An owl elf [1] , or a cactus owl [1] ( lat. Micrathene whitneyi ) is a small owl native to North America .
| Owl elf |
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| Scientific classification |
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| No rank : | Bilateral symmetrical |
| Gender: | Elf Owls ( Micrathene Coues , 1866 ) |
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| International scientific name |
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Micrathene whitneyi JG Cooper , 1861 |
| Security status |
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Least ConcernedIUCN 3.1 Least Concern : 22689325 |
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The species was described in 1861 by the American surgeon and naturalist James Graham Cooper ( William Cooper ) (1830-1902). The owl received a specific epithet in honor of Josiah Dwight Whitney ( English Josiah Whitney ) (1819–1896), a prominent American geologist and founder of the Harvard School of Mining. In Mexico, this owl is called "enano".
A tiny owl, body length about 12-14 cm, weight - about 44 g. The landing of the body is vertical. The elf owl has a relatively large head, no “ears”. Weak beak and weak paws. The wings are rounded, long; wingspan on average 37-38 cm. In a short tail (length 4.5-5.3 cm), unlike other owls, 10 tail feathers. Feet covered with bristly feathers. The color is grayish-brown with buffy or whitish marks (some primary and secondary feathers may have white tips, due to which white dots appear on the back); on the stomach white with reddish-brown stains; the collar is white or brown. On the tail there are 3-5 light red or brown horizontal stripes. An interrupted white line follows from the shoulder along the back, the same line goes along the edge of the wing. The head and especially the “face” can be much lighter than the rest of the plumage. The color is more brown on the back and more orange on the head, chest and stomach. There are yellow dots around the beak, along the edges of the wings and on the forehead. Above the eyes are white eyebrows. The rainbow is lemon yellow, the beak and claws are pale brown or gray, the base of the beak can be of different colors. In young birds, the color is not so colorful, there are no spots and the “face” is more gray.
Elf owls have weak legs and claws, which makes hunting very difficult. Usually they feed only on insects: grasshoppers , locusts , moths , larvae of flies, caterpillars , millipedes and cicadas , as well as scorpions and spiders . If the scorpion is intended for the chick, the parent first removes the sting and then feeds the scorpion to the chick. Elf owls hunt at dawn and sunset, at dusk, and never in the afternoon. Their flight is a bit like flying bats and in flight they are very maneuverable, therefore they prefer to hunt on the fly. The feathers of the owl-elves are located not like that of other owls, and do not allow them to fly silently, but they do not need it. They scare insects, forcing them to fly, and then peck them. From time to time, owls hunt on the ground, pecking insects from trees or the ground. Sometimes birds fly up to campfires or other bright light in search of flying insects. Before eating prey, the owls carry it to the shelter, where they tear it into pieces, and then eat it. The ridges are small, dry and shapeless. They mainly contain parts of insect bodies and often fall apart soon after the bird has thrown them away. Elf owls are not very aggressive and prefer to fly away from danger rather than fight. In captivity, the elf owls lived up to 5 years.
In mid-April, male elf owls begin to sing at night, attracting potential mates to the nesting site. When two owls are paired, the female immediately perches in the selected nest to prevent it from being occupied by other birds. The entrance to the nest is located at a height of 2 to 10 meters. In April - May, the owls lay 2 to 5 eggs (most often 3) with an interval of 1-3 days. Hatching begins with the second egg and lasts 21-24 days. Unlike other types of owls, the female elf-owl sometimes hunts at night during the incubation period, at this time its partner takes care of the eggs. A female feeds the chicks, but the male brings her food. In the midst of hunting, the male can bring food very often, about once a minute. Plumage in chicks appears on 28-33 days. It is difficult for predators to get to the nests of elf owls, so they have the highest breeding percentage among all North American owls. Of all the laid eggs, 70% of the chicks survive to plumage. This is due to the fact that it is difficult for predators to get to the nests, especially those that are in cacti.
Sych-elf lives in desert, arid territories, on coastal wooded areas and adjacent plateaus from 600 to 2200 meters above sea level. They live in gorges, canyons, plateaus, and on mountain slopes. Their range is the southwestern United States ( Arizona , California , New Mexico ) and Mexico ( Baja California ). The habitats of elf owls are closely related to the giant saguaro cacti. In the hollows of these cacti, located at a height of two or more meters from the ground, the owls nest. Sometimes together with other small owls and woodpeckers , which hollow out these nests. Such a neighborhood is forced - the owl itself cannot hollow out the nest due to the weak beak. However, if an owl finds a nest in some other tree, it can also settle in it. Nests of elf owls were found in mesquite trees ( English Mesquite ), oaks , plane trees , walnuts , pines . Sometimes birds settle in hollows, which hollowed woodpeckers in telephone poles.
