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Elf Owl

Micrathene whitneyi

Bird · family Strigidae · order Strigiformes

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G4: apparently secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Elf Owl
Photo: BBODO, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Not listed[1]
NatureServe global rank
G4 Apparently Secure[2]
Native in
4 states[3]
Oldest known wild bird
5 years[4]

The Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi) is a small bird in the owl family Strigidae[5]. It is not listed under the US Endangered Species Act and NatureServe records it as native in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas[1][3].

Conservation status

The Elf Owl is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G4, Apparently Secure, worldwide[2]. In the United States the breeding rank is N5B, Secure (breeding)[6]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[7]. It is also on the federal list of birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Not listed
NatureServe global rank[2] G4 (Apparently Secure)
NatureServe US rank[6] N5B (Secure (breeding))
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[7] Least concern
Migratory Bird Treaty Act[8] Protected
CITES (international trade)[9] Appendix II

Where Elf Owl lives

NatureServe lists the Elf Owl as native in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas[3]. It is ranked as possibly gone from Nevada[10]. NatureServe also gives each state its own conservation rank[11]. Online observation records come most often from Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, California and Utah, but those counts follow where people look, not how many owls there are[12].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: not recordedMEWisconsin: not recordedWIVermont: not recordedVTNew Hampshire: not recordedNHWashington: not recordedWAIdaho: not recordedIDMontana: not recordedMTNorth Dakota: not recordedNDMinnesota: not recordedMNIllinois: not recordedILMichigan: not recordedMINew York: not recordedNYMassachusetts: not recordedMAOregon: not recordedORNevada: extirpated or possibly extirpated, state rank SHNVWyoming: not recordedWYSouth Dakota: not recordedSDIowa: not recordedIAIndiana: not recordedINOhio: not recordedOHPennsylvania: not recordedPANew Jersey: not recordedNJConnecticut: not recordedCTRhode Island: not recordedRICalifornia: native, state rank S1CAUtah: not recordedUTColorado: not recordedCONebraska: not recordedNEMissouri: not recordedMOKentucky: not recordedKYWest Virginia: not recordedWVVirginia: not recordedVAMaryland: not recordedMDDelaware: not recordedDEArizona: native, state rank S5AZNew Mexico: native, state rank S3B,S3NNMKansas: not recordedKSArkansas: not recordedARTennessee: not recordedTNNorth Carolina: not recordedNCSouth Carolina: not recordedSCDistrict of Columbia: not recordedDCOklahoma: not recordedOKLouisiana: not recordedLAMississippi: not recordedMSAlabama: not recordedALGeorgia: not recordedGAHawaii: not recordedHITexas: native, state rank S4BTXFlorida: not recordedFLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[11].
Show state ranks (5 states)
StateRankMeaning
ArizonaS5Secure
CaliforniaS1Critically Imperiled
NevadaSHPossibly Extirpated
New MexicoS3B,S3NVulnerable (breeding), Vulnerable (nonbreeding)
TexasS4BApparently Secure (breeding)

Habitat

NatureServe records three habitat types for the Elf Owl: hardwood woodland, desert and riparian areas, which are the green strips along streams[13]. In California it nests in riparian forest[14]. In southern Arizona and New Mexico it also nests in desert-wash woodland and evergreen woodland[14]. In Texas it uses desert, canyon forest and evergreen woodland[14].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[13]

Size, diet and lifespan

The Elf Owl is about 15 cm (6 in) long and typically weighs about 41 g[15][16]. It eats mostly insects and other invertebrates, and moths, beetles and crickets are the main foods[17][18]. It waits on a low perch and grabs prey in the air or on the ground[17]. Now and then it takes small lizards, small snakes or young kangaroo rats[17]. The most common clutch is three eggs[19]. The longest recorded lifespan is 14 years in captivity, and the oldest known wild bird was at least 5 years 11 months old[20][4].

