Background The white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala)is a small stiff-tailed duck, which breeds in Spain and North Africa. Its breeding habitat is open water with areas of dense vegetation, which provide safe nesting sites. A large fall in the population in the last ten years has left the species endangered. Most of this decline is due to habitat loss and human impact, notably through hunting. Another concern is epidemiological events that can occur under certain conditions in wetlands. However, a more recent threat is interbreeding of the Spanish population with the ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis). This species is American in origin, but escaped into the wild in Europe from wildfowl collections. Its aggressive mating behaviour and willingness to interbreed is threatening the survival of the white-headed duck. The project will focus on three lagoons in Murcia, which are important habitats of the target species: Campotejar, Moreras and Alhama de Murcia. Objectives The project's overall objective is the conservation of the white-headed duck in the wetlands of Murcia. It aims to improve understanding of the breeding habitat of the species, extend and conserve its habitat and reduce the impact of humans and other species. The project will monitor the target species and the environmental factors which determine its reproduction. It will check for epidemiological events in the wetlands so that action can be taken quickly where necessary to protect the target species. The project will ensure that the ruddy duck does not settle in the Murcia Region, and that the region is not a breeding ground for this species and its hybrids. The project will also assess and mitigate human threats to the species and habitat. For example, it will examine ways of reconciling biodiversity conservation with the modern agricultural use of treated sewage water stored in lagoons in the wetlands. The team will also reduce species mortality from power lines. The project expects to see the approval of a recovery plan for the white-headed duck in the Murcia region and the extension of the Natura 2000 network into the three lagoons of Campotejar, Moreras and Alhama de Murcia. Management plans should also be approved for these wetland habitats. Expected results: An increase in the number of white-headed duck in the Murcia region; The long-term conservation of the target species guaranteed by a regional recovery plan; An extension of the duck's wetland habitat and better conservation through the inclusion of three new lagoons in the Natura 2000 network with associated wetland management plans.