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College of Natural Resources

Physical Address:
975 W. 6th Street
Moscow, Idaho

Mailing Address:
875 Perimeter Drive MS 1138
Moscow, ID 83844-1138

Phone: 208-885-8981

Fax: 208-885-5534

Email: cnr@uidaho.edu

Web: College of Natural Resources

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Courtney Conway

Courtney Conway, Ph.D.

Professor of Wildlife Sciences, and Unit Leader of the Idaho Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit

Office

CNR 103E

Phone

208-885-6176

Mailing Address

Idaho Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit
College of Natural Resources
University of Idaho
875 Perimeter Drive MS 1141
Moscow, ID 83844-1141

Degrees

  • Ph.D., University of Montana, Organismal Biology & Ecology, 1998
  • M.S., University of Wyoming, Zoology and Physiology, 1990
  • B.S., Colorado State University, Wildlife Biology, 1985

Research Interests:

  • Wildlife management
  • Conservation biology
  • Behavioral ecology
  • Life history evolution

Find out more about how to support my research and the Burrowing Owl Migration Fund; Ridgway’s Rail Dispersal and Migration Fund; Idaho Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Fund.

Stevens, B. S., C. J. Conway, C. Tisdale, K. Denny, A. Meyers, and P. Makela. 2023. Backpack satellite transmitters reduce survival but not nesting propensity or success of greater sage-grouse. Ecology and Evolution 13:e10820.

Allison*, A. Z. T., C. J. Conway, and A. R. Goldberg*. 2023. Weather influences survival probability in two coexisting mammals directly and indirectly via competitive asymmetry. Ecology 104:e4229.

Lundblad*, C. G., and C. J. Conway. 2023. Investing in a nest egg: Intraspecific variation in the timing of egg-laying across a latitudinal gradient. Oecologia 202:83-96.

Allison*, A. Z. T., A.E. Morris*, and C. J. Conway. 2023. Why hibernate? Tests of four hypotheses to explain intraspecific variation in hibernation phenology. Functional Ecology 37:1580-1593.

Stevens†, B. S., S. B. Roberts, C. J. Conway, and D. K. Englestead. 2023. Effects of large-scale disturbance on animal space use: Functional responses by greater sage-grouse after megafire. Ecology and Evolution 13:ece3.9933.

Stevens†, B. S., C. J. Conway, J. M. Knetter, S. B. Roberts, and P. Donnelly. 2023. Multi-scale effects of land cover, weather, and fire on Columbian sharp-tailed grouse. Journal of Wildlife Management 87(2):e22349.

Lachman*, D. A., C. J. Conway, K. T. Vierling, T. Matthews, and D. Evans Mack. 2022. Drones and bathymetry show the importance of optimal water depth for nest placement within breeding colonies of Western and Clark’s Grebes. Wetlands 42:1-10.

Goldberg*, A. R., D. E. Biggins, S. Ramakrishnan, J. W. Bowser, C. J. Conway, D. A. Eads, and J. Wimsatt. 2022. Deltamethrin reduces survival of non-target small mammals. Wildlife Research 49:698-708.

Stevens†, B. S., C. J. Conway, K. Luke, A. Weldon, C. Hand, A. Schwarzer, F. Smith, C. Watson, and B. D. Watts. 2022. Large-scale distribution models for optimal prediction of Eastern black rail habitat within tidal ecosystems. Global Ecology and Conservation 38:e02222.

Allison*, A. Z. T., and C. J. Conway. 2022. Daily foraging activity of an imperiled ground squirrel: effects of hibernation, thermal environment, body condition, and conspecific density. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 76:28.

LaRoche, D. D., C. J. Conway, and C. Kirkpatrick. 2022. Small-scale variation in trap placement affects arthropod capture rates on sticky traps in riparian woodlands. Southwestern Naturalist 66:275-279.

Macías-Duarte*, A., and C. J. Conway. 2021. Geographic variation in dispersal of western burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia hypugaea) populations. Behavioral Ecology 32:1339-1351.

Harrity*, E. J., L. E. Michael, and C. J. Conway. 2021. Sexual dimorphism in morphology and plumage of endangered Yuma Ridgway’s Rails: a model for documenting sex. Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 12:464-474.

Stevens†, B. S., and C. J. Conway. 2021. Mapping habitat quality and threats for eastern black rails. Waterbirds 44:245-256.

Barbosa†, S., K. R. Andrews, A. R. Goldberg*, D. Singh-Gour, P. A. Hohenlohe, C. J. Conway, and L. P. Waits. 2021. The role of neutral and adaptive genomic variation in population diversification and speciation in two ground squirrel species of conservation concern. Molecular Ecology 30:4673–4694

Lundblad*, C. G., and C. J. Conway. 2021. Intraspecific variation in incubation behaviours along a latitudinal gradient is driven by nest microclimate and selection on neonate quality. Functional Ecology 35:1028-1040.

