Energy

Transfer and Trophic Relationships for the Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
Preliminary Research

1. Look up the classifications of Barn Owls and examples of their potential prey. Fill in the chart, using the Animal
Diversity Web (animaldiversity.org).
a. Type the name of interest into the search box on the right side of the page.
b. Choose “classification” from the drop-down menu and then click on the magnifying glass to search.
c. Click on the scientific name (or choose the appropriate one) to see its classification.
d. For “class”, scroll down and find “Aves” or “Mammalia”. Ignore “Sarcopterygii”. (We’ll discuss this later.)

Plains
Masked American Pocket Meadow Eastern
Barn Owl Deer Mouse Shrew Robin Gopher Vole Mole

animaliaanimaliaanimaliaanimaliaanimaliaanimaliaanimalia
Kingdom

Phylum chordata chordata
chordatgchordatg chordatg chordat9chordatg

Mammalia
Class
Aves Mammalia aves mammalia mammalia mammalia
(Aves or Mammalia) (Aves or Mammalia) (Aves or Mammalia) (Aves or Mammalia) (Aves or Mammalia) (Aves or Mammalia) (Aves or Mammalia)

passeriformes
Order strigiformes insectivores
rodentiginsectivores rodentiarodentia
owls

2. Based on your research:
a. Are shrews rodents? How do you know?

A shrew is NOT a rodent b c it instead to belongs a
group

of insectivores
b. Are gophers rodents? How do you know?

are rodents b c to the rodentia order
Gophers
they belong

c. Which prey type is most closely related to moles? How do you know?

b c
Masked
shrew are the most closely related they
insectivores
likes moles
d. Which pair is more closely related: [voles and mice] or [owls and songbirds]? How do you know?

b c share
Voles
mice are more closely related they
the
same Kingdom phylum class and order
3. What is an owl pellet? Why is it formed?
the
regurgitated food
that
An owl pellet is
It is formed so that the
owl could not digest
rid of the waste
owl can
easily get