Elf Owl
Elf Owl has no long-term trend on record.
About the Elf Owl
The Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi) is a North American member of the Owls (Strigidae). In this analysis it is grouped with the birds of prey.
- Size
- 5–27.5 in long (13–70 cm) — a nocturnal raptor (typical for the family)
- Habitat
- Open country, woodlands, cliffs and wetlands, hunting from the air or a high perch.
- Diet
- Live prey — small mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and large insects (carrion for vultures).
- Range
- Recorded on 21 Breeding Bird Survey routes across 3 states, most concentrated in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts.
- Family
- Strigidae · Birds of prey
Notable Elf Owl Trends
No notable trend signals for Elf Owl. See the full index history below.
Elf Owl Population Forecast
If the recent trend holds, Elf Owl is projected to stay roughly flat through 2029, near 0.00 (95% range 0.00–0.00). A 5-year backtest shows a typical error of ±120.6%, with 100% of held-out values landing inside the 95% band.
| Year | Projected index | 95% low | 95% high |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2026 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2027 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2028 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 2029 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Where the Elf Owl Is Detected
BBS routes recording Elf Owl, sized by most recent count.
Elf Owl Population Trend by State
| Arizona | -60% | 1974 | 12 |
| New Mexico | insufficient data | n/a | 1 |
| Texas | -11% | 1997 | 8 |
Elf Owl Population Trend by Region
Bird Conservation Regions are the ecological unit for trends.
| Sonoran and Mojave Deserts | -45% | 1980 | 7 |
| Sierra Madre Occidental | -70% | 1986 | 5 |
| Chihuahuan Desert | -26% | 1997 | 7 |
Elf Owl Conservation Status
Elf Owl is tracked across BBS survey routes; no formal conservation-status flag is recorded here.
Source: USGS North American Breeding Bird Survey, retrieved 2026-05-22. Trend is a route-weighted relative-abundance index, not an absolute population.