Photo by Candace Fallon, The Xerces Society
Photo by Carly Voight, The Xerces Society.
Total monarchs reported and number of overwintering sites monitored for the Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count from Nov. 1997 to Dec. 2022.
The number of western monarchs present at overwintering sites is expected to decrease every year between Thanksgiving and New Years, due to a variety of factors. This year’s 58% seasonal decrease exceeds the typical range of 35–49% observed over the previous six winters. (Graphic: Xerces Society.)
Photo by Stephanie McKnight, The Xerces Society.
The Western Monarch Count is a community science program through the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. You can read more about it here.
Butterfly wing image by and (c)2008 Derek Ramsey (Ram-Man), licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License 1.2
This website contains links to other independent third party websites. These third party websites are not under our control, and we are not responsible for and do not necessarily endorse their content. We are not liable for any offensive, inaccurate, or objectionable content contained on these third party sites.
Monarch overwintering site location data provided by this website is for basic navigational purposes only and is not intended to be relied upon in situations where precise location information is needed or where erroneous, inaccurate or incomplete location data may lead to personal injury, death, or property or environmental damage. Neither we, nor any of our content providers, guarantee the availability, accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of location data displayed by our website.
Participants of this community science project assume all responsibility for following the rules and regulations of the areas in which they are surveying, including all notices of private property and no trespassing warnings. The Xerces Society encourages all participants to follow basic common sense and safety precautions when accessing and monitoring overwintering sites. Participants are ultimately responsible for their own safety and well-being.