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Story summary
In August 2023, Laura Burns, the conservation program manager at the Assiniboine Park Zoo in Winnipeg, Manitoba, led a team that tagged 29 monarch butterflies with tiny solar-powered radio trackers. These devices weigh only 0.06 grams each and transmit data via cell towers. The first of these tagged butterflies, known as "MB26011," completed its perilous 5-week journey by crossing into northern Mexico after covering approximately 2,300 kilometers. Conservationists hope this tracking will provide insights into the various threats monarchs face during migration, including predators and vehicle collisions. As of now, only one out of the 29 tagged butterflies has reached Mexico, with others still en route or in transit through states like Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Written for “Monarch Butterfly Migration” on 2026-10-11,
grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.
After a journey of approximately 2,300km over the span of 40 days, a monarch butterfly has arrived in Mexico from Winnipeg.
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butterfly → arrive → Winnipeg
How exactly do researchers know?
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researchers → know → ?
They’ve been tagging them.
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They → tag → them
A research team from the Assiniboine Park Zoo, in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada, began attaching miniscule tracking devices to monarchs in August.
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team → begin → August
Laura Burns, conservation programs manager at the Assiniboine Park Zoo, said the devices run on solar power.
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devices → say → power
“There’s two tiny solar panels and each little tag weighs 0.06 grams.
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tag → ’ → grams
They are solar powered, so they’ll continue running as long as they have access to sunlight and they ping off of cell towers, cell phones and wildlife telemetry towers to track migration,” she said.
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she → power → migration
Burns said more than 1,300 monarchs have been tagged this fall across North America.
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monarchs → say → America
The Assiniboine Zoo tagged 29, and they are patiently waiting to see more arrive in Mexico.
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more → tag → Mexico
There are a bunch in Kansas and Missouri and Oklahoma and Texas right now,” Burns said.
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Burns → be → Kansas
“A few of them will be making it to Mexico the next few days I’m hoping, if the winds are in their favor.
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winds → make → favor
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The journey though, is a dangerous one.
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journey → get → news
“They could run into cars, cities, agricultural fields, predators, bad weather events.
uncertain
They → run → cars
All of these things can make the journey super dangerous, and we don’t really know the direct path they take,” Burns said.
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Burns → make → path
- A ferocious Hurricane Simon nears Mexico with 155 mph winds and flooding fears
- Simon strengthens into a Category 4 hurricane as it approaches Mexico’s coast
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it → near → coast
Isaias weakens but flash flooding threat persist as hundred of thousands grapple with power outages
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thousands → weaken → outages
Manitoba farmer whose animals were stolen hails new RCMP cattle cops
But one butterfly tagged by the Winnipeg zoo has already made it to Mexico, one of three that have been detected in the country so far this season.
“It seems like it’s within the realm of normal, but she is one of the early arrivals in Mexico,” Burns said, adding the butterfly still has approximately 800 kilometres to go before it reaches its overwintering site.
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it → steal → site
Tracking the butterfly migration also allows researchers to identify what pathways they take so they can focus on conservation efforts in those areas.
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they → track → areas
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