Birds › Typical Owls
Elf Owl
Micrathene whitneyi
25 photos
Study shows up to four per card, from different observers, so you learn the species rather than one picture. Heart the good ones and swap any you do not like.
Photos you add are credited to you, and you keep the copyright.
Sounds
- Recording by Ryan Douglas (XC1005246). CC-BY-SA · Source
Easily confused with
Ferruginous Pygmy-OwlGlaucidium brasilianum
Western Screech-OwlMegascops kennicottii
Eastern Screech-OwlMegascops asio
Burrowing OwlAthene cunicularia
Tropical Screech-OwlMegascops choliba
Study checks a spoken answer against these, and tells you which one you named.
Where it is recorded
| United States | 31,717 |
|---|---|
| Arizona | 21,577 |
| Texas | 9,303 |
| New Mexico | 804 |
| Mexico | 165 |
| Baja California Sur | 31 |
| Nuevo Leon | 25 |
| California | 19 |
| Aguascalientes | 17 |
| Puebla | 16 |
Counts show where people looked, not only where it lives.
Traits
Behavioral
- CarnivoreEats other animals or animal-derived prey as a major part of its diet.Inferred from its group
- NocturnalActive primarily at nightChecked by the maintainer
Group and habits
- PredatorDescends from an animal lineage whose members commonly hunt other animals.Inferred from its group
- Tree nestingListed by a harvested source as nesting in trees.BIRDBASE avian traits database
- Invertebrate eaterListed by a harvested source as primarily eating invertebrates.BIRDBASE avian traits database
- Cavity nestingListed by a harvested source as nesting in cavities.BIRDBASE avian traits database
Classification
| Kingdom | Animals · Animalia |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Chordates · Chordata |
| Class | Birds · Aves |
| Order | Owls · Strigiformes |
| Family | Typical Owls · Strigidae |
| Genus | Micrathene |
Study it in a deck
Or build your own from the species near you.
Sources
- Names, taxonomy and observation counts: www.inaturalist.org
- Photos and recordings: the creator and source are on each one.
- Traits: BIRDBASE avian traits database (CC BY 4.0)
- How much to rely on each source
Remember the name next time.
Practise Elf Owl with real photos from different observers and its recordings. Say the name out loud, and it comes back just before you would forget it.