Steven David Miller / Sand bubble patterns created by Sand bubbler crabs (Scopimera inflata), Cape Hillsborough National Park, Queensland, Australia. September.

Sven Zacek / Ural owl (Strix uralensis) female feeding her young with part of a pellet it has regurgitated. Estonia, May.

John Chan / Great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) chick coughing up a pellet, Southern California, USA, June.

Steven David Miller / Sand bubble patterns created by Sand bubbler crabs (Scopimera inflata), Cape Hillsborough National Park, Queensland, Australia. September.

Suzi Eszterhas / Brandt's Cormorant (Phalacrocorax penicillatus) pellet of worms coughed up by cormorant International Bird Rescue, Fairfield, California

Eric Medard / Sparrowhawk (Accipter nisus) male regurgitating pellet, in forest, Pays de Loire, France

Sven Zacek / Ural owl (Strix uralensis) female and chick at nest, female regurgitating pellet. Southern Estonia. May.

Philippe Clement / Close up of regurgitated pellet from great skua (Stercorarius skua) showing seabird prey remains like bones and feathers, Scotland, UK, May.

Philippe Clement / Close up of regurgitated pellet from great skua (Stercorarius skua) showing seabird prey remains like bones and feathers, Scotland, UK, May.

Oscar Diez/ BIA / European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) regurgetating pellet, Andalucia, Spain

Dave Bevan / Male Pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) perched on a branch, disgorges pellet before flying out of frame, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, May.

Adrian Davies / Barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets, contents of approximately six pellets containing skulls and bones of voles, mice and shrews, and cockchafer beetle. UK. March.

Markus Varesvuo / Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) regurgitating pellet before eating vole prey, Helsinki, Finland, December.

Alan Murphy/ BIA / Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) regurgitating pellet, Texas

Philippe Clement / Short-eared owl (Asio flammeus) regurgitated pellet containing the remains of birds and mice, Scotland, UK, May

SCOTLAND: The Big Picture / Female Merlin (Falco columbarius) coughing up a pellet, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK, June.

Charlie Summers / Northern carmine bee-eater (Merops nubicus) regurgitating pellet, Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania.

Frederique Olivier / South polar skua (Stercorarius maccormicki) chick at nest site, regurgitates pellet, with parent in the foreground, Antarctica.

Ingo Arndt / Rat bait, South Georgia Heritage Trust Rat Eradication Project, South Georgia 2011

Sven Zacek / Wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola) regurgitating a pellet on the shore of a small lake in Southern Estonia.

Sven Zacek / Wood sandpiper (Tringa glareola) regurgitating a pellet on the shore of a small lake, Southern Estonia, May.

Loic Poidevin / European roller (Coracias garrulus) regurgitating pellet perched on barbed wire fence, Alentero, Spain, April.

Loic Poidevin / Common kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) regurgitating pellet, Le Teich, Gironde, France, September.

David Tipling / 2020VISION / Reed warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) feeding twelve day old Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) chick at nest and removing faecal pellet, Norfolk, England, UK, May

Roger Powell / European bee-eater (Merops apiaster) opening its beak wide before ejecting a pellet from it. Guerreiro, Castro Verde, Alentejo, Portugal, May..

Michel Poinsignon / Eagle owl (Bubo bubo) pellet containing remains of its prey, Luxembourg. March.

Loic Poidevin / Common bee-eater (Merops apiaster) regurgitating pellet, Bouches du Rhone, France, May

Walter Soestbergen / European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) regurgitating pellet, France

Laurent Geslin / Great tit {Parus major} flying from nest hole in tree trunk carrying faecal pellet, UK

Eric Medard / Little owl (Athene noctua) coughing up a pellet, France, July

Eric Medard / Little owl (Athene noctua) coughing up a pellet, France, July

Eric Medard / Little owl (Athene noctua) during the day on a wall, coughing up a pellet, France, October

Eric Medard / Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) male coughing up pellet, France, June

Michel Poinsignon / Great tit (Parus major) flying flying from nest carrying faecal pellet, Lorraine, France, March.

