Elf Owl, Miller Canyon, Arizona

As night falls, an elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi) hunts from a perch in the woods of Miller Canyon at the base of the Huachuca Mountains in southern Arizona. The elf owl is the smallest owl in the Sonoran Desert, about the size of a sparrow and weighing just 1.4 ounces. The owl can see well in low light, but can catch prey in complete darkness by pinpointing it with its ears. The elf owl feeds primarily on invertebrates, such as moths, crickets, scorpions, centipedes and beetles.

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Image Size: 5472x3650 / 5.9MB; Micrathene whitneyi elf owl owl night bird Miller Canyon Arizona wildlife nature perch perched
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As night falls, an elf owl (Micrathene whitneyi) hunts from a perch in the woods of Miller Canyon at the base of the Huachuca Mountains in southern Arizona. The elf owl is the smallest owl in the Sonoran Desert, about the size of a sparrow and weighing just 1.4 ounces. The owl can see well in low light, but can catch prey in complete darkness by pinpointing it with its ears. The elf owl feeds primarily on invertebrates, such as moths, crickets, scorpions, centipedes and beetles.