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How do monarch butterflies migrate between northern breeding areas and southern overwintering sites?

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A herd of wildebeest, including calves, moves across a dusty savanna in Africa with scattered trees visible in the background. — Migration A herd of common wildebeest (*Connochaetes taurinus*) migrating across a dusty savanna in Africa. The animal is a keystone species (i.e., a species with a disproportionately large effect on its biological community) in plains and acacia savanna ecosystems from southeastern Africa to central Kenya.

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus plexippus) undertake a remarkable, multigenerational migration across North America, traveling up to 3,000 km (1,800 miles) between their northern breeding grounds and southern overwintering sites.12

The Migration Cycle

In autumn, monarchs from across eastern and central North America migrate south to reach sheltered overwintering locations, such as the California coast or the high-elevation oyamel fir forests in central Mexico. At these sites, they cluster densely on trees to enter dormancy, a state that helps them conserve energy during the winter months.12

In the spring, the long-lived generation that overwintered begins the return journey north. Because no single individual completes the entire round trip, the migration is a relay: butterflies reproduce along the way, laying eggs on milkweed plants. Successive generations mature and continue the northward expansion, with the entire cycle spanning approximately four generations.123

Navigation Mechanisms

Monarchs navigate using a sophisticated, time-compensated solar compass that combines the Sun’s position with their internal biological clocks. Additionally, they utilize cues from the Earth’s magnetic field to maintain their heading.3