Environment & Ecology

Southern Birdwing butterfly recorded for the first time in Telangana

By TestNeeti Editorial TeamPublished Thursday, 2 July 2026 2 min readSource: GKTodayArticle 12 of 21

The Southern Birdwing, scientifically named Troides minos, was recorded in Telangana's Amrabad Tiger Reserve on 27 June 2026 — the first documented record of the species in Telangana. The species is endemic to South India and is associated mainly with the Western Ghats. It belongs to the family Papilionidae (swallowtail butterflies), is also known as the Sahyadri Birdwing, and occurs in forested habitats of the Western Ghats across Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and parts of Maharashtra. Among India's largest butterflies, it is recognised as the state butterfly of Karnataka, and is noted for black wings with yellow markings. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classifies it as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Amrabad Tiger Reserve lies in the Nallamala Hills, part of the Eastern Ghats landscape.

Key Facts & Details

9 points

1
The Southern Birdwing (Troides minos) was recorded in Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Telangana, on 27 June 2026.
2
It is the first documented record of the Southern Birdwing in Telangana.
3
The species is endemic to South India and associated mainly with the Western Ghats.
4
It belongs to the family Papilionidae, is also called the Sahyadri Birdwing, and is among India's largest butterflies.
5
It is recognised as the state butterfly of Karnataka and is known for black wings with yellow markings.
6
The IUCN classifies the Southern Birdwing as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Deep Dive

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The species occurs across Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and parts of Maharashtra in Western Ghats forests.
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Amrabad Tiger Reserve is located in the Nallamala Hills and forms part of the Eastern Ghats landscape in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
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The Least Concern category is used for species with a wide distribution or stable populations under current assessment criteria.

Exam Focus

Examiners may ask the scientific name of the Southern Birdwing (Troides minos), which state's state butterfly it is (Karnataka), or where it was first recorded in Telangana (Amrabad Tiger Reserve).

Exam Relevance & Angle

The first Telangana record of the Southern Birdwing expands the known range of a Western Ghats-endemic species into the Eastern Ghats landscape. Such sightings enrich biodiversity documentation and highlight the ecological value of tiger reserves like Amrabad.

Target Exams

UPSC CSEState PCSSSC CGLRRB NTPC

Background & Context

The Southern Birdwing (Troides minos) is a large swallowtail butterfly of the family Papilionidae, endemic to peninsular India and strongly tied to the Western Ghats, a UNESCO-listed biodiversity hotspot. Karnataka declared it the state butterfly, reflecting its ecological and cultural significance. The IUCN Red List ranks species by extinction risk, from Least Concern to Critically Endangered; the Southern Birdwing is currently Least Concern. Amrabad Tiger Reserve, in Telangana's Nallamala Hills within the Eastern Ghats, is one of India's largest tiger reserves and a rich repository of flora and fauna.