Birdwing butterfly

The Birdwing Butterfly, is considered the rarest butterfly in the game, with reference to its immense size and rarity in real life. It can be found during the Summer, between the months of June and September, between 8am to 5pm. It can be found flying near flowers.

In it appears only on the island during the day in a similar fashion to the Purple Butterfly; it appears above trees when entering the acre. However unlike the Purple which comes down to the ground, it will continue circling high out of net reach until the player spooks it simply by throwing the net nearby, which makes it descend and flee. As it only appears around trees, fruit must be brought over from the village and planted.

Donating to the Museum
As with all insects in the series, the birdwing butterfly can be donated to the Museum followed by a short monologue by Blathers, the curator.

In Animal Forest e+
On donation it flies at the bottom left of the museum around the Coconut Palm where the crabs reside.

In Wild World
Blathers will say;

"Though I know this is a type of tiger butterfly, its size is simply monstrous! Are you trying to terrify me with this behemoth? No, you wouldn't do that. Rather shabby of me to suggest you would... Please accept my apologies!"

It can be found on or flying around the row of flowers on the right of the first room, with the other butterflies.

In City Folk
Blathers will say;

"Hoo my, what a butterfly... I now see why it's touted as the world's largest butterfly, eh wot? I'd heard the wings of this particular butterfly can extend over a foot...but up close, they look bigger still! If one of these flew into me while I was out flying... I'd likely pass out in horror and plummet on the spot!"

In New Leaf
When observing it in the Museum;

"The world's largest butterflies, birdwing butterflies, have wings that can measure 30 cm long. The females have longer wings than the males, while the males' wings have a deeper blue color. Though they are extremely popular with collectors, international trading is either limited or fully banned."

It can be found on it's information sign in the top-left room.

Encyclopedia Information
When the player has caught the Birdwing butterfly, they can find information about the insect in the bug menu. Below is the information regarding the birdwing:

Animal Forest e+
 
 * Birdwing

Further Information
The Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is considered the largest butterfly in the world. It is named after Queen Alexandra who is the wife of King Edward VII from the United Kingdom. It was originally discovered by Albert Stewart Meek, who was employed by Lord Walter Rothschild (who named it) in 1907, in Papua New Guinea. It was shot down using a shotgun, but its early stages were discovered via breeding. The female birdwing has a wingspan of up to 31 cm, while the male (which appears in game) has a smaller wingspan of up to 26 cm.

It is critically endangered, but not through hunting by means of animal or man (though this does have an effect); most of the island was destroyed during a volcanic eruption, wiping out parts of the birdwing's habitat, contributing heavily to its endangerment. It flies quite high up in the rainforest, making it hard to see and catch, which is the main reason for hunters shooting them with shotguns. The birdwing in Animal Crossing also flies higher than usual butterflies, similar to the Purple Butterfly; a reference to its flying habits in the real world.