The first image of owls that comes to mind is of these large, eerie-looking birds, yet in addition to being little, owls are also really cute.
And one type of owl, the elf owl, is so little that it’s easy to mistake it for a tennis ball since it’s not much bigger than that.
Just as its name suggests, the elf owl is very tiny (for an owl of course). Actually, it is the smallest owl on Earth.
But you should never judge a book only by its cover, because even tinnier, this species of owl is just as an hard-hearted hunter as its more larger cousin – the great horned owl.
Native to the Southwestern United States, some areas in Mexico and Baja California, the elf owl can grow up to 6 inches and it weight up to one and half ounce. Yet, they are still able to catch prey almost as large as they are, like mouses or lizards. Nevertheless, spiders, beetles and crickets are on top of their menu.
In the United States, they favor the cozy sycamore trees for nesting, while in the arid regions of Mexico, they may be found in saguaro cacti.
In the spring, the females can lay up to four eggs, which hatch after 21 days. The mother and father are both caring for the chicks.
Elf owls migrate from the United States to Mexico in the fall, commencing at the beginning of October, and then come back for the breeding season in late February or early March.
More about these lovely owls in the video below!
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