The Wild, Wild Best! E is for...

E is for Elf Owl!  Being the smallest Owl in North America and the Sonoran Desert has its rewards for this sparrow-sized critter fits 'just right' inside natural tree cavities and abandoned woodpecker holes in the giant Saguaro cactus.

While charismatic white eyebrows adorn his big yellow eyes and he is in fact, nocturnal, he still can’t see for beans in total darkness (who can, right?).  However, his hearing is superb and actually helps guide him to his prey as he makes his nearly inaudible “silent flight” (his wing beat is muffled by soft feathers at the edges of his wings) in pursuit of his catch.

The Elf Owl, according to statistics, lives longer in captivity than he does in the wild. But beware, he is a highly acclaimed actor who plays dead quite well when threatened or captured! And he’s no dummy either; this wise little guy prefers to spend his winters in the warmer climates of Mexico!

Wow! Here we are, five days in to the Blogging A to Z April2015 Challenge and I’m still in! Can you believe it? How are you folks doing out there? I’ve seen a ton of cool and outstanding blogs out there and there’s so very many more to check out!  

Thunderclaps for Arlee at Tossing it Out!