Elf Owl
Micrathene whitneyi
One of the smallest owls in the world, about the size of a sparrow. Patterned with rufous, gray, and white. Most similar in plumage to Flammulated Owl, but note the Elf Owl's white eyebrows, yellow eyes, tiny size, and habitat. Found in brushy woodlands and surrounding desert, where they nest in natural cavities or abandoned woodpecker holes in trees and cacti. Nocturnal; most easily found by listening for call around dusk: a descending whiny chuckle or single mewing note. Migrates south to Mexico for the winter.
Identification
The elf owl is the world's lightest owl, although the long-whiskered owlet and the Tamaulipas pygmy owl are of a similarly diminutive length. It is also the world's smallest owl. The mean body weight of this species is 40 g (1.4 oz). These tiny owls are 12.5 to 14.5 cm (4.9 to 5.7 in) long and have a wingspan of about 27 cm (10.5 in). Their primary projection (flight feather) extends nearly past their tail. They have fairly long legs and often appear bow-legged.<p>They are often found in chaparral, and are easily found during their breeding season. During dusk and just before dawn are the times this owl is most active, when they can often be heard calling to one another in a high-pitched whinny or chuckle. These songs often consist of 5–7 notes that repeat in short duration, similar to the sound of a young puppy. The distinctive vocalizations of elf owls vary according to sex, with males exhibiting a wider repertoire of complex notes as opposed to females of the same species. Males have two primary classifications of songs, each of which share similar characteristics of structure and function. Most avian observers refer to "Class A" songs to describe those that vary in length (generally 5–15 notes), and are used as both territorial proclamation and to herald the arrival of males to females in the area. While Class A tones reflect changes in environmental factors — wind, precipitation, moonlight, and temperature — Class B songs have significantly less variation among individuals. Class B functions as the primary mating call, stimulating females and encouraging them to accept male sexual advances. As the season goes on and mating begins, Class A songs are observed with lower frequency than Class B. There are also a handful of locational, so-called "scolding", and territorial songs belonging to both male and female birds of the elf owl species.
Taxonomy
The elf owl was formally described in 1861 by the American naturalist James Graham Cooper from a specimen collected near Fort Mohave in Arizona. He coined the binomial name Athene whitneyi, choosing the specific epithet to honour the geologist Josiah Whitney. The owl is now the only species placed in the genus Micrathene that was introduced in 1866 specifically for the elf owl by American ornithologist Elliott Coues. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek mikros meaning "small" and the genus name Athene that had been introduced by Friedrich Boie in 1822.<p>A molecular phylogenetic study of the owls published in 2019 found that the elf owl is a sister species to the South American long-whiskered owlet (Xenoglaux loweryi) that was first described in 1977.<p>Four subspecies are recognized:<p>M. w. idonea, the subspecies in southernmost Texas to central Mexico, is resident, as are the isolated M. w. sanfordi of southernmost Baja California and M. w. graysoni (Socorro elf owl) of Socorro Island, southwest from the tip of Baja California. The Socorro elf owl has not been recorded since 1931 and is assumed to be extinct.
- Scientific name
- Micrathene whitneyi
- Authority
- (Cooper, JG, 1861)
- Order
- Strigiformes
- Family
- Strigidae
- Genus
- Micrathene
Range and habitat
The elf owl is known to migrate in large groups, with patterns of migration varying depending on flock and habitat location. Some broods of elf owl migrate to the southwest United States (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) in the spring and summer for breeding. In the winter, it is found in central and southern Mexico. Migrant elf owls return north in mid-April to early May. Resident populations occur in a couple of places in south central Mexico and along the Baja peninsula.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Migration pattern: Complete migrants.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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