ID Keys: Tiny size, grayish brown overall with speckling, diffuse
streaks on underparts
The Elf Owl is the smallest owl in the world. They have a relatively small
range, summering in southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, far southwestern
Texas, and parts of northern Mexico, and wintering in western Mexico.
In the U.S. portion of their range, they are most often found in the Sonoran
Desert, where they use woodpecker holes in saguaro cacti for nesting.
They also can be found in forested canyon areas. Due to their small
size, they are incapable of hunting most vertebrates, feeding very
heavily on insects, spiders, and scorpions.
Habitat
Elf Owls can be found in a variety of lowland habitats, but are most commonly found in saguaro areas of the Sonoran desert, and in forested canyons.
Diet
Mostly feeds on insects, scorpions and spiders. Much less commonly, they will feed on very small lizards or very small rodents.
Behavior
Nocturnal, typically only feeding right at dusk or at night. Elf Owls watch for prey from a perch and then fly out to capture prey when spotted. They can glean insects from foliage or stems of plants, but are also capable of capturing flying insects in mid-air.
Nesting
The nest of an Elf Owl is built in a cavity in a tree or large cactus, most often using an old woodpecker hole. The female alone incubates the eggs, but the male will bring her food during that time. Both parents will help to raise the young, but the male does nearly all the hunting for the first few weeks after the young hatch.
Song
The most commonly heard call of the Elf Owl is a crisp high yap, but they also have other calls, including a soft whistled mewing and a series of toots that ascend and then descend in pitch.
Migration
In the U.S. portion of its range, it is only a summer visitor, as birds move southward into Mexico relatively early in the fall. They are permanent residents throughout parts of their range in Mexico, particularly in Baja California.
Unlikely to be confused with other owls, if seen well. Possibly confused with Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl in range. The Elf Owl is the tiniest owl in North America, with a short tail, round head, pale facial discs, and quick moth-like flight; it lacks the bold rusty barring and longer-tailed, more upright look of the Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owls also show a proportionally heavier bill, a longer tail with obvious dark bands, and often perch conspicuously by day, while Elf Owls are more delicate, grayer, and strongly tied to saguaro deserts and sycamore canyons. Other small owls in the same region, such as the Northern Pygmy-Owl, are larger-headed, longer-tailed, and more heavily streaked below.
