Habitat Improvement Contributed To The Emerging Population Of Norfolk Hawker Dragonfly, Expert Says

With the improvement of habitat, a rare dragonfly is no longer deemed endangered across England.

This resurgence is a testament to nature's resilience and conservationists' concerted efforts, as the species has spread from its traditional havens in Cambridshire, Kent, and Herefordshire to unexpected locations such as Wigan, Bolton, Blackpool, South Devon, Dorset, and Sussex.

Population Growth

The Norfolk hawker, distinguished for its vivid green eyes and golden body, became extinct in the Cambridgeshire Fens in 1893 and is now only found in east Norfolk and east Suffolk.

This is assumed to be due to the centuries-long draining of its preferred habitat of ponds and marshes for agricultural purposes. It has since been nearly totally limited to the Norfolk Broads.

In recent years, the dragonfly has been discovered in Cambridgeshire, Kent, and Herefordshire.

The numbers in these areas have stabilized, and scientists have stated that they are no longer threatened due to their increased population distribution and the establishment of strongholds around the country.

The species was discovered near Wigan in June 2022, the first time it had been documented there. It has also been reported in Bolton, Blackpool, south Devon, Dorset, and Sussex.

The British Dragonfly Society (BDS) stated that the hawker dragonfly was projected to be removed from the British red list of most endangered species due to recent population growth.

Wetland Habitat Protection

Habitat improvements have been attributed to the dragonfly's spread. The dragonfly thrived in disused gravel mines around Norwich as water quality improved and new habitats were created.

The BDS has stated that climate change may have helped its expansion outside Norfolk and Suffolk, with higher temperatures pushing it north and west of its traditional boundaries.

Scientists are concerned that the dragonfly will become extinct in East Anglia as a result of sea level rise. The new colonies are further inland and do not suffer similar dangers.

The State of Dragonflies in Britain and Ireland 2021 report emphasizes this tenuous balance, finding severe losses in dragonfly species across the country, particularly during the scorching summer of 2022.

"Although the hawker's overall range has expanded greatly, there are still huge gaps in its current distribution. It will need to infill many of these gaps before the species is truly secure in this country and only time will tell whether it will succeed," Dr. Pam Taylor, the convener of the BDS dragonfly conservation group.

As the drought spread, the pools and little streams where many dragonflies hatched were expected to dry up. For example, the little red damselfly vanished from Scarning Fen in Norfolk last year following a record-breaking hot summer in 2022.

The dragonfly's spread provides an opportunity to highlight the larger environmental issues confronting the globe. Experts said that as we admire the Norfolk Hawker's resilience and adaptability, it is important to resolve to protect the natural world that supports such magnificent species.

"The only way to ensure no further species loss is to continue to protect and restore its current wetland and fen habitats in the broads and across East Anglia," said Andrea Kelly, a Broads Authority environment policy adviser.