International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation - AEWA

Country Breeding Season Non-breeding Season
No. IBAs
where
WHDs
Breed 1
% Pop.
in
IBAs 2
% Pop.
in
SPAs 3
% Pop. % Pop. in
in National
Ramsar Protected
Sites Areas 4
No. IBAs
% Pop. % Pop.
with
in in
WHDs
IBAs SPAs 3
% Pop. % Pop. in
in National
Ramsar Protected
Sites Areas
Russian Federation N/A N/A
Spain 11 100 90 80 11+
Syrian Arab Republic N/A N/A
Tunisia 5 55 N/A 0 0 10 60 N/A 4 4
Turkey N/A N/A
Turkmenistan 6
N/A N/A
Ukraine 0 - N/A - - 2 Up to 100 N/A Up to 25 Up to 100
Uzbekistan 6 N/A 40-50 N/A 40-50 40-50
1
Estimates of the number of IBAs where the species breeds or spends the non-breeding season were obtained from the BirdLife International World Bird Database (data extracted March 2004)
and/or from national contacts.
2
Estimates of the % of the population present in the IBA suite of an individual country were estimated by national contacts.
3
European Union members only.
4
National protected areas: Only includes areas which meet the IUCN definition of a protected area: "an area of land and/or sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of
biological diversity, and of natural and associated cultural resources, and managed through legal or other effective means."
5
Reintroduced populations in France and Italy included but self-sustaining populations not yet established.
6
The IBA assessment process has just started in Central Asia, although the sites where White-headed Duck occur are mostly already known.
4.5. Recent Conservation Measures and Attitude Towards the Species
CMS Technical Series No. 13 AEWA Technical Series No. 8
There have been conservation efforts for the White-headed Duck in many Range States, although most studies have been conducted in Spain. Four EU-LIFE projects have
been conducted for the White-headed Duck and/or its habitats: three in Spain (White-headed Duck Preservation Plan in the Valencian Community (LIFE00 NAT/E/007311);
Albuferas de Adra (Almería) Recovery and Conservation Plan (LIFE98 NAT/E/005323); Conservation and restoration of wetlands in Andalucia (LIFE03 NAT/E/000055))
and one in France (Oxyura leucocephala's reintroduction on Biguglia's pond (LIFE97 NAT/F/004226)). Conservation efforts in Spain have led to an increase in the Whiteheaded
Duck population from 22 birds in 1977 to around 2,500 in 2003. However, the main Central Asian White-headed Duck population is still in decline and most Range
States do not have national White-headed Duck action plans, national working group or monitoring programmes.
Since 1993, when the first international meeting was held to discuss the Ruddy Duck issue in the Western Palearctic, there has been action to control Ruddy Ducks in many
countries. An appraisal of the level of implementation of country-by-country recommendations for Ruddy Duck control from the Council of Europe White-headed Duck
Action Plan (Hughes & Green 1996) reveals: 1) monitoring of Ruddy Ducks in the wild is adequate in most countries; 2) the legal provision for Ruddy Duck control exists in
most countries; 3) many countries have, or are considering, a national Ruddy Duck strategy; 4) there is a commitment to eradication in five countries (France, Morocco,
Portugal, Spain and the UK). The UK has conducted research into suitable control measures for Ruddy Ducks (Hughes 1996) and a regional trial that concluded nation-wide
eradication was feasible (CSL 2002). The number of countries taking action against Ruddy Ducks has increased significantly in recent years. By 2004, at least 15 countries in
International Single Species Action Plan for the Conservation of the White-headed Duck 35