The Great Butterfly Migration

This Spring, the number of Monarch Butterflies has reached a high number. Over the past few years, the number has gone done. However, the monarchs have seemed to make a come back in 2019.

Monarch butterflies, also known as the milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black veined brown depending on the area, are one of the most common butterflies found in North America. The monarchs are known in the U.S. for their late-summer/autumn migration to southern states and cities, especially southern California and Mexico.

Over the past few years, the population of monarch butterflies has dropped greatly. The number of monarchs in California dropped about 86% in just one year! The most notable causes for this decrease is because of droughts, pesticides, and habitat declines.

This year, the Monarch Butterflies have come back. There has been a 144% increase in the breeding population, so cities in America that are common for the monarchs are expected to get a lot of them. Texas is expecting up to 300 million monarch butterflies this year!