Monarchs can travel between 50-100 miles a day; it can take up to two months to complete their journey. The farthest ranging monarch butterfly recorded traveled 265 miles in one day. The annual migration of North America's monarch butterfly is a unique and amazing phenomenon. read more
The monarch is the only butterfly known to make a two-way migration as birds do. Unlike other butterflies that can overwinter as larvae, pupae, or even as adults in some species, monarchs cannot survive the cold winters of northern climates. read more
Monarch butterfly migration across North America has been called "one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world". The subspecies D. plexippus plexippus is the migratory one. Other subspecies perform minor migrations or none at all. read more