Elf Owl

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The Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi) is a member of the family Strigidae that lives in the United States. It is the smallest owl, being about the same size as a sparrow.

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Range: Breeds from southeastern California, extreme southern Nevada, central Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and western and southern Texas south to Mexico. Winters in Mexico.

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Status: Common.

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Habitat: Prefers arid, low elevation desert areas overgrown with cacti, mesquite, and creosote bush, or with agave, ocotillo, and cactus desert scrub. Also inhabits riparian cottonwood and willow groves; mesquite floodplains; walnut, sycamore, and oak woodlands; and juniper, pinyon pine, and oak woodlands up to 7,000 feet in elevation. Avoids pure stands of pine, but will inhabit almost every other type of dry, woody vegetation.

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Special habitat requirements: Abandoned woodpecker holes for nesting.

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Nest: Nests in abandoned woodpecker holes, especially in saguaro cactus but also in agave bloom stalks, tree stumps, cottonwoods, mesquite, sycamore, pines, walnut oaks, or willows growing on mesas and desert slopes and in canyons. Nests generally 10 to 30 feet above the ground.

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These birds prey primarily on large insects, but they also eat scorpions and, rarely, lizards, snakes, and small birds.

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Family: :This article is about the human domestic group. For other uses, see Family (disambiguation)....

Strigidae: REDIRECT True owl...

United States: :For other uses, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation)....

Elf Owl related Images and Photos (experimental)

Owl	Owl	Elf (BD)	Elf (DVD)
Owl Totem	Owl Totem	Barn Owl	Owl in Tree
Spring Owl	Little Owl	Forest Owl	Eagle Owl Eyes