The cute little elf owl peers from a hole in a sycamore tree at nightfall in West Texas, known as the world’s smallest owl, standing less than 6 inches tall and weighing less than an ounce and a half—about the size of a tiny golf ball.
The elf owl, a skilled nocturnal hunter, emerges from its hollow at night to prey on crickets, beetles, spiders, lizards, and mice.
The elf owl fearlessly preys on venomous creatures like scorpions, storing them in its nest after removing their stingers for future meals. Found in woodland and desert cactus habitats of Southwest Texas and Southern Arizona, the elf owl typically nests in woodpecker holes within saguaro cacti in desert regions.
Despite their apparent silence, elf owls are deadly hunters. Their wings create a rushing sound as air passes over them. Females lay 1-4 eggs in spring, which hatch in three weeks. Initially, the father owl hunts for the mother and chicks, with the mother eventually joining in.
Elf owls evade predators like great-horned owls by fleeing or feigning death. In October, they migrate from the United States to Mexico for warmer temperatures and plentiful insects. By spring, these charming owls return to Southwest America for nesting.
