similar bones together. 4. Use a dichotomous key to identify the different prey animals in a pellet. Examining lower jaw bones is the simplest way to identify which prey animals have been eaten by the owl. After identifying, group similar bones together. To reconstruct a skeleton, arrange all the bones from an animal on a piece of cardboard. Use white glue to attach the bones to the cardboard. Dissecting an Owl Pellet skull mandible front limb scapula ribs pelvis vertebrae hind limb Dissecting barn owl pellets provides a great way to learn about the environment, habitats, ecosystems, producers, consumers, decomposers, food chains and food webs. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4615
Bone Identification/Sorting Chart Materials Materials Identifying Bones and Reassembling Skeletons Identifying Bones and Reassembling Skeletons Procedure Procedure _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ _________________ 1. tweezers 3. 2. 4. Dissecting an Owl Pellet Dissecting barn owl pellets provides a great way to learn about the __________________ , __________________ , ecosystems, __________________ , __________________ , decomposers, _________________ _________________ and food webs. skull front limb ribs pelvis hind limb www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4615 \|xiBAHBDy01744ozX
Rodent Bone Identification/Sorting Chart Skull Mandible (Jaw) Scapula Front Limb Pelvis Hind Limb Ribs Vertebrae A magnifier can be used to help study teeth details in order to identify animal remains. Photos of Rodents; Copyright © E ducational Images Ltd., Elmira, NY, USA All right reserved - used by permission. skull mandible incisors front limbs sternum scapula ribs pelvis vertebrae hind limbs Owls generally swallow their prey whole. They digest all the fleshy parts of the prey but are unable to digest the hair, fur and bones. After each night’s feeding the owl regurgitates the indigestible body parts of the prey in the form of a pellet. By examining the remains within a pellet, you can determine the diet of owls. Use the identification chart below to identify the remains of a rodent that may be found within an owl pellet. Look at the shape and size of the skull, teeth, limbs, pelvis and other body parts to identify the prey animal. Notice the long incisor teeth, and the molars at the center of the jaw. You can identify particular species of rodents by studying the details and pattern of their teeth. Rodent Skeleton Identification www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4616
Rodent Bone Identification/Sorting Chart Photos of Rodents; Copyright © E ducational Images Ltd., Elmira, NY, USA All right reserved - used by permission. Owls generally swallow their _______________ whole. They _______________ all the fleshy parts of the prey but are unable to _______________ the hair, fur, claws and bones. After each night’s feeding the owl _______________ the _______________ body parts of the prey in the form of a _______________ . By examining the remains within a pellet, you can determine the _______________ of owls. Use the identification chart below to identify the remains of a rodent. Look at the shape and size of the skull, teeth, limbs, pelvis and other body parts. Notice the long _______________ teeth, and the _______________ at the _______________ of the jaw. You can identify particular species of rodents by studying the details and patterns of their _______________ . Rodent Skeleton Identification front limbs ribs pelvis hind limbs A magnifier can be used to help study teeth details in order to identify animal remains. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4616 \|xiBAHBDy01769rzu
Vole Bone Identification/Sorting Chart Skull Mandible (Jaw) Scapula Front Limb Pelvis Hind Limb Ribs Vertebrae skull mandible incisors front limbs sternum scapula ribs pelvis vertebrae hind limbs A mandible is being extracted from a dissected owl pellet. Owls generally swallow their prey whole. They digest all the fleshy parts of the prey but are unable to digest the hair, fur and bones. After each night’s feeding the owl regurgitates the indigestible body parts of the prey in the form of a pellet. By examining the remains within a pellet, you can determine the diet of owls as well as the diversity of available prey in an area. Use the identification chart below to identify the remains of a vole that may be found within an owl pellet. Look at the shape and size of the skull, teeth, limbs, pelvis and other body parts to identify the prey animal. Voles are small mouse-like rodents that live in many habitats. Skulls of voles are generally less than 32mm in length. Notice the long incisors, used to gnaw plant material. Vole Skeleton Identification Photo of Vole; Copyright © E ducational Images Ltd., Elmira, NY, USA All right reserved - used by permission. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4617
Vole Bone Identification/Sorting Chart skull mandible incisors front limbs scapula ribs pelvis vertebrae hind limbs A mandible is being extracted from a dissected owl pellet. Owls generally swallow their prey _____________. They _____________ all the _____________ _____________ of the prey but are unable to digest the hair, fur, claws and bones. After each night’s feeding the owl __________________ the _____________ body parts of the prey in the form of a _____________. By examining the remains within a pellet, you can determine the _____________ of owls as well as the diversity of available _____________ in an area. Voles are small mouselike _____________ that live in many habitats. Skulls of voles are generally less than _____________ in length. Notice the long _____________, used to gnaw _____________ _____________. Vole Skeleton Identification Photo of Vole; Copyright © E ducational Images Ltd., Elmira, NY, USA All right reserved - used by permission. www.newpathlearning.com © Copyright NewPath Learning. All Rights Reserved. 94-4617 \|xiBAHBDy01775sz\
Mole Bone Identification/Sorting Chart Skull Mandible (Jaw) Scapula Front Limb Pelvis Hind Limb Ribs Vertebrae Owls generally swallow their prey whole. They digest all the fleshy parts of the prey but are unable to digest the hair, fur, claws and bones. After each night’s feeding the owl regurgitates the indigestible body parts of the prey in the form of a pellet. By examining the remains within a pellet, you can determine the diet of owls as well as the diversity of available prey in an area. Use the identification chart below to identify the remains of a mole that may be found within an owl pellet. Look at the shape and size of the skull, teeth, limbs, pelvis and other body parts that you may find to identify the prey animal. Moles have a flat and broad skull with 10 upper teeth on each jaw side. They burrow underground and eat insects and other small invertebrates. The mole’s front feet are well adapted to digging. skull mandible front limbs sternum scapula ribs pelvis vertebrae hind limbs Photos of Moles; Copyright © E ducational Images Ltd., Elmira, NY, USA All right reserved -