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Rajah Brooke's Birdwing
Trogonoptera brookiana
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumArthropoda (Arthropods)
- ClassInsecta (Insects)
- OrderLepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- FamilyPapilionidae (Swallowtails and Parnassians)
- GenusTrogonoptera
- SpeciesTrogonoptera brookiana (Rajah Brooke's Birdwing)
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
66 Verified sightings at Kinabalu Park From 2019 to 2026
93 In all 2 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
About the Rajah Brooke's Birdwing
Trogonoptera brookiana, Rajah Brooke's birdwing, is a birdwing butterfly from the rainforests of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Natuna, Sumatra, and various small islands west of Sumatra (Banyak, Simeulue, Batu and Mentawai). The butterfly was named by the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1855, after James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak. The larval host plants are Aristolochia acuminata and A. foveolata. Adults sip flower nectar from plants such as Bauhinia. Rajah Brooke's birdwing is a protected species, listed under Appendix II of CITES, meaning that international export is restricted to those who have been granted a permit. It is the national butterfly of Malaysia.
Both sexes resemble the more restricted relative, the Palawan birdwing, but males of Rajah Brooke's birdwing have more green to the hindwings. The wingspan of Rajah Brooke's birdwing is 15–17 cm (5.9–6.7 in). The wings of males are mainly black. Each forewing has seven tooth-shaped electric-green markings, while there is a relatively large electric-green patch on the hindwings. The head is bright red and the body is black with red markings. The wings of females are browner with prominent white flashes... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Rajah Brooke's Birdwing in Kinabalu Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Closest Relatives at Kinabalu Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Rajah Brooke's Birdwing in Kinabalu Park?
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Rajah Brooke's Birdwing sighting in Kinabalu Park on a given day, based on 66 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 4th most-seen of the 297 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Rajah Brooke's Birdwing in Kinabalu Park?
October
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Rajah Brooke's Birdwing in Kinabalu Park on a given day, against about 20% in April and November–December, the lowest months.
What time of day is best to see a Rajah Brooke's Birdwing?
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rajah Brooke's Birdwing sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Is Kinabalu Park the best place to see a Rajah Brooke's Birdwing?
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Rajah Brooke's Birdwing sightings, Kinabalu Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Danum Valley Conservation Area (Malaysia, about 30%).
Which relatives of the Rajah Brooke's Birdwing live in Kinabalu Park?
Same family: Papilionidae
The closest relatives of the Rajah Brooke's Birdwing that you can see in Kinabalu Park (family Papilionidae, Swallowtails and Parnassians) are Great Mormon Swallowtail (about 30%), Malayan Birdwing (about 30%) and Borneo Birdwing (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
Where does the Rajah Brooke's Birdwing sighting chance come from?
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Rajah Brooke's Birdwing is recorded against all the insects logged in Kinabalu Park (66 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.
