Monarch butterflies, told with real data
Follow the monarchs
Every fall, monarchs from Canada fly thousands of kilometres to a few mountain forests in Mexico. Little Wings follows their journey with real data, for curious people of every age.
Danaus plexippus winter cluster
This year so far
Where the monarchs stand
Live: 438 monarch sightings reported in the past four weeks, most in California. GBIF, to November 1. Sightings are reports, not a count of every monarch.
The monarch leaving Ontario this fall has never seen Mexico.
It is the great-grandchild, or great-great-grandchild, of the monarchs that left those mountain forests last spring. It will find them anyway.
Danaus plexippus fall asters
The flagship
The Journey
Ten years and 386,118 sightings from Canada, the United States and Mexico. Pick a month and watch the monarchs move north in spring and south in fall.
Data stories
Eight stories, one butterfly
Each story starts with a question and answers it with real numbers: how many monarchs are left, where they breed, what the wind does, and who is helping.
Story 01 · PopulationTwo populations, thirty wintersThe eastern monarchs that winter in Mexico and the western monarchs on the California coast, counted every winter since the 1990s.
Story 02 · For all agesHow much forest do they fill?Each winter scientists measure how much Mexican forest the monarchs cover. Fill the forest yourself, one square at a time.
Story 03 · MapWhere monarchs breed in CanadaEggs, caterpillars and chrysalises reported across the provinces. Southern Ontario is the nursery.
Story 04 · MapWho is helping?Thousands of habitat projects across the United States, county by county, from the Monarch Conservation Database.
Story 05 · TimelineThree countries, three answersMexico protects the winter forests, Canada lists monarchs as endangered, and the United States is still deciding.
Story 06 · SeasonsNo milkweed, no monarchsThe Ontario summer week by week: milkweed comes up, monarchs arrive, and the eggs follow.
Give
Help them make the trip
Little Wings is free, and it keeps nothing for itself. Gifts support partner groups that plant milkweed, run community science and protect the winter forests.
Danaus plexippus a light landing