Trait Value
Typical length[15] 15 cm (6 in)
Typical adult weight[16] 41 g (1.4 oz)
Longest recorded lifespan (AnAge)[20] 14 years (captivity)
Oldest known wild bird (banding)[4] 5 years 11 months
Litter or clutch size[21] 2
Gestation or incubation[22] 24 days
Female maturity[23] 365 days (about 1.0 years)
Food habits[24] Invertivore
Migration[25] non-migrant, local migrant, long-distance migrant

Estimated diet composition (EltonTraits 1.0)[18]

  • 100% invertebrates

When to look for it

The Elf Owl is active at night and around dusk and dawn[26]. Birds that breed along the US and Mexico border are migratory and spend winter in western Mexico[27]. They usually return in March and leave between late September and early October[27]. Eggs are laid from early May through early June, mostly in late May[19]. Online records peak in April, May and June[28].

January: 3 recordsJanFebruary: 14 recordsFebMarch: 2,423 recordsMarApril: 8,302 recordsAprMay: 7,737 recordsMayJune: 2,942 recordsJunJuly: 2,073 recordsJulAugust: 1,023 recordsAugSeptember: 279 recordsSepOctober: 53 recordsOctNovember: 9 recordsNovDecember: 10 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[28].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January3
February14
March2,423
April8,302
May7,737
June2,942
July2,073
August1,023
September279
October53
November9
December10

Where to see it

National Park Service species lists record Elf Owl as present in 15 park units[29]. Present means the park has a confirmed record, not that sightings are common.

States with the most GBIF observation records: Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, California, Utah[12]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Elf Owl endangered?
No. It is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1]. NatureServe ranks it G4, Apparently Secure[2].
Where does the Elf Owl live?
NatureServe lists it as native in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas[3].
What does the Elf Owl eat?
It feeds mostly on invertebrates, especially moths, beetles and crickets[17][18].
How big is the Elf Owl?
It is about 15 cm (6 in) long and typically weighs about 41 g[15][16].
How long does the Elf Owl live?
The longest recorded lifespan is 14 years in captivity[20]. The oldest known wild bird was at least 5 years 11 months old[4].

Facts and sources

  1. Elf Owl is not listed as endangered or threatened under the US Endangered Species Act in USFWS ECOS data (checked 2026-10-30). USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Elf Owl: G4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Elf Owl as native in 4 US states and territories: Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas. NatureServe Explorer
  4. Oldest known wild Elf Owl from US and Canadian bird banding records: at least 5 years 11 months old (USGS Bird Banding Laboratory). USGS Bird Banding Lab
  5. Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi) is a bird in the family Strigidae, order Strigiformes. NatureServe Explorer
  6. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5B (Secure (breeding)). NatureServe Explorer
  7. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  8. Elf Owl is on the federal list of migratory birds protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (50 CFR 10.13). eCFR, 50 CFR 10.13
  9. CITES listing recorded by NatureServe: Appendix II (controls on international trade). NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe ranks Elf Owl as extirpated or possibly extirpated (SX or SH) in: Nevada. NatureServe Explorer
  11. NatureServe state ranks for Elf Owl (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  12. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Elf Owl: Arizona, Texas, New Mexico, California, Utah. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF
  13. Habitat types NatureServe records for Elf Owl: Woodland - hardwood, Desert, Riparian. NatureServe Explorer
  14. NatureServe notes on habitat for Elf Owl. NatureServe Explorer
  15. Typical length recorded by NatureServe: 15 cm (6 in). NatureServe Explorer
  16. Typical adult weight recorded by NatureServe: 41 g (1.4 oz). NatureServe Explorer
  17. NatureServe notes on food for Elf Owl. NatureServe Explorer
  18. Estimated diet composition in EltonTraits 1.0: 100% invertebrates. EltonTraits 1.0
  19. NatureServe notes on reproduction for Elf Owl. NatureServe Explorer
  20. Maximum recorded lifespan in AnAge: 14 years in captivity. This is a record, not a typical lifespan. AnAge
  21. Typical litter or clutch size in AnAge: 2. AnAge
  22. Gestation or incubation period in AnAge: 24 days. AnAge
  23. Age at female sexual maturity in AnAge: 365 days (about 1.0 years). AnAge
  24. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Invertivore. NatureServe Explorer
  25. NatureServe migration category for Elf Owl: non-migrant, local migrant, long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  26. Adult activity patterns recorded by NatureServe: Nocturnal, Crepuscular. NatureServe Explorer
  27. NatureServe notes on migration for Elf Owl. NatureServe Explorer
  28. GBIF observation records of Elf Owl in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  29. NPSpecies park lists recording Elf Owl as present (list on this page). NPS NPSpecies

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: BBODO, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.