h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I feel that if the two "species" hybridize and the offspring are fertile then they are really races and we should let nature take its course.
Try applying the conservationist arguments to any 2 of the races of homo sapiens and see how far you'd get expressing your opinions in public.

There's an entry in peer review at the moment you might be interested in reading, on Conservation Genetics. Its at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A665390. It gives a much more scientific and general slant on the subject than I was able to do in this article.

From a personal point of view I'm coming round to the opinion that the only reasons for not letting nature take its course with these ducks are to do with conservation tactics/politics. And the ruddy ducks case suggests to me that not all of the issues in actually preserving biodiversity in practice have been thought through.

PS, welcome to h2g2
Waz

Y'know, that's what really annoys me about conservationists. Sure, they're acting from the best of motives, but they're attempting to "play God." If the ruddy duck's interbreeding with the White-headed duck, surely that's an example of biodiversity in action. And if the white-headed duck ceases to be as a result of that interbreeding, well, then it can't have been as viable as the hybrid species. Conservationists are trying to hold the planet in a state of limbo, not allow it to develop.

SG

I have to agree.Surely the resources of these conservation bodies could be directed to another cause.
The Ruddy Duck has not been proven to cause any harm as an introduced species.It would be different if it were eating the white-headed duck(!)Like the case of the New Zealand flatworm killing the infinitely more usefull earthworm.
As a last point:Will the genetic material of the White-headed duck truly be lost.Maintain our native stifftail by all means but don't exterminate the Ruddy Duck.After all this hasn't been done with the Grey squirrel.