Wild Relatives: The teeny, tiny elf owl
Editor’s note: Our Wild Relatives story series will explore the connections between our local wildlife species and related animals from around the globe. By learning about these exotic species, we hope to foster appreciation for the remarkable creatures that live in our backyards and neighborhoods.
If you are lucky enough to spot a tiny owl here in Illinois, it's probably either a northern saw-whet owl or an eastern screech owl. But small as these owls may be, the two smallest owls in Illinois stand much taller than the elf owl.
The elf owl is the smallest raptor species in the world. It's about the size of a sparrow. These little birds stand just 4.5 inches to 5.5 inches tall with a wingspan of up to 13 inches. They weigh between 1 ounce and 2 ounces. That’s less than a tennis ball!
How does that compare to Illinois' smallest owl species, the northern saw-whet owl? Saw-whet owls are small by owl standards, but still larger than elf owls. They stand 7 inches to 8 inches tall with a wingspan measuring 16.5 inches to 19 inches. They weigh more than twice as much as the elf owl, between 2.3 ounces and 5.3 ounces.
Tiny but familiar
Aside from their small size, elf owls look a lot like other owls you might be familiar with. Their plumage is mottled brown, gray, rufous (rusty colored) and white. They have white eyebrows and a white stripe above their wings, and their eyes are yellow.
Elf owls have a flat, disk-like face. They do not have ear tufts like great horned owls and some other owl species. This makes their heads appear rounded.
Desert dwellers
We think of owls as birds of the forest, and elf owls tend to fit this description. Like some of our most common owls, including great horned owls and barred owls, they prefer woodlands. However, their preferred woodlands are far from Illinois.
Words to know
Invertebrate: An animal that lacks a spinal column.
Plumage: The feathers of a bird.
Tuft: A small cluster of hair or feathers.
Elf owls live in the dry, arid climate of the southwestern United States as well as parts of Mexico. They are migratory, but they migrate only short distances. The elf owls that spend breeding season in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico migrate to southern Mexico for the winter. In addition, there is a population that lives in Mexico's Baja California year-round.
Like other migratory birds, elf owls that migrate do so for access to food. In the northern parts of their range, winters are too cold for insects to be active, so they must travel south for a steady food supply.
In their range, elf owls live in a variety of woodland habitats. They typically nest in tree cavities, but they will also sometimes use holes in large cacti or nesting boxes. They also roost in tree and cacti cavities during the day.
On the hunt
Even small owls typically hunt mammals and birds, but elf owls mostly stick to hunting insects and other invertebrates. Commonly hunted prey include beetles, crickets, moths, cicadas, grasshoppers, katydids, bees, wasps, centipedes and scorpions. They also occasionally hunt small rodents, lizards and snakes.
To hunt, they sit on a low perch and use their excellent vision and hearing to find prey below. They can snatch insects out of the air while in flight, but they also sometimes chase prey across the ground. When they catch scorpions or insects with stingers, they are able to remove the stingers before eating them. They are most active at dusk and dawn, but they will also hunt during the night.
Because of their small size, elf owls are hunted by larger owls as well as coyotes, bobcats, ringtails, snakes and more. However, they can often keep themselves safe from predators by roosting in cavities in cacti. When they are caught, they will sometimes play dead to escape danger.
They don't give a hoot
Elf owls don't hoot. Instead, their high-pitched song is said to sound like a barking puppy. The males also use a yapping call to establish the territory around their nests.
Once paired for mating, the female will lay a clutch of one to five eggs, although usually three. The female handles all incubation duties. She will sit on the eggs for about 24 days while the male brings her food.
After hatching, the male continues feeding duties, bringing food for his mate and the owlets. After a few weeks, the female will join in to help with hunting for food for the owlets. The owlets leave the nest after about a month, but the parents will continue to care for them for several more days before they can fully take care of themselves.
Elf owls remain common across much of their range, but their population has been declining. Among the threats to their population are habitat loss caused by development and agricultural, grazing and mining activity.
