Monarch butterflies are the most recognizable butterflies in the world. With their brightly colored orange and black wings, these beautiful and large butterflies make their way across Kansas each year as they migrate north in the summer and south in the winter. When is the best time to spot monarch butterflies in Kansas? Keep reading to find out the details. Monarch butterflies only lay their eggs on milkweed plants. Milkweed leaves are the only type of food a monarch caterpillar can eat.
When Do Monarch Butterfly Sightings Peak in Kansas?
We spoke with Victoria Burnett, a Visitor Services Manager working for the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to get some insight into the monarch butterflies’ journey across Kansas. Burnett is currently stationed at the
Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita, Kansas . “Monarch butterflies should be returning anytime now for the spring. They usually arrive around mid-May,” Burnett says, before adding, “And monarchs are seen around mid- to late-September in the fall in Kansas.” If you’d like to keep track of when they may be in your area, Burnett suggests checking out butterfly maps of sightings using the website
Journey North . Journey North is a crowdsourced science program where citizens can enter sightings of migrating species.
Monarch Butterflies Migrate Thousands of Miles
Monarch butterflies are the only known butterfly that makes a
two-way migration similar to birds. Because monarchs can’t survive the cold, they overwinter in warmer places. Monarchs that live west of the Rocky Mountains (known as Western monarchs) spend their winters on the Pacific coast of California near San Diego and Santa Cruz. Eastern monarchs winter in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. Monarch butterflies migrate up to 3,000 miles from southern Canada to overwinter in central Mexico. Some eastern monarch butterflies will travel for nearly 3,000 miles to make it to Mexico in the winter.
Scientists have discovered that monarchs have an internal compass including the time of day and the sun’s position on the horizon, which tells them which direction to head. This is how monarchs can continue their journey even when they get blown off course.
Are Monarch Butterflies in Decline?
According to the
World Wildlife Fund , eastern monarch butterfly populations experienced a decline of 59% from the previous year during the 2023 to 2024 wintering season in Mexico. However, this turned around the following year. The eastern monarch butterfly population actually
doubled in the 2024 to 2025 season. “Monarch population size is measured in the area monarch butterflies occupy in their overwintering site in Mexico for the eastern population and in California for the western population,” Burnett explains. “
Monarch Joint Venture publishes information each year on the eastern population overwintering size. There has been a general decline in the population since the 1990s, however from 2024-2025 there was a slight increase in numbers!” Although this is promising news, the overall population is still below its former averages. We asked Burnett if she’s noticed a decline in monarch butterflies at the Great Plains Nature Center in Kansas. “We get some monarch butterflies who rest and refuel for their migration,” she shares, “but there has not been a significant difference that I have noticed in the three years I have been here.”
How to Help Monarch Butterflies
Burnett explains that if you want to help monarchs, you can create a butterfly habitat using Kansas native plants in your own yard. “Even a few potted plants on a porch can help provide nectar for monarchs,” she says. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed plants, such as the swamp milkweed. Because monarchs will only lay eggs on milkweed plants, Burnett recommends growing Kansas native milkweed, including common milkweed, butterfly weed, and swamp milkweed. Although they won’t lay eggs on Kansas native wildflowers, the flowers will provide nectar, giving the butterflies energy for their long journey. “Try getting a few that bloom in different seasons, like spring and fall, so monarchs have food all season long,” Burnett offers. For a complete guide on native plants, check out the
Xerces Society . And when you see the monarchs come through your yard, Burnett suggests reporting it. “If you see a monarch butterfly, egg, or larva, be a citizen scientist and
report it to Journey North .”
You Can Make a Difference For Butterflies
Burnett reminds us that even small gestures can make a difference in helping monarch butterflies. “Little pollinator gardens in yards, neighborhoods, and cities all create a corridor for migrating monarchs,” she explains. Plus, growing a garden for monarch butterflies will help many species beyond the monarch. According to Burnett, “Monarch butterflies are great ambassador pollinators. Monarch butterflies are well known and loved; people want to help the monarchs. But when you help a monarch butterfly, you are helping thousands of lesser-known pollinators at the same time.”