Lundblad*, C. G., and C. J. Conway. 2021. Ashmole’s hypothesis and the latitudinal gradient in clutch size. Biological Reviews 96:1349-1366

Dillon*, K. G., and C. J. Conway. 2021. Habitat heterogeneity, temperature, and primary productivity drive elevational gradients in avian species diversity. Ecology and Evolution 11:5985-5997.

Goldberg*, A. R., and C. J. Conway. 2021. Hibernation behavior of a federally-threatened ground squirrel: climate change and habitat selection implications. Journal of Mammalogy 102:574-587.

Lundblad, C.G., and C. J. Conway. 2021. Nest microclimate and limits to egg viability explain avian life-history variation across latitudinal gradients.  Ecology, in press. 

Riley, I. P., C. J. Conway, B. S. Stevens, and S. Roberts. 2021. Aural and visual detection of greater sage-grouse leks: Implications for population trend estimates.  Journal of Wildlife Management 85:508-519.

Helmstetter, N. A., C. J. Conway, B. S. Stevens, and A. R. Goldberg. 2021.  Balancing transferability and complexity of species distribution models for rare species conservation. Diversity and Distributions 27:95-108.

Connelly, J. W., and C. J. Conway.  2021. Managing wildlife at landscape scales.  Pages 143-157 in Wildlife Management and Landscapes: Principles and Applications (W.F. Porter, C.J. Parent, R.A. Stewart, and D.M. Williams, eds.). Johns Hopkins University Press in affiliation with The Wildlife Society, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Garton, E. O., J. L. Aycrigg, C. J. Conway, and J. S. Horne.  2020.  Research and experimental design.  Pages 1-39 in The Wildlife Techniques Manual, Volume 1: Research, 8th Edition (N. J. Silvy, ed.).  Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.

Conway, C. J., C. P. Nadeau, and M. A. Conway. 2020. Broadcasting regional call dialects has little influence on the effectiveness of call-broadcast surveys for marsh birds.  Wetlands 40:2055-2059.

Macías-Duarte, A., C. J. Conway, and M. Culver.  2020. Agriculture creates subtle genetic structure among migratory and non-migratory populations of Burrowing Owls throughout North America.  Ecology and Evolution 2020;10:10697–10708.

Stevens, B. S., and C. J. Conway. 2020.  Mapping habitat suitability at range-wide scales: spatially-explicit distribution models to inform conservation and research for marsh birds.  Conservation Science and Practice 2:e178.

  • University of Idaho Award for Excellence in Interdisciplinary and Collaborative Efforts, Office of the Provost, University of Idaho, 2024.
  • Group Achievement Award from The Wildlife Society for the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program Collaborative, 2023.
  • Science Leadership Award, USGS Cooperative Research Units Program, 2023.
  • Excellence in Science Award, USGS Cooperative Research Units Program, 2021.
  • Elected Fellow of The Wildlife Society, 2019.
  • Elected as Fellow of the American Ornithological Society, 2015.
  • Presidential Migratory Bird Federal Stewardship Award from the Council for the Conservation of Migratory Birds, Washington D.C., 2013.
  • “Top-cited Paper Award” from the Association of Field Ornithologists for a paper cited most in the society’s journal, 2010.
  • “Outstanding Course Award” in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, 2009.
  • Outstanding Science Award, CRU Program, U.S. Department of Interior, 2008.
  • Service Excellence Award, CRU Program, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2007.
  • Elective Member of the American Ornithological Society, 2006.
  • “Outstanding Course Award” in the School of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, 2006.
  • Excellence in Cooperator Support Award, USGS Cooperative Research Unit Program, 2005.
  • Shirley O'Brien Diversity Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona, 2005.

  • Effects of cattle grazing on demographic traits and nest-site selection of greater sage-grouse. Location: Idaho.
  • Causes and consequences of changes in migratory strategies for burrowing owls in North America. Location: western North America.
  • Effectiveness of forest restoration treatments on demography of the Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel. Location: central Idaho. 
  • Effects of sylvatic plague on survival of the Northern Idaho Ground Squirrel. Location: central Idaho. 
  • Causes of latitudinal gradients in avian clutch size. Location: southeastern Arizona.
  • Modeling habitat suitability of marsh birds in North America. Location: North America.
  • Habitat suitability of and effects of forest management actions on Pileated Woodpeckers on Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area. Location: northern Idaho.
  • Causes of latitudinal gradients in hatching asynchrony in birds. Location: western U.S.
  • Utility of LIDAR to predict habitat suitability of red-faced warblers. Location: southeastern Arizona.

Contact Us

College of Natural Resources

Physical Address:
975 W. 6th Street
Moscow, Idaho

Mailing Address:
875 Perimeter Drive MS 1138
Moscow, ID 83844-1138

Phone: 208-885-8981

Fax: 208-885-5534

Email: cnr@uidaho.edu

Web: College of Natural Resources

Directions