Census finds fewer monarch butterflies in the skies

Monarch butterflies are beloved for their striking orange and black pattern and their epic migration, but a recent census found nearly 100,000 fewer butterflies in Western overwintering grounds — a decline of nearly 30 percent from 2022. There are only about five percent as many Western monarch butterflies in their winter grounds compared to the 1980s.

Why are monarch butterflies in trouble?

Western monarch butterflies migrate south to California’s coast and Baja, Mexico each winter. Both Western and Eastern monarch butterfly populations have cratered in recent decades due to habitat loss, pesticide and herbicide use and climate change. Since the 1980s, the western monarch butterfly population has declined by more than 90 percent and the eastern monarch population declined by 80 percent.

Monarch butterflies rely on milkweed — the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat. Adult butterflies lay their eggs on exclusively on milkweed so that their young have a source of food when they hatch. Without milkweed, the monarchs cannot survive.

What can we do to save the monarch butterflies?

It’s not too late to save monarch butterflies, but we need to take these actions:

1. Congress must fund the Monarch and Pollinator Highway Program, which provides grants to create roadside habitat for bees and monarch butterflies. You can help by sending a message to your representative today.
2. The Fish and Wildlife Service should list the monarch butterfly as an endangered species so that its habitat can be protected and restored. The agency’s scientists previously found that the butterfly meets the criteria to be listed as endangered, but has not yet acted.
3. Plant native milkweed in your yard. Here’s how to find the right kind of milkweed for your area.