EU Life Project A project to eradicate ruddy ducks in the UK to protect the White-headed duck Elaine Kendall Defra

The problem..... N American Ruddy Duck Oxyura jamaicensis White-headed duck Oxyura leucocephala Escaped from UK collections Bred in wild Began to appear in Spain Globally threatened Around 2500 in Spain Hybridise with ruddy duck European breeding population of endangered White-headed Duck is restricted to Spain. The main threat to the future of the White-headed Duck is hybridization with the non-native Ruddy Duck, During the 1950s a number of these birds escaped and by 2001 there were around 6,000 Ruddy Ducks nationally and they had spread into many neighbouring countries including Ireland, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. This led to increasing numbers of Ruddy Ducks reaching Spain and hybrids were recorded most years between 1991and 2007 despite efforts to cull all Ruddy Ducks arriving there. significant risk that the White-headed Duck would become extinct as a result of increasing levels of hybridisation with the Ruddy Duck.

Originally to run to August 2010 Partnership approach The project..... Project began Sept 2005 Originally to run to August 2010 Partnership approach UK population was 4400 Distributed across UK The five-year eradication programme in the UK (later extended to five years and seven months) began on 1 September 2005. It was co-funded by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and EU LIFE-Nature. The beneficiary was the Central Science Laboratory (now The Food and Environment Research Agency), an Executive Agency of Defra. The Spanish General Directorate of Biodiversity, part of the Ministry of the Environment, was a Partner in the project.

EU Life Project Aims: Protect European population of the white-headed duck by eradicating ruddy ducks from the UK Exchange and disseminate information on control methods and progress through contact with other European control teams and policy makers The principal expected results were the eradication of the Ruddy Duck from the UK by the end of the project and pan-European action to eradicate the small populations of feral Ruddy Ducks in other European countries through increased awareness across Europe of the range of methods available for control and the need to co-ordinate control to prevent the establishment of self-sustaining populations elsewhere.

Life Project ends March 2011 By March 2011 7172 ducks culled Remaining population estimated to be less than 100 individuals 97.7% original population eradicated A total of 7,172 Ruddy Ducks were culled during the project, all by shooting. Although the project was unable to completely eradicate Ruddy Ducks from the UK, numbers have fallen from an estimated 4,400 birds in September 2005 to fewer than 100 birds by March 2011. Post-breeding and winter control was responsible for most of the birds culled, but breeding season control played a role in reducing productivity and recruitment of juveniles into the post-breeding population. These methods allowed steady progress to be made throughout the life of the project. There was also evidence of declines in a number of other European countries most notably Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands

How the UK population has changed . At the start of the project the UK held an estimated 93% of Europe’s Ruddy Ducks. By the end of the project this had fallen to around 25%. Current data suggests that France and the Netherlands hold viable populations of Ruddy Ducks. The Dutch population has fallen in recent years, despite the fact that no control in the Netherlands has taken place. This is probably the result of movement between the UK and the Netherlands. Numbers in France increased steadily in the early years of the project but fell towards the end following increased control effort in France in 2009. The project has shown that eradication of Ruddy Ducks both in the UK and elsewhere is feasible.

2011/12 saw UK Government commit further funding What now? 2011/12 saw UK Government commit further funding Further progress made Aiming to reduce individuals by 50% year on year The project has shown that eradication of Ruddy Ducks both in the UK and elsewhere is feasible. To that end Defra has agreed to fund continuing work with the aim of annual reductions of 50% in the coming years and complete eradication by 2015. A Revised Action Plan for the eradication of the Ruddy Duck in the Western Palaearctic was published in 2010 and the aim of complete eradication across the Western Palearctic by 2015 was agreed by all parties at the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention in 2010

Bern commitments for all Member States All Member States to continue the action agreed at last year's Bern Standing Committee Recommendation No. 149 (2010) including: Annual reduction of at least 50 % of the national wintering population Phase out all captive populations of Ruddy Ducks, if possible by 2020 A Revised Action Plan for the eradication of the Ruddy Duck in the Western Palaearctic was presented to the 30th Bern SC in 2010 and the aim of complete eradication across the Western Palearctic by 2015. This was agreed by all parties at the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention in 2010 Part of the action plan is to produce annual reports to the SC Event organised at the 31st SC , discuss progress, share good practice etc.

Review progress against Bern action plan Supply progress reports to Bern Convention Secretariat Attend the side event 29 November

Contact Details Elaine Kendall (Defra, Wild Birds Policy Lead) elaine.kendall@defra.gsi.gov.uk Iain Henderson (Project manager, FERA) iain.henderson@fera.gsi.gov.uk