The Amazing Monarch Butterfly

Every fall, millions of monarch butterflies begin an incredible journey. These orange and black butterflies travel over 2,000 miles from Canada and the northern United States to Mexico. The trip takes about two months to complete. What makes this migration so special is that no single butterfly makes the entire round trip. It takes three or four generations of butterflies to complete the full cycle. The butterflies use the sun and magnetic fields to navigate their way south. When they reach Mexico, they cluster together on trees in the mountains to stay warm during winter. In spring, they begin the journey north again, laying eggs along the way. Scientists are still amazed by how these tiny creatures can travel such long distances without getting lost.