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Common Birdwing | Daily Animal Facts

Animal profile

Common Birdwing

Troides helena

InsectaLowland rainforest, secondary forest, plantations and forest edgeLeast Concern

Field profile

A large black-and-gold swallowtail widespread across tropical Asia. Females are larger and duller than males. Larvae feed on Aristolochia vines, giving the adults chemical defence, and the whole genus is regulated under international wildlife trade rules.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2025-10-27

Common Birdwing

Every birdwing is regulated by trade treaty

All Ornithoptera, Troides and Trogonoptera species are listed under CITES, even common ones like Troides helena. The listing is not because each is rare but because birdwings are hard to tell apart in trade.

Read with evidence →