Northern Aplomado Falcons (Falco femoralis septentrionalis) were reintroduced to historical locations in the U.S. following their extirpation in the 1950s. A small breeding population now exists in South Texas, but remains small and isolated, with 23 breeding pairs found in 2022. Despite initial selection of suitable habitat for release sites, woody vegetation encroachment may be hindering population recovery by facilitating expansion of predatory owls, including Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) and Barn Owls (Tyto alba). We tested this hypothesis using occupancy models to estimate how percentages of grass, shrubs, and Aplomado Falcon habitat affected owl occupancy at 65 locations (with a 1.2 km radius) in South Texas. Owl presence was monitored using repeated callback surveys in 2021 and 2022. Preliminary results suggest that Barn Owls were ubiquitous across habitat types, while Great Horned Owls occupied areas with more shrubs, particularly with shrub cover greater than 40%. Great Horned Owls were also less likely to be found with grass cover above 15%. Nest camera traps in 2021 also recorded Great Horned Owls visiting five Aplomado Falcon artificial nesting structures and Barn Owls visiting nine. Next steps include evaluating the effects of habitat and owl occupancy on nest success for Aplomado Falcons. Understanding the combined impacts of habitat and owl distributions on Aplomado Falcon nesting success will inform restoration efforts, determining which areas to prioritize for combating encroachment of woody vegetation, areas for future falcon releases, and areas that are important for acquisitions to maximize Aplomado Falcon reintroduction success.