Raptors and owls regularly cast pellets. Other than these groups of birds, kingfishers, bee-eaters, herons and shrikes similarly do so. These are carnivorous birds that swallow their prey together with bones, scales, feathers, furs, etc. The flesh is easily digested but the harder parts that are indigestible are compacted in the crop into a pellet and regurgitated a short time after eating.
A summary of pellet casting has been compiled in Wang, L. K., M. Chan, Y. M. Chan, G. C. Tan & Y. C. Wee, 2009. Pellet-casting by non-raptorial birds of Singapore. Nature in Singapore, 2: 97–106. [A PDF copy can be downloaded HERE].
Jeremiah Loei’s video clip of the Blue-eared Kingfisher (Alcedo meninting) is a new addition to BESG’s documentation of the phenomenon on kingfishers since 2006.
Kingfishers casting pellets posted in this website since 2006 include;
1. Collared Kingfisher (Todiramphus chloris) LINK.
2. Common Kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) LINK.
3. Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher (Ceyx erithaca) LINK 1 and LINK 2.
4. Ruddy Kingfisher (Halcyon coromanda) LINK 1 and LINK 2.
5. Stork-billed Kingfisher (Pelargopsis capensis) LINK.
6. Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) LINK.
Jeremiah Loei
Singapore
February 2014