Todd Mintz / Snowy owl (Bubo scandiaca) male expelling pellet on the Canadian prairie, Saskatchewan, Canada, March, sequence 3/3

Todd Mintz / Snowy owl (Bubo scandiaca) male expelling pellet on the Canadian prairie, Saskatchewan, Canada, March, sequence 2/3

Todd Mintz / Snowy owl (Bubo scandiaca) male expelling pellet on the Canadian prairie, Saskatchewan, Canada, March, sequence 1/3

Laurie Campbell / Tawny owl (Strix aluco) regurgitated pellet, Berwickshire, Scotland, October

Ingo Arndt / Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus) coming out of old pipe to feed on bait at whaling station for South Georgia Heritage Trust Rat Eradication Project, Grytviken, South Georgia Island

Ingo Arndt / Rat bait for South Georgia Heritage Trust Rat Eradication Project, South Georgia Island

Pete Oxford / Faecal pellet of Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) Wolf Volcano, Isabela Island, Galapagos

Andy Sands / Short Eared Owl (Asio flammeus) coughing up an owl pellet. Lincolnshire, England, UK, February.

Andy Sands / Short Eared Owl (Asio flammeus) coughing up an owl pellet. Lincolnshire, England, UK, February.

Murray Cooper / Ghost Crab (Ocypode sp) on beach surrounded by sand pellets which are by-products from the crab's feeding, Ecuador

Gerrit Vyn / Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) ejecting a pellet of indigestible insect parts. Anahuac NWR, Texas, USA

Adrian Davies / Regurgitated pellet of Tawny owl (Strix aluco) showing remains of prey, Sussex, England, UK

Tom Marshall / New Zealand / Sacred kingfisher (Todiramphus sancta vagans) ejecting pellet by regurgitating, Avon-Heathcote Estuary, Canterbury, New Zealand

Donald M. Jones / Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor) spitting up pellet, western Montana

Michel Poinsignon / Female Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) flying from nest hole carrying faecal pellet, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Male Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) flying from nest hole carrying faecal pellet, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Male Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) flying from nest hole carrying faecal pellet, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Male Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) flying from nest hole carrying faecal pellet, Lorraine, France

Michel Poinsignon / Great Tit (Parus major) coming out of nest hole carrying faecal pellet, Lorraine, France

Pete Oxford / Regurgitated bones of mammals from Harpy eagle nest (Harpia harpyja) Ecuador

Jose B. Ruiz / Fan-tailed warbler removes fecal pellet from nest {Cisticola juncidis} Spain

Jose B. Ruiz / Orphean warbler removed fecal pellet from chick {Sylvia hortensis} Alicante, Spain

Elio Della Ferrera / Common shrew bones {Sorex arabeus} found in pellet of Eurasian pygmy owl {Glaucidium passerinum}

Philippe Clement / Regurgitated Great horned owl pellets on taiga forest floor {Bubo virginianus} Denali NP, Alaska, USA.

Philippe Clement / Owl pellet showing wing cases of beetles, Belgium

Philippe Clement / Tawny owl pellet {Strix aluco} showing remains of mouse skeleton, Belgium

Philippe Clement / Tawny owl pellet {Strix aluco} showing remains of mouse skeleton, Belgium

Kim Taylor / Beetle {Byrrhus pilula} mimicing rabbit pellet. UK.

Kim Taylor / Kestrel {Falco tinnunculs} pellets containing mouse remains. UK.

Kim Taylor / Dor beetle {Typhaeus typhoeus} male with rabbit dropping / pellet. UK.

