Stibochiona nicea
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
Stibochiona nicea, the popinjay, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in Asia. The male upperside is a deep velvety black. The forewing is a cell with three somewhat obscure light blue transverse short lines, a curved series of four discal and of five postdiscal white spots anteriorly, and a complete series of subterminal similar spots, bordered inwardly by a row of paired blue marks on each side of veins 1 to 6.
The hindwing is a postdiscal blue transverse sinuous line not reaching the costa or dorsum, followed by a subterminal series of blue circular marks with black centres, their rims outwardly white. The cilia of both forewings and hindwings are white, alternating with black on the forewing, while continuous on the hindwing. The underside is purplish black.
On the forewing, the cell-marks better defined, the discal and postdiscal series of spots are sinuous, on each of seven spots; the subterminal row of spots is as on the upperside, but larger. The line of blue paired marks on the veins borders the subterminal row on the inner side above is absent. In the hindwing are three obliquely placed subbasal spots and a transverse sinuous line of discal spots... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Namdapha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 2 | Cuc Phuong National Park | 🇻🇳 Vietnam | |
| 3 | Doi Inthanon National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Popinjay sighting in Doi Inthanon National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 131st most-seen of the 153 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Popinjay in Doi Inthanon National Park on a given day, against under 5% in May to January, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Popinjay sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Popinjay sightings, Doi Inthanon National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Namdapha National Park (India, about 50%) and Cuc Phuong National Park (Vietnam, about 30%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Popinjay that you can see in Doi Inthanon National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Lemon Pansy (about 30%), Red Lacewing Butterfly (about 30%) and Chocolate Pansy (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Popinjay is recorded against all the insects logged in Doi Inthanon National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
