Each year, humans bunker down in preparation for the cold of winter. Some animals do this as well, like bears who hibernate. On the other hand, some species actually escape the cold altogether by migrating south.
Birds and fish are commonly known to migrate south for winter, and it turns out some insects do as well! Monarch butterflies are among those insects who make a two-way migration, similar to how birds do. They’re the only type of butterfly known to do this and it’s nothing short of incredible. Some of the monarch butterflies even travel as far as 3,000 miles, one way, to escape the winter!
Millions of these butterflies make their way to a forest range in Mexico each year and stay there from October to late March, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The monarchs swarm oyamel fir trees and cluster together with tens of thousands of butterflies taking to a single tree. Their clusters fill the forests, creating a mesmerizing scene of millions of butterflies.
Nature on PBS was able to capture the stunning butterfly swarms with a small drone that looks like a hummingbird. The hummingbird drone had a camera that filmed the amazing moment that millions of monarchs took flight.
Check it out in the video below:
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