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

2. 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.

3. 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 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.

4. 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.

5. Life Project ends March 2011
By March 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 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

6. 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.

7. 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

8. 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 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.

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

10. Contact Details
Elaine Kendall (Defra, Wild Birds Policy Lead) Iain Henderson (Project manager, FERA)