Elf Owl Photograph with Sound Recording
(This page loads a background mp3 sound recording)
Photo by Greg Clark
A migratory owl,
the Elf Owl leaves its winter home in Mexico and arrives in Arizona
in the spring, where it inhabits both desert and oak-sycamore
habitats. The smallest owl in the world, the Elf Owl is a cavity
nester in saguaro cactus in the desert and trees in upland habitat.
During the day it can hide in its cavity, or remain motionless
in thick foliage, and remain unseen. Like all cavity nesters,
this owl must compete with other cavity nesting birds for the
limited number of suitable nesting cavities. If the number of
cavities is reduced it can put a lot of pressure on this bird.
Perhaps because of habitat loss in California and Texas the Elf
Owl population has fallen to the point that they are rare. In
Arizona, saguaro cactus are protected and this has maintained
a cavity supply in the desert, although the competition for the
cavities will remain high.
Copyright Greg Clark, 2002
update 8/2012
