Green dots are habitats registered as Monarch Waystations. A dot turns orange when at least one research-grade monarch sighting is reported within 30 miles of it that week or the week before. The soft-edged orange patches are sightings in places with no registered habitat nearby. The migration begins in Mexico each February, moves north through spring and summer, and returns south in the fall. Press play to watch a full cycle.
Sightings are research-grade iNaturalist community observations, grouped into cells about 30 miles wide. Counts reflect reports, not a census. New habitats are added to the map in the week they were registered.
Habitat registrations by year
Bars show new registrations each year; the green line is the running total. 2026 is a partial year: the registry runs through mid-July.
States with the most habitats
The fifteen U.S. states with the most registered habitats.
Habitats by country
Every country and territory in the registry.
Habitat patch size
Distribution of registered habitats by area class — in landscape ecology, even the smallest patches serve as stepping-stones along the flyway.
The latitude of sightings, week by week
Each week's band shows the middle half of all sighting latitudes, with the median drawn through it. The band moves north in summer and south in winter. Click a week to see that week on the map above.
Areas with the most sightings
The grid cells with the most sightings across the period shown, named for the nearest town in the registry.
Sightings by month
The last twelve months of reports.
Totals for the period shown
Derived from the period the animation plays.