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I enjoy visiting zoos and natural history gardens that have large greenhouse environments that feature free flying exotic butterflies. Most of the flight houses that I have visited to date showcase species primarily from central and south America (Morphos, Owls, etc.). While those species are enjoyable to observe up close, does anyone know of any flight houses in the United States where one can see living Ornithoptera? I would go out of my way quite a distance to be able to see birdwings in flight. Thanks for any suggestions.

I have once or twice seen a Troides sp. in the flight cage at the McGuire Center, Gainesville, FL... but not every time I've visited. Never noticed an Ornithoptera sp. there, though.
jh

I am afraid the CITES Convention make that financially impossible. The cost of the CITES permits and the Indonesian/PNG bureaucracy make such idea impossible.
+ birdwing farmers will not want you to open a "competitive" farm abroad by selling you some chrysalids.

Chrysalids are easy to buy in Papuan villages who breed them (Manokwari, Biak...).
A Japanese friend has his own flight house with birdwings inside. Very nice to see.

This said, and I don't really know why, I have seen tons of Morpho in flight housse and they never really impressed me. But I was very impressed the first time I see some live ones in French Guiana. I guess seeing them in a flight house removes the "surprise" effect + their metallic blue colour is more impressive under real sun and on the forest background.

Some pictures from the flight house :

Maybe seven or eight years ago they had priamus at Niagara Falls, Canada. I've seen them in US, but I'd have to search up photos to say where.

Note too, the pupae are not available constantly, so even if a butterfly zoo does favor them, it doesn't mean they will have them "today." The curators (or whatever they're called) have told me that the government people make it not worth having Ornithoptera- too much bureaucracy.

wollastoni wrote: Mon Mar 17, 2025 5:46 pm I guess seeing them in a flight house removes the "surprise" effect + their metallic blue colour is more impressive under real sun and on the forest background.

I always felt a bit ashamed taking the family to a butterfly zoo or aquarium. Both pale so much as compared to the real environment, it seems so fake, so bare. But of course, for most people that's the only opportunity to see such beautiful butterflies alive. And, I've come to appreciate watching their flights and habits, even if the colors don't do anything for me. I still laugh at Morphos and their flight paths, like highways, and how they chase around. And watching an Ornithoptera nectaring is still impressive.

I've seen Troides and O. priamus at Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale AZ before, but not commonly. They always seem to have Morphos and Caligos though along with the more common Pierids and Nymphalids. It's worth checking out if you are in the area.

Here in Canada, I think I have seen priamus nearly every time I have visited one of our few butterfly houses. More than a decade ago, I remember the butterfly house in Niagara Falls even had a display case in the atrium with larvae (feeding on some Aristolochia sp I couldn’t ID) and pupae!

Thanks everyone for the great information! I didn't realize the potential difficulties of importing pupae (CITES paperwork, possible competition with overseas breeders, etc.). I'm planning to go to Arizona later this year and will probably check out Butterfly Wonderland - thanks again.

The Tucson Botanical Gardens also has a live butterfly exhibit (Cox Butterfly and Orchid Pavilion) that's open from October to May -

https://tucsonbotanical.org/exhibit/but ... d_source=1

I want to visit this sometime in the coming years, and will be interested to see how it compares to my local botanic garden's seasonal butterfly exhibit. Tucson's certainly appears to be a more substantial set-up, with a facility that's more dedicated to the purpose.

I have never seen any birdwings in European flight houses (nor in Montreal). Interesting to see some American flight houses have some. No idea how they can manage the bureaucracy and the Cites permit prices.

Butterfly houses always give me a mild case of vertigo. It unsettles me to see Neotropical and SE Asian species flying together!

jh

It is also disappointing to travel to tropical forests and find out that the number of encounter butterflies ( per square area ) is much lower than in visited previously butterfly house.

Back to the subject I do remember seeing O.priamus in Niagara Falls butterfly house. It is not really in US but just across the river. I had pleasure to meet Chuck there few years ago.