WHITNEY'S ELF OWL 443 



I discovered a Whitney's Owl sitting on a branch with its side towards me and one 

 wing held up, shield fashion, before its face. 



I could just see its eyes over the wing, and had it kept them shut I might have 

 overlooked it, as they first attracted my attention. It had drawn itself into the 

 smallest possible compass so that its head formed the widest part of its outline. 

 I moved around a little to get a better chance to shoot, as the brush was very thick, 

 but whichever wa}- I went the wing was always interposed, and when I retreated 

 far enough for a fair shot I could not tell the bird from the surrounding bunches of 

 leaves. At length, losing patience, I fired at random and it fell. Upon going to 

 pick it up I was surprised to find another, which I had not seen before, but which 

 must have been struck by a stray shot. 



Mr. Brewster (1883) goes on to say: "Rather curiously both of these 

 specimens proved to be adult males. It is by no means certain, how- 

 ever, that the males are not to a certain extent gregarious during the 

 breeding season, for on another occasion two more were killed from a 

 flock of five which were sitting together in a thick bush." 



Voice. — Mr. Brewster (1883) says: "They had several different notes, 

 one of which sounded like the syllable churp; while another was a low 

 tw-jur r r r. These cries were heard at all times of the night, but 

 oftenest in the early evening and again at daybreak." 



Mr. Gilman (1909) says of his captive owls: "During the day they 

 remained very quiet, but at night made a choice assortment of noises, 

 which, as I kept them in my room, were very entertaining, especially 

 about midnight. One note very much resembled that of the Western 

 Bluebird, and another sounded like the squeak concealed in a rubber 

 doll." 



Field marks.- — This is the smallest of all our owls, far smaller than 

 the screech owls found within its range, and even smaller than the 

 pygmy owls, from which it also differs in having a much shorter tail. 

 It is a short, chunky little bird, with a round head. It is less likely to 

 be seen abroad in the daytime than are the pygmy owls. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Southwestern United States and Mexico; nonmigratory. 



The range of the diminutive elf owl is north to Arizona (Fort Mojave, 

 Big Sandy River, Prescott, Fort Whipple, Oracle, and probably Fort 

 Bowie); southwestern New Mexico (Redrock and Silver City); and 

 southern Texas (Chisos Mountains, Hidalgo, and Brownsville). 

 East to Texas (Brownsville) ; and Puebla (Tehuacan). South to Puebla 

 (Tehuacan); and southern Baja California (Mira Flores). West to 

 Baja California (Mira Flores, San Bernardo Mountain, Todos Santos, 

 and Comondu); Sonora (Querobabi and Magdalena); southeastern 

 California (Bard and Duncan Flats); and Arizona (Batamote Well, 

 Sacaton, New River, and Fort Mojave). 



This species of the elf owl has been separated into three races: 

 Whitney's elf owl (M. w. whitneyi), the typical race, occupies the 



