CONSERVATION BIOLOGY

This webpage is part of a series, created by Joe Schmutz on 3 May 2023 and last updated on 1 May 2025.

Joe Schmutz studied hawks near Hanna, Alberta for over 30 years. He has focussed on the Ferruginous Hawk and the Swainson's Hawk. He has interacted extensively with ranchers who have helped raise the Ferruginous Hawk from threatened status in Canada. He has also studied the Swainson's Hawk and the Burrowing Owl in his long term study area south of Hanna, Alberta. One of the many "artificial nests" he has erected for hawks is shown at the right.

Selected Raptor Research Publications

"Distribution, ecology and conservation of Golden Eagles (Aquila chrysaetos) in Canada."

Schmutz, Josef K., Martin A. Gérard, Gordon S. Court, and R. Wayne Nelson 2014. Parental Care by Lone Male Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis), Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus), and Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) was Limited to Providing Food. Canadian Field-Naturalist 128(2): 145-150.

Wellicome, Troy I., Ryan I. Fisher, Erin Bayne, Josef K. Schmutz, Ken DeSmet and D.T. Tyler Flockhart, 2014. Return rate of adult Burrowing Owls in Canada is influenced by weather during migration and on their wintering grounds. Condor - Ornithological Applications 116

Stoyanova, Yva, Nikolai Stefanov, José A. Donázar and Josef K. Schmutz. 2010. Twig used as a tool by the Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus). Journal of Raptor Research 44(2): 154-156.

Schmutz, Josef K., D.T. Tyler Flockhart, C. Stuart Houston, Philip D. McLoughlin. 2008. Demography of ferruginous hawks breeding in western Canada. Journal of Wildlife Management, 72(6): 1352-1360.

Schmutz, Josef K., Philip D. McLoughlin and C. Stuart Houston. 2006. Demography of Swainson's hawks breeding in western Canada. Journal of Wildlife Management 70:1456-1460

Schmutz, Josef K., C. Stuart Houston and Samuel J. Barry. 2001. Prey and reproduction in a metapopulation decline among Swainson's hawks, Buteo swainsoni. Canadian Field-Naturalist 115:257-273.

Houston, C. Stuart, and Josef K. Schmutz. 1999. Changes in bird populations on Canadian grasslands. Studies in Avian Biology No. 19:87-94.

Clayton, Kort M., and Josef K. Schmutz. 1999. Is the decline of burrowing owls Speotyto cunicularia in prairie Canada linked to changes in Great Plains ecosystems? Bird Conservation International 9: 163-185.

Schmutz, Josef K. 1997. Selected microhabitat variables near nests of burrowing owls compared to unoccupied sites in Alberta. J. Raptor Res. Report 9:80-83.

Schmutz, Josef K., C. Stuart Houston and Geoffrey L. Holroyd. 1996. Southward migration of Swainson's hawks: over 10,000 km in 54 days. Blue Jay 54:70-76

Houston, C. Stuart and Josef K. Schmutz. 1996. Swainson's hawk banding in North America to 1992. North American Bird Bander 20:120-127.

Bechard, Marc J. and Josef K. Schmutz. 1995. Ferruginous hawk. 20 pages in The birds of North America: Life histories for the 21st Century. Published by the American Ornithologists Union and The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. (Invited)

Houston, C. Stuart and Josef K. Schmutz. 1995. Declining reproduction among Swainson's hawks in prairie Canada. J. Raptor Res. 29:198-201

Schmutz, Josef K. 1992. Molt of flight feathers in ferruginous and Swainson's hawks. J. Raptor Res. 26:124-135

Schmutz, J.K., K. Rose, and R.J. Johnson. 1989. Hazards to hawks from strychnine-poisoned ground squirrels. J. Raptor Res. 23:147-151.

Schmutz, J.K., and D.J. Hungle. 1989. Populations of ferruginous and Swainson's hawks fluctuate in synchrony with ground squirrels. Canadian Journal of Zoology 67:2596-2601.

Schmutz, J.K. 1989. Hawk occupancy of disturbed grasslands in relation to models of habitat selection. Condor 91:362-371.

Schmutz, J.K., W.D. Wishart, J. Allen, R. Bjorge, and D.A. Moore. 1988. Dual use of nest platforms by Canada geese and hawks. Wildlife Soc. Bull. 16:141-145.

Schmutz, J.K. 1987. The effect of agricultural practices on ferruginous and Swainson's hawks. J. Range Manage. 40:438-440.

Schmutz, J.K., and R.W. Fyfe. 1987. Migration and mortality of Alberta ferruginous hawks. Condor 89:169-174.

Schmutz, J.K. 1984. Ferruginous and Swainson's hawk abundance and distribution in relation to land use in southeastern Alberta. J. Wildl. Manage. 48:1180-1187.

Schmutz, J.K., R.W. Fyfe, D.A. Moore, and A.R. Smith. 1984. Artificial nests for ferruginous and Swainson's hawks. J. Wildl. Manage. 48:1180-1187.

Schmutz, S.M., and J.K. Schmutz. 1981. Inheritance of color phases in ferruginous hawks. Condor 83:187-189.

Schmutz, J.K., S.M. Schmutz, and D.A. Boag. 1980. Coexistence among three species of prairie hawks (Buteo spp.) in the prairie-parkland ecotone of southeastern Alberta. Can. J. Zool. 58:1075-1089.

Schmutz, S.M., D.A. Boag, and J.K. Schmutz. 1979. Causes of the unequal sex ratio in populations of adult Richardson's ground squirrels. Can J. Zool. 57:1849-1855.

Selected Environmental Publications

Schmutz, Josef K. 2022. A concerned naturalist’s perspectives on Saskatchewan’s amended trespass act. Blue Jay 80(2): 40-49.
Schmutz, J. K. 2014. A hunter-naturalist's observations of sharp-tailed grouse trends in Saskatchewan. Blue Jay 72(1): 28-45.
Smith, Norman D., and Josef K. Schmutz, Co-chairs. 2008. Saskatchewan River Delta: Past, Present and Future. Proceedings. Partners For the Saskatchewan River Delta, Saskatoon, 1-3 April 2008.
Schmutz, Josef K., Allen Patkau, Ken Belcher, Renny W. Grilz, Peter E. Joyce, Wade and Louise Popescul, Kerry Holderness. 2007. Value and Preservation of Ecological Services of the Northern Great Plains. Pp. 131-186 in Robert Warnock, David Gauthier, Josef Schmutz, Allen Patkau, Patrick Fargey and Michael Schellenberg, Editors. 2007. Homes on the range: Conservation in working prairie landscapes. Proceedings of the 8th Prairie Conservation and Endangered Species Workshop, Regina, SK.
Belcher, Ken W., Andrea E. Germann and Josef K. Schmutz. 2007. Beef with environmental and quality attributes: Preferences of environmental group and general population consumers in Saskatchewan, Canada. Agriculture and Human Values 24:333-342.
Schmutz, S.M., T. G. Berryere, J. L. Barta, K.D. Reddick, and J. K. Schmutz. 2007. Agouti sequence polymorphism in coyotes, wolves and dogs suggest hybridization. Journal of Heredity 98:351-355.
Olson, Randy W., Josef K. Schmutz and U. Theodore Hammer. 2005. Occurrence, composition and formation of Ruppia balls in Saskatchewan lakes. Canadian Field-Naturalist 119:114-117.
Belcher, Ken, and Josef K. Schmutz. 2005. Management of the Prairie Landscape Through Strategic Consumer-Producer Co-operatives. Prairie Forum 30:55-72.

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For further information, e-mail Joe Schmutz.