Witness a Migration Marvel this Fall

Monarch butterfly perched on Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)

B. Dhunjisha

Park provides important habitat for wildlife on the move

by Smokies Life

Autumn is a time of transition in the Smokies. As hot summer afternoons give way to crisp fall days, all manner of winged species pass through the park on their way south for the winter.

Perhaps the most well-known fall migrant is the monarch butterfly. Measuring four inches across and weighing less than half a gram, these remarkable insects journey as many as 2,800 miles each year from summer habitat in the United States and Canada back to their wintering grounds in central Mexico.

In the Smokies, migrating monarchs typically pass through from mid-September until late October. They are most often seen in Cades Cove but can also be glimpsed in other areas that offer the open habitats they favor, such as Cataloochee or Oconaluftee. Placing trackable tags on monarchs is one way scientists are gathering more information about them, and the public is invited to help with tagging events held each fall by Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont. Learn more at gsmit.org.

Monarchs aren’t the Smokies’ only fall migrants. Through early October, head to high-elevation overlooks like Newfound Gap, Kuwohi (formerly Clingmans Dome), Indian Gap, and Look Rock Tower to see broad-winged hawks on their way to Central and South America. Also heading south are various species of warblers, buntings, tanagers, and vireos. Scientists have only recently begun to learn about dragonfly migrations. These insects don’t travel in large groups, but some migrate hundreds of miles.