In raptor health terms, a casting is what?

• A. Pellets
• B. Regurgitated indigestible material
• C. Regurgitated edible material
• D. Fecal matter

Answer: (B)

A casting is the regurgitated mass of indigestible material that a raptor spits up. After a meal, parts the bird can’t digest—fur, bones, feathers—are compacted in the stomach into a pellet and then regurgitated through the beak. It’s not feces and it’s not edible regurgitated material. People examine castings to learn about what the bird has been eating and to monitor health, since the contents can reveal diet details and potential health issues. Pellets are the same regurgitated mass, but the key idea is that a casting is the regurgitated indigestible matter.