Monarch Butterflies never fly at night. They can 't. Once the ambient temperature drops below fifty-five degrees,they become sluggish, unable to flap their wings. This is crucial because every autumn, monarch do something no other butterflies do: they migrate unimaginably long distances. Monarchs born east of the Rockies typically go to Mexico. Those born east of the rockies go for the most part to the California coast. They travel forty-four miles a day on average , but sometimes as many as two hundred, and all off it by day. Unlike songbirds, which often migrate in the dark to elude predators, monarchs are limited to flying out in the open when it is sunny enough for them, and warm enough, and not too windy.