How High Do Monarchs Fly?
Let's Compare!
How high do migrating butterflies fly? Higher than skyscrapers, mountains, jets, and hot air balloons? Below are the heights of some familiar things. Make a Model! Add heights of other familiar things, then make a model — to scale — on a high wall, from earth to sky. (You can also practice converting from English to Metric units.)
| English Units |
Metric |
Altitudes
of Some Familiar Things |
| 36,000 ft | Passenger
jet cruising altitude (Can you see the jet?) |
|
| 29,028 ft | Highest
mountain in the world Mt. Everest |
|
| 11,000 ft | Highest
monarch butterfly spotted Seen during fall migration by glider pilot (may fly higher) |
|
| 10,560 ft | Two
miles high |
|
| 10,000 ft | Monarch
butterfly sanctuaries in Mexico elevation |
|
| 5,280 ft | One
mile high |
|
| 2-4,000 ft | Songbird
migration Most occurs at these altitudes. |
|
| 2,000 ft | Highest
hot air balloon |
|
| 1,483 ft | World’s
tallest building Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
|
| 5-600 ft | Monarchs
disappear (viewing with binoculars)
This is estimate; depends on binocular magnification, conditions. |
|
| 500 ft | Most
birds fly below this level except during migration |
|
| 378.1 ft | Tallest living tree | |
| 2-300 ft | Monarchs
disappear (viewing with naked
eye) (This is estimate; depends on conditions, numbers of monarchs, viewers) |
|
| 151 ft | Height of the Statue of Liberty |
