Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi) [XC551082]
by Michael Hurben from Minas Mordor, Sinaloa, Mexico (song)
Elf Owl (Micrathene whitneyi) [XC502711]
by Russ Wigh from Chino Canyon, Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States (alarm call)
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).