Elf Owl

Elf Owl

Elf Owl

© Michael Woodruff

Construction Difficulty

moderate difficulty moderate

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Nesting Range

Elf Owl Range
Source: Birds of the World

Nesting Habitat

  • icon Desert
  • icon Forest
  • icon Open Woodland

Attach Nest Box To

  • Dead Tree icon Dead Tree
  • Live tree icon Live tree
  • Post icon Post

Known Nesting Period

Not Nesting
Some Nesting Occurrence
Nesting in Most of Range
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Source: Birds of the World

Nest Box Placement

Height Range From Ground

6ft
10ft
6–10 feet

Spacing Between Nest Boxes

985 feet

Facing

Entrance hole facing visualization
North, Northwest

Nest Box Measurements

Entrance Hole Size

Entrance hole size visualization 2

Nest Box Depth (inside)

Nest box depth visualization 13

Nest Box Width and Length

Nest box width and length visualization 7 1/4'' 7 1/4''

Helpful Tips

  • Add a very thin layer of wood chips to nest box floor. Elf Owls have been seen removing excessive nesting material (left over from previous nests).
  • Elf Owls can compete with other cavity-nesting birds for nest sites. You can add more nest boxes for other species to help reduce competition.