Monarch Butterfly Migration
Follow the epic, multi-generational relay race across North America.
Winter Roost (Mexico)
Spring Range (South US)
Summer Range (North US/Canada)
Annual Timeline
Time of Year
January
Hibernating in Mexico
Resting in Oyamel Fir Forests
Gen 4 (Super Gen)
Active Generation
Up to 8 Months
Generation Lifespan
The Relay Race of the Monarchs
Unlike birds or whales, a single monarch butterfly does not make the entire round-trip migration. The journey takes four to five generations to complete:
- Generations 1, 2 & 3 (The Sprinters): Born in the spring and summer, these butterflies only live for 2 to 6 weeks. Their sole purpose is to fly a bit further north into the US and Canada, find milkweed, mate, lay eggs, and die. They act like runners passing a baton.
- Generation 4 (The Super Generation): Hatched in late summer and early fall in the northernmost parts of their range. Triggered by cooler weather and shorter days, this generation delays reproduction. Instead, they live for up to 8 months and fly up to 3,000 miles straight south to central Mexico to survive the winter.
Once spring arrives, this same "Super Generation" wakes up, mates, and flies north to Texas to lay the eggs that will become the new Generation 1, starting the incredible cycle all over again!