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Loudoun Wildlife ConservancyLoudoun Wildlife Conservancy
  • About Us
    • Mission & Vision
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Volunteer Program Coordinators
    • Our Partners
    • Contributing Photographers
  • Events
  • Our Work
    • Education
      • Programs and Field Trips
      • Youth and Family Program
      • Peterson Young Naturalist Program
      • Habitat Herald
      • Eagle Cam at Dulles Wetlands
    • Citizen Science
      • Stream Monitoring
      • Butterfly Count
      • Amphibian Monitoring
      • Bluebird Monitoring
      • Bird Counts
    • Habitat Conservation
      • Habitat Restoration in the Community
      • Protecting Pollinators
      • Wildlife Sanctuary Program
      • Plant NoVA Natives
      • Native Plant Sales
      • Greening Your Neighborhood
    • Conservation Advocacy
      • Current Campaigns
      • Dark Skies
      • Past Campaigns
    • JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary
      • Overview of JK Black Oak
      • What’s Happening
      • Vernal Pools
      • Flora and Fauna
      • Volunteers at Work
      • Support the Sanctuary
  • Store
  • Resources
  • Volunteer
    • Volunteer opportunities
    • Volunteer application
    • Waiver form
    • Volunteer hours
  • Contact
  • Stay Informed!
  • Donate

Butterfly Count

Annual Butterfly Count

Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy has coordinated the Annual Loudoun Butterfly count since 1997. The count takes place in early August, which is the peak time for butterflies in our area. We report our data to the North American Butterfly Association, which tracks butterfly populations.

As is true with other wildlife, the population numbers and locations of butterflies give great insights into habitat health and diversity.  Butterflies need many kinds of plants to develop and survive. Many species will visit areas that are weedy and wild and have lots of native plants. A new lawn or an area that has been sprayed with pesticides will see few or no species.

The annual Loudoun Wildlife count pairs beginners with experts and sends teams to different parts of the county. Participants can go out for half a day or all day. If you have a copy of the Field Guide to the Butterflies of Loudoun County, bring that with you. You may also want to bring Bob Blakney’s 2015 book, Northern Virginia Butterflies and Skippers, or his 2020 update, Butterflies of the Mid Atlantic.  And don’t forget the Loudoun Butterfly Checklist.

Join us by signing up below. If you’d like to lead a team on count day, you can sign up using this form.

Count Data and Reports

If you would like to know which species have been seen during previous years, you can view butterfly count data and reports.

More Information About Butterflies

  • The Xerces Society  website provides articles and programs of interest, as well as publications.
  • The North American Butterfly Association  also has plenty of useful information and links.
  • Butterfly Gardens for Northern Virginia provides information on attracting butterflies with plants native to our area.
  • Butterfliesandmoths.org is a good site for butterfly species information in North America.

Registration

Join us for the Butterfly Count on August 2, 2025.

Butterfly Count Circle

Butterfly Count Circle

View interactive map

Download count circle map

Our Work

  • DISCOVER: Education
    • Programs and Field Trips
    • Youth and Family Program
    • Peterson Young Naturalist Program
    • Habitat Herald
    • Eagle Cam at Dulles Wetlands
  • EXPLORE: Citizen Science
    • Stream Monitoring
      • Benthic Macroinvertebrate Surveys
      • Clean Drinking Water for Lucketts
      • Salt Watch
    • Butterfly Count
    • Amphibian and Reptile Monitoring
    • Bluebird Trails/Nestbox Monitoring
    • Bird Counts:
      • Christmas Bird Count
      • Celebrate Birds/Birdathon
      • Young Birding Program
      • Bird Atlas
  • RESTORE: Habitat Conservation
    • Habitat Restoration In the Community
    • Protecting Pollinators
      • Native Bees
      • Bringing Back the Monarch
    • Wildlife Sanctuary Program
    • Plant NoVA Natives
    • Native Plant Sales
    • Greening Your Neighborhood
  • PROTECT: Conservation Advocacy
    • Current Campaigns
    • Dark Skies
    • Past Campaigns
  • PRESERVE: JK Black Oak Wildlife Sanctuary
    • Overview of JK Black Oak
    • What’s Happening
    • Vernal Pools
    • Flora and Fauna
    • Volunteers at Work
    • Support the Sanctuary
LOUDOUN'S GREAT PLACES

Citizen Science News

  • Celebrate Birds, Go Birding 2025: Bird Walks and The Big Sit To celebrate spring migration and World Migratory Bird Day, Loudoun...
    Read More
  • Loudoun Bluebird Notes Loudoun Bluebird Notes is published several times a year for...
    Read More
  • Loudoun Bluebird Trail Data Click on the links below to view the data collected...
    Read More

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