Singing success for one of the UK’s rarest insects
- The Field Cricket was previously threatened with extinction in the UK but has since made an incredible comeback following successful conservation efforts by a range of organisations including the RSPB.
- The males are known for their singing, using specially adapted veins on their wings to produce loud calls throughout summer to attract a mate. The best time to listen out for these remarkable creatures is from late April through to late June.
- There are only two RSPB nature reserves where Field Crickets are found and more than 100 calling males have been reported in total this year. At RSPB Farnham Heath, the crickets have continued to breed successfully since they were first reintroduced in 2010 and at RSPB Pulborough Brooks the reserve team has reported a seventh year of successful breeding.
Field Crickets are one of the UK’s rarest and most vulnerable invertebrates. With 93 calling males counted at RSPB Farnham Heath and 12 males at RSPB Pulborough Brooks this year, reserve teams, volunteers and supporters are celebrating their success. Previously threatened with extinction, population numbers across sites in southern England are steadily increasing thanks to conservation efforts.
Small and chunky in size, Field Crickets are 2cm long and black or brown in colour. They have striking yellow markings at the base of their wings, which are covered in intricate patterns. Field Crickets cannot fly but are capable of walking up to 100m a day – an incredible feat for something so small. Males produce a loud chirp to attract a mate using modified veins on their wings. Their singing is an iconic sound of summer and numbers are monitored by counting the individual calls.
Field Crickets are restricted to sandy heaths in Hampshire, Surrey and Sussex. In 1991 their numbers dropped to fewer than 100 individuals, confined to just one remaining site, due to loss of their precious heathland sites through forestry and land-use changes. To tackle this decline, after concerted effort to restore heathlands by removing plantations and reverting arable land, Natural England’s (then English Nature) Species Recovery Programme funded a series of reintroductions across sites in the southeast over many years. The RSPB translocated Field Crickets to an area of restored heathland at RSPB Farnham Heath in 2010. This was successful and a population of over 300 individuals was established in just nine years.
Building on this success, in 2017-2021 the RSPB led a project to increase the resilience of the Field Cricket population. Crickets were released into a second area of Farnham Heath and onto restored heathland at RSPB Pulborough Brooks in Sussex, through the National Lottery funded Back from the Brink project. Heathland restoration involved removal of scrub, bracken and bramble. This created patches of bare ground to provide suitable habitat conditions for the release of crickets. More than 30 years of dedicated conservation has now increased the number of occupied sites from one to eight – 105 calling males have been reported on RSPB nature reserves this year, up from approximately 90 males in 2024.
RSPB Farnham Heath warden, Mark Crisp, said: “The Field Cricket is one of the UK’s rarest invertebrates and we are proud of the role our reserve teams and volunteers have played in its recovery. These crickets are an important part of the sandy heathlands and to hear males singing here for the last 15 years, is something to be celebrated.”
Long-term heathland management is needed to support Field Crickets. Maintaining open habitat conditions makes it easier for crickets to disperse and establish new populations so they are less vulnerable to heath fires. Efforts also benefit other heathland species such as Woodlark, solitary bees, wasps and reptiles including Sand Lizard and Smooth Snake. Joining up existing Field Cricket populations through heathland creation and restoration will also increase their resilience. The RSPB reserve teams and volunteers remain hopeful that these efforts will help secure the Field Cricket’s future for many years to come.
Almost 400 volunteers have given their time to support the efforts. Libby Ralph, who has volunteered at RSPB Farnham Heath for the last few years, said: “Being involved in important conservation work has given me new skills. Helping to manage the heathland, assist in translocations and monitoring the crickets has been such a great experience. It’s fantastic that our efforts to restore Field Cricket numbers are working. They used to be a common feature of the British countryside and volunteering my time gives hope that their singing will be widespread again”.
The annual Field Cricket surveys are vital for effective conservation. They wouldn’t be possible without the help of dedicated volunteers who give their time for nature. More than 13,000 people volunteer for the RSPB, taking action to make a positive impact for nature and the environment. To find out more about how you can get involved in volunteering with the RSPB to help benefit Field Crickets and other amazing wildlife, visit: https://www.rspb.org.uk/helping-nature/support-the-rspb/volunteering
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