ELF OWLS

BY SOFIA

MEET THE ELF OWL

Elf owls are one of many different types of owls. These tiny birds stand at about 5 inches tall! Although, they’re small size doesn’t stop them from being excellent hunters. A fairly decent night vision helps them capture insects at night. Elf owls are also not so picky about what they live in. In addition, this owl’s scientific name is Micrathene whitneyi, and its name, elf owl, means “little owl” in Greek.

THE ELF OWL’S DIET

The tiny elf owl mainly feeds on small lizards, locusts, grasshoppers, beetles, moths, crickets, caterpillars, mantids, centipedes, cicadas, and fly larvae. Occasionally, they might pick on a mouse or very small bird for a meal. But how do these little birds catch their prey? Well, the elf owl simply waits for night to come and then emerges from the darkness. The owl mostly relies on its good sense of hearing to identify prey because its night vision is not as well as other owls’.

THE ELF OWL’S HABITAT

Where do elf owls live? Elf owls live in the Sonoran Desert Region or where there are many saguaro cacti. The saguaro cacti, old woodpecker holes, and natural tree cavities provide what seems to be “home, sweet home” to the owls. The owls live in the desert until winter. In winter, the owls migrate to Arizona. When winter’s over, the owls fly back home.

The elf owl lives in desert-like habitats.

THE ELF OWLS LIFE

The elf owl’s lifespan in the wild is up to 3-6 years. But when the owl is in captivity it lives up to 6-10 years. When the female owl finally lays her eggs one day, she has a nest with 2-4 white, round eggs to incubate. The incubation time period is about 24 days. Then, the owlets hatch and stay in the nest for about 30 days. The nest is about 15 feet high, which is slightly vulnerable.

SPECIAL FEATURES

How do you identify the elf owl? By looking at its special features of course! The elf owl is a greyish brownish color to help camouflage itself. They have what seems to be whitish “eyebrows” and they also have a round head with no ear tufts. In addition, elf owls have pale yellow eyes and a grey beak.

Yellow Eyes

Greyish Color

Grey Beak

Brownish Color

THE END