Are pellets important for birds?

At first it may seem that birds only cough up pellets in order to get rid of the unwanted parts of their meal. It may also seem that this uncomfortable process may hurt the bird, but it actually is helpful. It is believed that the pellet helps to clean the upper part of the digestive system, or esophagus. Captive raptors that are fed boneless meat or hamburger are not as healthy as captive raptors that are given their food whole, such as a mouse.