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.
The purpose of this study is to determine factors associated with local declines in
burrowing owl breeding populations on NBC, establish a long-term burrowing owl
monitoring program, and develop a strategy for managing burrowing owls in accordance
with California Least Tern and Western Snowy Plover management goals.