A word on speed and altitude

Butterflies normally fly at between 8 and 20 km per hour. But in this discipline the skippers are world champions, reaching as much as 60 km per hour in flight. What is more, their reactions when startled are twice as fast as ours.

The migrating butterflies fly the highest. Here in Denmark these are above all the Painted Lady and the Red Admiral, and outside Denmark the North American Monarch.

With a tailwind, migration typically takes place at heights of up to 1,000 metres at a speed of between 40 and 50 km per hour – and without using very much energy. The Painted Lady is said to have been observed at heights of up to 3,050 metres, so it officially holds the record.

More photos

Essex Skipper – Skippers, the fastest butterflies in the world

Large Chequered Skipper – Skippers, the fastest butterflies in the world

Painted Lady and Red Admiral typically migrate south at the end of September. They do not always fly at great height. Their flight height depends, among other things, on wind and weather and on how well the butterflies can make use of air currents. As a rule they follow the landscape when migrating – just like birds, though without really migrating in flocks. At Gedser Odde, for example, you can see low-flying “flocks” of Red Admirals heading south in autumn.