| Re: Ruddy duck cull
This has given rise to a lot of debate, for and against, amongst birders and I know of several who carry out the WeBS counts who deliberately omit records of Ruddy Ducks to avoid advertising the whereabouts of wintering flocks.
From a British perspective they do not encroach on our native species because we do not have any representative of the Oxyura sub-family native to our islands, and this is why most people feel the cull is unnecessary here.
However it is the birds from here that have moved initially down to Spain and started interbreeding with the White-headed Ducks there, which are also of the Oxyura sub-family. Many feel (including myself) that any cull of Ruddy Ducks should take place where they are a direct threat to the White-heads.
Ruddy Ducks have not only reached the Spanish populations, but have recently reached the east european populations in Turkey too and will undoubtedly start interbreeding with them also.
By all accounts it is the male White-heads that find the female Ruddies attractive rather than the male Ruddies chasing after the female White-heads.
Recent reports suggest that the population of pure White-heads is doing rather well in Spain at the moment though.
Cheers,
Adam  |