Elf owl is the world’s smallest owl. It lives in the southwest United States and in Mexico. The elf owl grows to about 5 to 5 ½ inches (12.5 to 14 centimeters) in length. It weighs around 1.6 ounces (45 grams).
The elf owl has a small body and large, yellow eyes. It has a grayish-brown back mottled with tan and white marks above its eyes. Its underside is grayish-white with brown streaks on the chest.
The elf owl lives in deserts and forests, as well as in some towns and suburbs. It nests in trees and cactuses, in holes made by woodpeckers and other birds.
The elf owl is nocturnal (active at night). It mostly eats insects. It sometimes eats lizards and other small vertebrates (animals with backbones). Such animals as large birds of prey and snakes eat elf owls.
The female elf owl begins laying eggs in April or May. She usually lays about 3 eggs per clutch. Chicks hatch after 21 to 24 days. Young chicks are covered in white down. Elf owls can live up to about five years in the wild.
