Malaysia Day Special: Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing

Trogonoptera brookiana, or more commonly known as the Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing, was first described in 1855 by a British naturalist, Alfred R. Wallace in Borneo.

Alfred Russel Wallace

He named the species in honour of James Brooke, the first Rajah of Sarawak.  Up till today, this beautiful butterfly species is commonly known as the Rajah Brooke’s birdwing or The Rajah Brooke’s butterfly.

Sir James Brooke

The Rajah Brooke’s birdwing belongs to the group of butterflies in the family Papilionidae known as the ‘birdwings’ particularly because of their outstandingly big size, pointed wings and their bird-like flight. Apart from that, their resting state posture is unlike other butterflies. Here, this photo would explain it better than me:

The difference between the resting posture of birdwings and other butterflies.

The Rajah Brooke’s birdwing expresses sexual dimorphism, which means the male and female butterfly look different from one another.

The males need to sip in mineral-rich water, as they require sodium and potassium to activate their adult behaviour. Therefore, they are often seen congregating at riverbanks and mud puddles.

In the early years after its discovery, the encounter with the female Rajah Brooke’s birdwing is very rare, that it was thought that the ration between male and female is 1000:1. However, this is untrue. The females tend to fly at higher canopy, therefore minimizing the chance for its encounter.

The Rajah Brooke’s birdwing is one of the most promoted butterflies, particularly here in Malaysia as it is our National Butterfly. Visit Penang Butterfly Farm to see this beautiful ‘King’ live, right before your eyes! And don’t forget your camera!

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Mother Nature