Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi) [XC108817]
by Paul Marvin from Dugout Wells, Big Bend NP, Brewster Co, Texas, United States (call)
Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi) [XC283393]
by Eric Hough from Stewart Campground, Cave Creek Canyon, Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County, Arizona, United States (song)
Subspecies
Relationships unclear. Subspecies whitneyi and sanfordi appear to intergrade in north-western Mexico and southern Arizona.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
whitneyi (Cooper, 1861) - Breeds south-western USA (extreme southern Nevada, south-eastern California, central Arizona, south-western New Mexico and south-western Texas) south to north-western Mexico (Sonora).
idonea (Ridgway, 1914) - Southern Texas south to central Mexico (south to Puebla, west to Guanajuato).
sanfordi (Ridgway, 1914) - Southern Baja California and parts of Mexican mainland.
graysoni Ridgway, 1886 - Revillagigedo Is (Socorro I).