When and Where to Spot Monarchs in Alabama This Year

Monarch butterflies are the only butterfly species known to make a two-way migration, traveling both north and south each year. During this journey, the monarch butterfly flies through Alabama, making it a great place to spot these magnificent creatures. Here’s where, when and how to spot monarch butterflies in Alabama this year.

When to Spot Monarch Butterflies in Alabama

Monarch butterflies follow a two-way migration pattern to avoid winter. A two-way migration pattern is when an insect or animal migrates between two places or regions for any given reason. For the monarch butterfly, this is to avoid the wintertime. Some butterflies are able to overwinter, which is the process of waiting out the winter period. Insects often overwinter by burrowing underground or staying under leaves/foliage. This allows for a blanket of separation from the cold snow or frost. Monarch butterflies, though, are unable to overwinter. This inability forces them to migrate out of cold climates when winter arrives. Migration patterns differ between monarchs based on what region they are in. The butterflies visible in Alabama follow the path from the northeast United States to Alabama, finally reaching northern Mexico. With these migration patterns known, when is the best time to see them?

The Alabama Butterfly Atlas (ABA), whose mission is the education and conservation of butterflies, conducts monarch butterfly counts by county each year. Their findings explain when the butterflies are making their migrations, and where the best counties in the state are to see them. The butterflies are mostly seen throughout the state in late August to early November. There are even some sightings in December in the southern parts of the state. Late October is the best time to see them, though, with hundreds of sightings reported on peak days during the second half of the month.

Where to Spot Monarch Butterflies

The ABA provides a map showing monarch butterfly sightings by county in Alabama. The map divides the state into three regions: the northwest (upper plains), the northeast (mountains), and the southern half (coastal region). The southern coastal region has the most sightings, given its warmer weather throughout the late summer/early fall months. Baldwin County, the southernmost county in the state, has the most sightings, with a total of 368 sightings on a single date in October of 2019. This easily makes the southern half of the state the best place to go to see the monarch butterflies, but what about specific destinations?

There are a few excellent places to see monarch butterflies. The Fort Morgan area, about an hour and a half from Mobile, is especially well-known for monarch sightings. Because it is so far south, this area provides a suitable stopover for butterflies as temperatures drop. The Grand Hotel in Fairhope is also a great place to watch the monarch butterfly migration, the hotel boasting that the butterflies land and stay on the grounds of the resort each year.

What Plants Monarch Butterflies Like

Southern Alabama is the perfect place for monarchs, as there is a large number of milkweed plants. Milkweed plants are poisonous to humans and other animals. They release toxins called cardenolides and cardiac glycosides that are dangerous to many organisms, but not monarch butterflies. Monarch butterflies and caterpillars can safely ingest these chemicals as part of their main defense mechanisms. Southern Alabama’s high population of milkweed plants makes it the perfect place for the butterflies to rest, with the flowers often being used in conservation efforts throughout the monarch butterfly migration routes.

What’s Needed in Spotting

Butterfly watching can be a fun activity for all age groups. The best part is that you do not need any special equipment to watch monarchs, but certain tools can enhance your experience. A highly recommended tool by butterfly watchers is a pair of binoculars. With how easily butterflies can get scared away, a pair of binoculars can help view them from a distance. Notebooks are also recommended, allowing you to take more personal notes on what you see and feel when you spot them. Cameras are also useful, especially one with a strong lens for long-distance photography or — hopefully — some beautiful close-ups.

While there is no correct way to watch butterflies migrate, the best tip is to do so in a way that respects the monarch butterflies’ habitats and the butterflies themselves.