The Elf Owl stands at no more than six inches tall, weighing less than an ounce and a half. That’s about the weight of a golf ball! However, don’t let their size fool you. Elf Owls are ruthless hunters. As dusk arrives, it emerges from the hollow of a tree, in the hunt for creatures such as beetles, spiders, crickets, along with the occasional lizard or mouse, and every so often, even larger prey such as scorpions, may be stored, stingers off, in the Elf Owls nest, for future consumption.
Like other owls, Elf Owls are silent yet deadly, with their wings producing a chilling, rushing sound, due to their airflow, as they soar above the skies. These sounds are minimized by the little extensions on the front edge of their wings, and a bunch of feathers on the rear end, breaking its airflow. This, along with legs that absorb residual noise, allows the owl to sneak up on their prey, leaving critters with no idea what’s coming, till it’s too late.
Image Credit: Jordan Crouch
These owls can be found in environments such as the woods, or drier desert cactus environments, in Southwest Texas and Southern Arizona, commonly nesting in woodpecker holes. However, in October, these owls leave the United States, for the warm latitudes of Mexico, where there is an abundance of insects, even during winter. As spring arrives early for the American Southwest, the little owls return around late February or early March, ready to begin their nesting season. During this, female owls deposit one to four little eggs, with a hatching time of three weeks. Once hatched, the male brings food for the female and their chicks, and eventually the female also starts hunting to feed their expanding family.
Image Credit; Joshua Stewart
Image Credit: James Tozer
Between flight or fight, Elf Owls prefer the former, however they will occasionally choose the latter, as predators such as great horned owls have been mobbed by groups of them! This is done by a few Elf Owls dive-bombing the larger owl, producing alarming sounds that call other birds to join in, and with its cover broken, the larger owls chances of an Elf Owl dinner have come to a halt. The strategic Elf Owl also plays dead sometimes as a predator starts to get too close, and only awakes when the threat is gone.
