Are monarchs endangered?

No, the monarch is not listed as endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. In December 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the monarch butterfly warranted but precluded. This decision means that the monarch meets the listing criteria under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), but there are only enough resources to focus on higher-priority listing actions. The monarch butterfly is currently a candidate species for listing under the ESA. Its status is reviewed each year until it is no longer a candidate. Learn more about monarchs and the ESA at 

On July 21, 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced that the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) had entered the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered. This listing was the first time the monarch butterfly had been officially declared at risk of extinction. In December 2023, the IUCN reclassified the migratory monarch butterfly as "Vulnerable."

The IUCN Red List is one of many tools utilized in decision-making processes for public, private, and non-governmental organizations, but it does not legally protect the monarch under the Endangered Species Act. 

Learn more about the Status of the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act. 

Learn more about the Migratory Monarch Protections and Listing Status.