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Elf Owl

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Conservation
Scientific name: Micrathene whitneyi
Family name: Strigidae

Are they endangered? They are not endangered worldwide [IUCN Redlist Least concern]  They are yellow-listed in the 2007 National Audubon Society Watchlist which means that their numbers are decreasing and conservation efforts should be made.

Elf Owl

What are their past/present problems?  Habitat loss is a concern for the Elf Owl.  This means that people are destroying the areas in which they live by making farms or having animals graze on the land.  In some areas, houses are being built on their land.

What do they look like?  Elf Owls have a small round head and a short tail. They are mostly brown with white spots on their bellies and wing edges.  They have yellow eyes.

How big are they?  Elf Owls are about 5 inches long.  If they are spread out, their wings are about 15 inches wide.

How many eggs do they lay?  The female Elf Owl lays between 1 and 5 white eggs once a year. The eggs hatch in 24 days.

How long do the fledglings stay in the nest?  Their nests are in holes in trees, in telephone/ electricity poles, or in big cactuses.  Ouch! The young birds [fledglings] stay in the nest for 28 days.
When do they hunt?  They hunt during the night. (nocturnal)
What do they eat?  They eat insects, spiders, scorpions, and beetles.
Where do they live?  They live in Mexico and the United States.

What kind of place do they like to live in?  They like low desert places, bottom of mountains, and canyons.
Interesting facts:
Elf Owls are the smallest kind of owl in the world.
Elf Owls have very good hearing so that they can find their prey in the dark.
They like to live in tree holes that woodpeckers used and left.
They play ‘dead’ when they are in danger.

Works Cited:

Alderfer, Jonathan.  Complete Birds of North America.  Washington, D.C.:  National Geographic, 2006.

Alsop, Fred.  Birds of North America.  New York:  DK Publishing, 2001.

Chitwood, Phillip.  “Re: Picture Donation.” [Elf Owl]  E-mail to Club Web.  11 Feb. 2008.

Elf owl.  21 Feb. 2008.  <http://audubon2.org/watchlist/viewSpecies.jsp?id=77>.

Elf owl.  14 Nov. 2007.  <http://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Elf%20Owl.htm>.

Lloyd, Glenys.  Birds of prey.  NY:  Grosset & Dunlap, 1970.

 Micrathene whitneyi.  14 Nov. 2007.  <http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/48583/all>.

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