White-headed
duck is considered endangered due to a large reduction in populations in the last 10 years. Most of this decline is due to habitat loss and hunting, but inter-breeding
with ruddy duck is a more recent threat.
In Turkey, drying up of Burdur Lake would lead to extinction of this species
where the lake has lost one
third of its size.
female male
Characteristics: The white-headed duck
is a small stiff-tailed, omnivorous duck, which breeds in Spain and North
Africa, with a larger population in western and central Asia. Length of this
species is between 43 and 48 cm, while they weigh between 580 and 750 g. Adult
males have a grey and reddish body, a blue bill and a largely white head with a
black cap and neck. Adult females have a grey-brown body with a white face and
a darker bill, cap and a cheek stripe.
Habitat: White-headed ducks
inhabit freshwater lakes as well as alkaline, saline, and eutrophic lakes
connected with larger wetland complexes. Breeding sites of white-headed ducks
contain dense vegetation and are small and shallow, with depths between 0.5 and
3 m. Wintering sites are usually larger, deeper and contain less emergent
vegetation.
Threats:
• Drought: The drought in
Central Asia in 2000-2002 has greatly reduced the amount of wetland habitat for
white-headed ducks. Many important sites (including Burdur Lake) for the
white-headed duck have dried out completely, or have had a much lower water
level and greatly reduced water surface in some years.
• Habitat loss: The
natural drought conditions have caused significant loss of habitat for the white-headed
duck. In addition, the unsustainable use of water resources for irrigation and
the pollution of wetlands have further reduced the extent of suitable habitat.
Water levels in the remaining wetlands of importance for the white-headed duck
have also been reduced.
• Hunting and disturbance:
Although hunting of the white-headed duck is banned in most countries, illegal
hunting still occurs. Additionally, fishing, overgrazing and agricultural
activities in and around lakes have both direct and indirect effects on the white-headed
duck.
Recommendations
for Conservation:
• All countries need to
undertake a review of their national policy and legislation to ensure adequate
legal protection for the white-headed duck and its enforcement.
•
Sustainable management of water resources is needed to ensure adequate
allocation of water to maintain the viability of wetland habitats used by the white-headed
duck.
• Site conservation
measures, such as the establishment of an international network of sites of
importance for migratory water birds including the white-headed duck, need to
be pursued.
• A flyway-wide project
should be developed for the conservation of the white-headed duck and its
wetland habitats through building and strengthening links between wetland
managers and organizations involved in the conservation of the white-headed duck
across the region.
• A comprehensive
population-monitoring programme should be developed to monitor the distribution
and status of the white-headed duck in the Central Asian region during the wintering,
migratory and breeding seasons.
• Research is urgently
required to define the migration routes of the white-headed Duck and identify
the population boundaries. Population surveys at all historical sites and all
potential sites for the species are an immediate concern.
References:
- http://jncc.defra.gov.uk
- http://en.wikipedia.org
- http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu
- http://www.talking-naturally.co.uk
Rotaract
Club of Kocatepe – RID 2430, TURKEY
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