Burrowing owl conservation in the presence of endangered potential prey species on Naval Base Coronado, CA

Burrowing owls are listed as a species of special concern and have been proposed for listing as an endangered species in California. Naval Base Coronado (NBC), San Diego, supports one of the largest remaining populations of burrowing owls in coastal southern California. NBC also supports the federally endangered California Least Tern (Sterna antillarum browni) and federally threatened Western Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus nivosus). In the past, burrowing owls that have preyed on terns or plovers have been taken or relocated. However, numbers of burrowing owl breeding pairs have been declining on NBC in recent years, and management practices such as relocation have been difficult to implement due to shrinking burrowing owl habitat in southern California. In addition, ground squirrel control and other maintenance activities have not been evaluated for their potential effect on burrowing owl populations. Current plans to expand a facility into a site of active burrowing owl burrows on the island have prompted the need for an integrated burrowing owl management strategy.