Elf Owl vs. Barn Owl
Descriptions, and Similarities and Differences of two owls.
Elf Owl-Sophia
I picked an elf owl because I think they’re cute and they are very tiny. This picture of an elf owl is sitting in its natural habitat, a cactus in the desert is from an article called 5 Interesting Facts About Elf Owls
Did you know that these owls only grow to less than 15 cm tall?
Elf Owl Description
The elf owl is an incredible owl. It is the smallest owl in North America ant 5-6 inches long and a weight of 1-1.4 ounces. Most elf owls have a quick, shrill call that sounds like wee-wee-wee-wee-wee-wee, chook, chook, chook, chook. They youthful owls leave their nest when they are 28-32 days old. These owls flourish in areas where there are undisturbed cactuses.
Barn Owl-Joey
Barn owls have a heart shaped face. They are normally 14-21 inches long. This image came from a Cincinnati Zoo website.
Barn Owl Description
Similarities and Differences
Similarities
- Sophia
- they are both found in North America stretching from Canada to Mexico
- they both can be found living in deserts and suburban areas
- Joey
- both can lay around 5 eggs
- both can eat bugs, small mice, insects, and some mammals
Differences
- Sophia
elf owls are part of the strigidae family + barn owls are part of the tytonidae family
- elf owls eat large insects, spiders, scorpions, + small reptiles + barn owls eat mostly small rodents, but also any mammal up to the size of a young jackrabbit
- the barn owl weighs 13-17.5 ounces + the elf owl weighs 1-1.4 ounces
- the owls have different calls
Glossary
Call- a sound an animal or person makes
Insects- an animal like spiders
Mammal- a type of animal
Strigidae- a family of nocturnal birds of the order Strigiformes
Suburban-located or residing in a suburb (A usually residential area or community outlying a city.)
Tytonidae-comprising only the barn owls
Bibliography
http://owlinstitute.org/elf-owl.html
http://owlinstitute.org/barn-owl.html
http://www.barnowltrust.org.uk/owl-facts-for-kids/
https://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/elf%20owl.php
Sattler, Helen Roney., and Jean Zallinger. The Book of North American Owls. New York: Clarion, 1995. Print.