Pete Oxford / Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) recently regurgitated pellet from fledged seven month old wild chick containing claws and fur from a Two-toed Sloth, Cuyabeno Reserve, Amazon rainforest, Ecuador

Konrad Wothe / Barn Owl (Tyto alba) owl pellets made of regurgitated bones and fur, Germany

Mike Read / Regurgitated Pellets of Barn owl, Tawny owl, Short eared owl, Long eared owl and Little owl side-by-side for comparison

Niall Benvie / Common buzzard pellet {Buteo buteo} Beinn Eighe NNR, Scotland, UK

Mike Read / Contents of regurgitated Barn owl pellet {Tyto alba} UK. remains of woodmouse, vole, birds and short-tailed vole

Agustin Esmoris / Lesser Horned Owl (Bubo magellanicus) pellet, Argentina

Duncan Usher / Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) juvenile regurgitating pellet at nest box, Hesse, Germany

Duncan Usher / Eurasian Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) juvenile regurgitating pellet at nest box, Hesse, Germany

Michael Quinton / Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula) pellets, Alaska

Donald M. Jones / Mountain Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) regurgitating pellet, western Montana

Donald M. Jones / Mountain Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) regurgitating pellet, western Montana

Donald M. Jones / Mountain Pygmy-Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) regurgitating pellet, western Montana, sequence 1 of 3

Sumio Harada / American Pika (Ochotona princeps) collecting scat pellet from a Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata), Glacier National Park, Montana

Ingo Arndt / Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) pellet containing fish and dragonfly larva remains, Hessen, Germany

Premaphotos / Communal sphecid wasp (Trigonopsis sp) adding a pellet of mud to the outside of its communal nest on a tree in Amazonian rainforest, Brazil

Philippe Clement / Barn owl (Tyto alba) regurgitated pellets showing close-up detail of mouse skull, hair and bones found inside. Belgium

Philippe Clement / Barn owl (Tyto alba) regurgitated pellets showing close-up detail of mouse skull, hair and bones found inside. Belgium

Philippe Clement / Barn owl (Tyto alba) regurgitated pellets on hay bales in barn. Belgium

Philippe Clement / Barn owl (Tyto alba) regurgitated pellets showing bones and skulls of mice. Belgium.

Brian Bevan / Little owl (Athene noctua) coughing up pellet whilst perching on branch in meadow at dusk, Bedfordshire UK, June.

Neil Aldridge / Little bee-eater (Merops pusillus) perched. The animal regurgitates a pellet of indigestible insect parts. Okavango Delta, Botswana.

Steve Gettle / Little Bee-eater (Merops pusillus) regurgitating pellet, Samburu National Reserve, Kenya

Markus Varesvuo / Snowy owl (Bubo scandiaca) pellet, Canada January.

David Weiller / Bagworm moth caterpillar (Psychidae) defecating fecal pellet (frass) from its lower opening. The larvae lies hidden within its coccon casing, decorated with pieces of leaf to protect and disguise itse...

Matt Roseveare / White-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) stretching wings then regurgitating food pellet, River Kennal, Cornwall, UK, January.

Doug Gimesy / X-ray of a Pacific black duck (Anas superciliosa) showing ulna bone in wing shattered in 2 places from single pellet shot at Lake Leaghur in opening of hunting season. Bird rescued by Coalition Agains...

Eric Baccega / Long-eared owl chick regurgitating pellet (Asio otus) perched in tree. Alsace. France.

Alex Hyde / Owl pellet showing various rodent bones. Peak District National Park, Derbyshire, UK. June.

Michel Poinsignon / Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) female perched on branch regurgitating pellet, with bokeh and flare affect on river in the background, Lorraine, France, April

Andy Sands / Filamentous fungus (Phycomyces blakesleeanus) beginning to form on mouse dropping. Hertfordshire, England, UK. November. Focus stacked image.

Guy Edwardes / Bateleur (Terathopius ecaudatus) pair perched on branch, one coughing up pellet. Savuti, Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Edwin Giesbers / Researchers examining Raptor pellets to identify eaten prey. Part of a 60 year long-term study led by Fred Koning to monitor raptors and their nests in a 3,400 hectare area of coastal dunes. Near Amst...