Burrowing Owls

The pair of burrowing owls stowed away on a Norwegian cruise ship at PortMiami last year and sailed to Spain. Planning their return took coordinating a dizzying list of international trade authorities, wildlife permitting and quarantine rules.

The stowaways were discovered hanging out in a leafy park on one of the world's largest cruise ships after it left PortMiami earlier this year on a trip bound for Spain. Why the pint-sized birds that normally favor solid ground wound up sailing the high seas remains a mystery.

The FWC wants the public to weigh in on conservation practices designed to improve conditions for the owls.

The state considers the burrowing owl a threatened species and Cape Coral is home to about 3,000 — the most of anywhere else in the state.

The Florida burrowing owl is listed as threatened by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.