# Queen Alexandra's Birdwing — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Ornithoptera alexandrae (Rothschild, 1907) — family Papilionidae*

> Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest butterfly in the world, with females reaching a wingspan of around 28 cm; it is known from lowland rainforest in northern Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, listed Endangered, and is the only butterfly on CITES Appendix I.

**IUCN status:** Endangered — restricted range and the only butterfly on CITES Appendix I  ·  **WARN range:** Northern Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, Lowland rainforest — very restricted range

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Female wingspan | Around 28 cm — the largest butterfly |
| CITES status | Appendix I — the only butterfly at this level |
| IUCN status | Endangered |
| Range | Lowland rainforest, northern Oro Province, Papua New Guinea |
| Larval food | Aristolochia vines |
| Main threats | Lowland forest clearance; historic collection |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Lepidoptera
- **Family:** Papilionidae
- **Genus:** Ornithoptera
- **Species:** Ornithoptera alexandrae

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Endangered
- **Population:** No reliable estimate exists; range may cover on the order of 100 km²
- **Trend:** Decreasing
- **Assessed:** 2018
- **CITES:** Appendix I — the only butterfly species at this level
- Appendix I prohibits commercial trade but does not prevent habitat clearance. Lowland forest held under customary tenure is the binding constraint.

## Key facts: Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
- The female Queen Alexandra's birdwing reaches a wingspan of around 28 cm, making it the largest butterfly in the world.
- It is the only butterfly species listed on CITES Appendix I, which prohibits all commercial international trade.
- The first specimen was collected in 1906 by Albert Stewart Meek, who used a shotgun because the butterfly flew too high in the canopy to net.
- The species is known from lowland rainforest in northern Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, within a range that may cover on the order of 100 km².
- The caterpillar feeds on vines of the genus Aristolochia, and loss of both forest and host plants drives decline.
- Lowland forest in the region is held under customary tenure, and protection depends on landowning communities as much as on species-level trade restrictions.

## How big, and why it matters
Butterfly size is constrained by flight mechanics, respiratory efficiency and the need to find mates in sparse rainforest. Ornithoptera birdwings push those constraints further than any other butterfly group, and Queen Alexandra's birdwing sits at the top. Females are substantially larger than males — a pattern called sexual dimorphism — and a wingspan of around 28 centimetres exceeds any other living butterfly.

Size is not merely a record. A larger butterfly needs more host plant, more forest to move through, and more time to develop. That makes it more vulnerable to habitat fragmentation than a small generalist. A cleared valley removes not just individuals but the entire conditions the species requires, and a species confined to lowland forest has no higher-altitude refuge.

## The shotgun collection of 1906
Albert Stewart Meek, a professional collector working for Lord Walter Rothschild, obtained the first specimens in 1906 from the Popondetta area of what is now Oro Province. The butterfly flew in the upper canopy, out of reach of a net, and Meek used a shotgun loaded with fine shot — the standard method for high-flying tropical butterflies at the time.

Rothschild named the species after Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII. The type specimens, perforated by shot, remain in museum collections. The method of collection is a reminder that the species was known to science only because its habitat was accessible enough to shoot in, and that accessibility has since become the main threat: the same lowland forest that held the butterfly now faces clearance for agriculture and logging.

## CITES Appendix I
CITES Appendix I covers species threatened with extinction in which trade must not be permitted for commercial purposes. Every other butterfly on CITES is on Appendix II, which allows regulated trade. Queen Alexandra's birdwing is alone on Appendix I.

The listing reflects both the species' restricted range and a history of collection pressure from insect dealers. Even after trade restrictions, habitat loss has continued to reduce the area of suitable lowland forest. Appendix I protects against export; it does not protect against a landowner clearing forest for oil palm. The binding constraint for this butterfly is habitat, not trade law alone.

## Customary land and lowland forest
The birdwing's range lies entirely within lowland rainforest in northern Oro Province, where over 90% of land is held under customary tenure. Protection of remaining forest patches depends on landowning clans choosing to retain them, and on the host vines of the genus Aristolochia persisting within those patches.

Lowland clearance across New Guinea has removed forest from exactly the elevations this species occupies. A species with a restricted range and no montane alternative cannot redistribute as conditions change. Community decisions about which forest to keep and which to convert are therefore the practical front line of conservation for this butterfly, alongside the CITES listing that prevents commercial export.

## What WARN does
WARN publishes free, sourced species education, including for invertebrates that carry record dimensions but restricted ranges. Queen Alexandra's birdwing is the largest butterfly alive and the only one on CITES Appendix I, yet its survival depends on lowland forest held under customary tenure in a single province of Papua New Guinea.

If this guide helps you understand wildlife and the pressures it faces, a gift to WARN supports habitat protection and free public education in our partner countries.

## Frequently asked questions: Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
### What is the largest butterfly in the world?
Queen Alexandra's birdwing. Females reach a wingspan of around 28 cm. Males are smaller but more vividly coloured, with iridescent blue-green bands on black wings.

### Why is Queen Alexandra's birdwing on CITES Appendix I?
It is the only butterfly on Appendix I, the highest CITES level, which prohibits commercial international trade. The listing reflects its restricted range, Endangered status and history of collection pressure.

### How was Queen Alexandra's birdwing discovered?
Albert Stewart Meek collected the first specimens in 1906 using a shotgun, because the butterfly flew in the upper canopy beyond net reach. Lord Rothschild named it after Queen Alexandra.

### Where does Queen Alexandra's birdwing live?
Lowland rainforest in northern Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, within a range that may cover on the order of 100 km². It has no montane refuge.

### What does the caterpillar eat?
Vines of the genus Aristolochia. Loss of both rainforest and host vines drives decline, and the caterpillar cannot survive on alternative plants.

### Is Queen Alexandra's birdwing endangered?
Yes. It is listed as Endangered, with a restricted lowland range and ongoing habitat loss. CITES Appendix I prohibits commercial trade, but forest clearance under customary land tenure is the primary ongoing pressure.

### Are queen alexandra's birdwings dangerous?
Queen Alexandra's Birdwings are not generally dangerous to people. Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest butterfly in the world, with females reaching a wingspan of around 28 cm; it is known from lowland rainforest in northern Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, listed Endangered, and is the only butterfly on CITES Appendix I. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

### How long do queen alexandra's birdwings live?
A precise wild lifespan for queen alexandra's birdwings is not firmly established in the sources cited on this guide. Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest butterfly in the world, with females reaching a wingspan of around 28 cm; it is known from lowland rainforest in northern Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, listed Endangered, and is the only butterfly on CITES Appendix I. Where longevity figures appear in the literature they vary by region, sex and whether animals are wild or captive.

### How big is a queen alexandra's birdwing?
A Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is about Around 28 cm — the largest butterfly. Queen Alexandra's birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest butterfly in the world, with females reaching a wingspan of around 28 cm; it is known from lowland rainforest in northern Oro Province, Papua New Guinea, listed Endangered, and is the only butterfly on CITES Appendix I. Conservation status: Appendix I — the only butterfly at this level.

## Sources
- [IUCN Red List — Ornithoptera alexandrae](https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/15991/98490856)
- [CITES Appendices](https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php)
- [Natural History Museum — Rothschild birdwing collections](https://www.nhm.ac.uk/)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/queen-alexandras-birdwing