There’s a new candidate for the endangered species list, CDFW is seeking your comments on listing the western burrowing owl.
Multiple conservation groups submitted a petition to list the species on October 25, 2024, initiating CDFW’s 12-month review process. CDFW is gathering data on the owl’s ecology, genetics, habitat needs, threat levels, and management recommendations to support its upcoming report.
The owl, currently protected as a candidate species, faces threats from habitat loss, declining ground squirrel populations, agricultural shifts, pesticide exposure, and predation.
The species was historically found broadly across California in wide lowland valley bottoms, flat coastal lowlands, and interior deserts. Currently, the western burrowing owl population is most abundant in the Imperial Valley and parts of the Central Valley.
Public comments and data are requested by February 15, 2025, via email or mail. This information will inform CDFW’s peer-reviewed report, which will guide the Fish and Game Commission’s final listing decision.
