Background The white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala) is the only stiff-tail duck indigenous to Europe. It is listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive and is a priority species for LIFE funding. Its only European breeding population is in Spain, where it is strictly protected (over 82% are on Natura 2000 sites); there is also a wintering population in Greece, Romania and Bulgaria, which breeds in western and central Asia. The greatest threat to their survival is now the risk of interbreeding with the ruddy duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), an American species, introduced to the UK in the 1940s. The UK is currently home to around 5,000 feral ruddy ducks, 95% of Europe’s total. In 1982 ruddy ducks were recorded in Spain; hybridisation with the white headed duck was recorded in 1991. A total 139 ruddy ducks have been recorded in 43 different locations in Spain since 1992. In captivity, these mixed ducks are fertile to at least the third generation, and a total of 59 hybrids were recorded on 23 sites in Spain between 1991 and 2003. Control programmes in France and Spain are ongoing, but if ruddy ducks were to colonise mainland Europe in significant numbers, the costs of eradication would be much higher and the chances of success very much reduced. Moreover, the white-headed duck would likely be lost as a distinct species. Precedents exist elsewhere which demonstrate the potential threat e.g. the widespread hybridisation of the introduced mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and the native grey duck (Anas s. superciliosa) in New Zealand. Urgent action is therefore required in order to protect both the Spanish population of white-headed duck and the wintering population in Greece, Romania and Bulgaria. Recent detailed research in the UK showed that control of the ruddy duck can be carried out effectively and efficiently and that eradication is feasible. Objectives The project had two objectives that would lead to a more effective control of ruddy ducks in Europe. The first was to protect the European population of the white-headed duck by eradicating ruddy ducks from the UK. The second was to exchange and disseminate information on control methods and progress through contact with other European control teams and policy makers. Shooting with sound-moderated rifles and shotguns was to be the main method of control but other methods such as trapping and egg oiling were also planned where appropriate. Data on numbers of ruddy ducks recorded in Ireland and mainland Europe would be collated and consultation with scientific advisers and animal welfare groups would ensure that disturbance to habitats and other species was minimised. Changes in the size and distribution of the UK ruddy duck population would be monitored and modelling of the time and effort required for full eradication of any remaining birds would be carried out if this was not achieved within the time span of the project. Results Although a full eradication was not achieved in the UK, but at the close of the project in March 2011 there was less than 100 birds left and funding was in place for continued control activities in 2011/12. This shows that the methodology initially adopted proved effective. The original estimation of the population size in the UK was probably too low, highlighting the difficulties of conducting a population census of this kind. However, the project attained very good information on how the population behaved as its numbers decreased, and what methods of control were the most effective. This data will help shape follow-up measures for eradicating the birds from the UK and in other European countries. The project also managed to secure agreement at the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention committing all member states to a complete eradication of the ruddy duck by 2015. The agreement explicitly acknowledged the success of the LIFE project and that the template should be used in other member countries. The findings of the project highly influenced the revised action plan for the species, 'Eradication of the Ruddy Duck Oxyura Jamaicensis in the Western Palaearctic'. Finally, the After LIFE plan includes the production of guidelines for captive owners on the threats posed by ruddy ducks and how they should be managed within wildfowl collections. The project helped tighten regulations on the importing, breeding and selling of the species. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Conservation Plan (see "Read more" section).