Golden Birdwing

Golden Birdwing

Troides aeacus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Phnom Penh

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~80%

5 Verified sightings at Phnom Penh
93 In all 5 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Golden Birdwing

Troides aeacus, the golden birdwing, is a large tropical butterfly belonging to the swallowtail family, Papilionidae. Troides aeacus has a wingspan of about 150–170 millimetres (5.9–6.7 in) but can be as large as 194 mm. In the males the forewings are black, with veins bordered by a whitish colour, while the hindwings are bright yellow. The underside of the wings is quite similar to the upside. The females are larger than the males and have dark-brown or black wings. The head, thorax and abdomen of this butterfly are mainly black, with small red patches on the thorax and a yellow underside of the abdomen. Caterpillars are pale brown, with long protrusions resembling thorns. They mainly feed on Aristolochia and Thottea species (Aristolochiaceae).

Troides aeacus closely resembles Troides helena cerebrus and differs as follows: Upperside, forewing: the pale adnervular streaks more prominent, in some specimens extended into the cell along the outer half of the subcostal and of the median nervules.

Hindwing: the cone-shaped terminal black markings in interspaces 2, 3, and 4 more or less broadly bordered on the inner side by a dusky area that is irrorated with blackish... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Cuc Phuong National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~20%
2 Cat Tien National Park 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~20%
3 Khao Yai National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~20%
4 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
5 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Phnom Penh 🇰🇭 Cambodia
~20%
2 Guwahati 🇮🇳 India
~10%
3 Ho Chi Minh City 🇻🇳 Vietnam
~10%
4 Bangkok 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%
5 Kuala Lumpur 🇲🇾 Malaysia
~10%
6 Hong Kong 🇨🇳 China
<5%
7 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Golden Birdwing in Phnom Penh?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Birdwing sighting in Phnom Penh on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 16th most-seen of the 22 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Golden Birdwing in Phnom Penh?

August and December–January

In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Golden Birdwing in Phnom Penh on a given day, against under 5% in February–July and October–November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Golden Birdwing?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Golden Birdwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Phnom Penh the best place to see a Golden Birdwing?

Yes

Of the 7 cities where we can rate Golden Birdwing sightings, Phnom Penh has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Guwahati (India, about 10%) and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Golden Birdwing live in Phnom Penh?

Same order: Lepidoptera

The closest relatives of the Golden Birdwing that you can see in Phnom Penh (order Lepidoptera, Butterflies and Moths) are Painted Jezebel (about 40%), Grey Pansy (about 40%) and Plain Tiger Butterfly (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Golden Birdwing sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Golden Birdwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Phnom Penh (5 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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