Eastern Bluebird and Elf Owl (AZ)
Document Actions
This box was originally intended to attract Elf Owls.
Species: Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis fulva) Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi)
Location: Huachuca Mountains, AZ.
Status: Although this box was sought after by Elf Owls, Eastern Bluebirds, and Acorn Woodpeckers, none managed to successfully raise young.
Location: Huachuca Mountains, AZ.
Status: Although this box was sought after by Elf Owls, Eastern Bluebirds, and Acorn Woodpeckers, none managed to successfully raise young.
| Your Comments |
Cam Highlights:
 |
May 22 - We learned from the cam host that the
Eastern Bluebird eggs are still in the box, so it appears that the Elf Owl did
not eat them, and instead covered them with nesting material. We shall see what the owl does next! |
 |
May 20 - Since yesterday's incident when the Elf Owl ate the bluebird eggs, there have not been any visitors to the box. |
 |
May 19 - This morning the Elf
Owl returned to the box with four Eastern Bluebird eggs. After a
five-minute stay, the owl was gone and so were the eggs. Elf Owls
are not known to eat eggs, so this is another surprising turn of events
for this box, which has been in high demand. |
    |
May 18 - Early this morning the Elf Owl returned! In a strange turn of events the Elf Owl entered "his" nest to find the bluebirds laying eggs in it. An altercation ensued between the Elf Owl and the female bluebird, in which at least two of the eggs were destroyed. A few minutes later both birds left the box and neither of them has been seen since. |
 |
May 17 - The female returned to the nest after a few hours away and laid the fourth egg around 7 AM Arizona time. |
  |
May 16 - After laying the third egg in the morning, the female continued to spend the night roosting above the eggs and then left around dawn. |
 |
May 15 - As expected, the female laid the second egg this morning, but a more interesting point to discover is that this female spends the night with her eggs even though incubation has not officially begun! |
 |
May 14 - The female laid the first egg! She will now lay one a day until the clutch is completed. |
 |
May 13 - The fulva subspecies also tends to be a little larger and paler than other subspecies, especially the female which has brownish upperparts. |
 |
May 10 - The female continues to bring in soft material, like this feather, for lining the nest cup. This makes incubation more comfortable for her and a softer living for the chicks when they hatch. |
 |
May 9 - In the winter months bluebirds spend their time in open forests and orchard habitats, like those found in parks. During breeding season, they prefer more wide open habitats. |
 |
May 8 - Bluebirds prefer nest cavity sites that are in more open areas with short vegetation surrounding it. This is to enhance predator detection and the safety of the nest. |
 |
May 7 - Among Eastern bluebirds, the female is the only one who takes part in nest building, the male does not. |
 |
May 6 - In the early morning hours, the female presses her belly and chest into the nest material to start forming the nest cup. |
 |
May 5 - Eastern Bluebirds of south central and se. Arizona are considered part of the subspecies Sialia sialis fulva, mostly due to their slightly duller appearance. |
 |
May 4 - The bluebird has continued to bring in nest material, and it appears to be a female, so it seems that we are going to have a nest attempt. |
 |
May 3 - It appears that over the
past few days, this Eastern (Azure) Bluebird has brought in bits of nesting
material. The Elf Owl has not been seen for many days. |
 |
April 30 - Since the Acorn Woodpecker incident, the Elf Owl
has not been seen in the box. A few song birds like this Bridled Titmouse pop in every now
and then, but never for long. |
 |
April 27 - Most Elf Owls defend their territories simply with the use of song and posturing, they will rarely chase. |
 |
April 26 - The widened hole has made the box quite the tourist attraction as we have seen the Elf Owl, the Acorn Woodpecker, and now this Violet-green Swallow all in one day. |
 |
April 25 - Persistence pays off. This Acorn Woodpecker hammered on the nest box opening all day and finally widened it enough to enter. We will see who wins the battle over the nest site. |
 |
April 24 - The range for an Elf Owl pair usually stays within one hectare of land, often averaging much smaller. |
 |
April 23 - Male Elf Owls will defend multiple nest sites at one time, but not necessarily the space in between them. They keep the others in case they need to re-nest, or for an alternate roost site. |
 |
April 22 - As cavity nesters, Elf Owls are very good climbers and use the same methods as a parrot. They grab with their beak and talons and then flap their wings to propel themselves upward. |
 |
April 21 - Although Elf Owls can be very competitive and fight over nest cavity sites, they are frequently found sharing the same tree or cactus with other species of owls (Pygmy and Western Screech) and woodpeckers. |
 |
April 18 - Other than nest boxes, Elf Owls almost always nest in old Gila Woodpecker, or Gilded Flicker holes in saguaro cacti, or more commonly in trees. |
 |
April 16 - Around now (mid-April) is when territory and nest site declaration begins, which is the commencement of the breeding season. |
 |
April 15 - The majority of the time we have only seen one owl in the box, but here we get a glimpse of a potential pair. |
 |
April 14 - For the last two days the female (presumably) has been roosting in the box all day. Notice the yellow eyes visible in the day light. |
 |
April 13 - Elf Owls are extremely vocal during the breeding season, April-June. They make a unique, high pitched, puppy-dog-like "yip." |
 |
April 11 - Despite the fact that Elf Owls are commonly associated with saguaro cacti and desert climates, the most dense populations live in subtropical thorn woodland and riparian forest. |
 |
April 10 - Most Elf Owls (with the exception of those in Baja California) breed in three main populations along the U.S.-Mexico border and winter in southern Mexico. |
 |
April 9 - An Elf Owl male spent most of the evening and the entire next day roosting in the nest box. |
 |
April 8 - We have the first shot of a pair checking out the nest site. It is still early for actual nesting and egg laying, but it is a positive sign. |
 |
April 3 - It can be difficult to distinguish the Elf Owl from the Pygmy and Screech Owls, but in general the Elf Owl will have a shorter tail, not as clearly defined striping on the breast, no ear tufts, and is smaller than both species. |
 |
April 2 - It has been a few days since we last saw an elf owl visit the box, but this one spent most of the evening going in and out of it. |
 |
March 28 - We expect to get a number of different visitors to the box before the elf owls finally inhabit it as they are not expected to lay eggs until mid-May. Here we see a female Acorn Woodpecker checking it out. |
 |
March 27 - Elf Owls, measuring just under six inches in length, are the smallest owls in the world! |
 |
March 25 - Just hours after setting up this new nest box cam, we receive our first image of the hoped-for inhabitant—an Elf Owl! This camera is located in the Huachuca Mountains of Southeastern Arizona. |
 |
March 25 - The distinctive head pattern of an Acorn
Woodpecker is seen in the entrance hole. Luckily, the hole, measuring
just 1 1/2" is too small for it to enter. |