Elf owls, the smallest owls in North America, are summer residents of the Sonoran Desert in southern Arizona; some inhabit the Chihuahuan Desert of southernmost New Mexico while others breed in dry country along the Rio Grande River of southern Texas. Less than six inches tall, these tiny raptors are best identified by their yellow eyes, white eyebrows and round, tuftless head.
Calling from a potential nest cavity in April, the male attracts his mate and both parents incubate the eggs (usually 2-4) for several weeks. Nest cavities, always more than ten feet from the ground, are abandoned woodpecker holes in saguaro cacti or in sycamores along streams near the base of mountain ranges; gila woodpeckers usually sculpt the saguaro cavities while flickers and acorn woodpeckers provide those in riparian areas. Strictly nocturnal, elf owls feed primarily on flying insects but may grab a scorpion or ground beetle; during the breeding season, they are often active at dusk but are otherwise best observed within their cavity during the daylight hours.
Relying on a diet of insects, these small owls migrate southward into Mexico for the winter, when chilly nights eliminate their prey in the Desert Southwest. Since they inhabit arid landscape with few larger owls, roost in cavities far from the ground and capture their meals in mid-air, elf owls have few natural predators and may live up to six years in the wild.
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