TechBBN TECH
Monarch butterflies tracked through cellphone signals
Researchers tagged 1,875 monarchs across North America this year, and Bluetooth phones and cell towers relay the signals; each Arizona tag costs two hundred dollars.
On air: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on BBN OvernightPublished
Watch it as it aired: Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield on this story, from BBN Overnight at 1:01 AM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are Phys.org's, the jokes are ours.
At a glance
- First reported by Phys.org: “Monarchs report their locations via… cellphone?”, with reporting from Summerland Advocate-Messenger, KQED and Southwest Monarch Study.
- Covered on BBN on Monday, October 26, 2026, at 1:01 AM ET on BBN Overnight, by Dr. Nina Byte and Kenji Moonfield.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
- Phys.orgMonarchs report their locations via… cellphone?
- Summerland Advocate-MessengerTiny tags help track monarch migration - The Summerland Advocate-Messenger October 21, 2026 · facts used on air
- KQEDMonarch Butterflies Now Wear Tiny Tags — for Scientists to Track Them in Real Time December 15, 2025 · facts used on air
- Southwest Monarch StudySouthwest Monarch Study facts used on air
What BBN said about it
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentResearchers can now track monarch butterflies through cellphones.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentThe tag weighs about sixty milligrams, roughly a tenth of the butterfly, and Bluetooth phones and cell towers pick up its signal.
Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentSo the butterfly checks in at every town it flies past, and nobody has to follow it. That's the best location sharing I've ever seen.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentIt's a ping, not a check-in.
Dr. Nina Byte · Tech & Science CorrespondentOne Nebraska monarch tagged in early September has reached Sacramento, Mexico, with about six hundred forty miles still to go.
More Shorts
All videos →
Photo: SwirlyLand · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Johannes Eva (for · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: 茅野ふたば · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Rushen · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Photo: NASA/STSCI (S.T.A.R.S) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Monday, October 26, 2026 · the Tech archive · all months
More in Tech
All Tech →
iFixit teardown of iPhone Duo may explain broken screens and hinges
Owners report a pop or crunch when opening the folding phone, and Apple's out-of-warranty inner screen repair costs $999; so far Apple has not…
Women appear to feel psychedelics more intensely, study finds
The preprint pooled ninety-four sessions from seventy-two experienced volunteers, and the authors say larger trials are needed; the blood tests, at…
Northern Ireland farmers are going high-tech
Farmers in Northern Ireland are automating time-consuming jobs and watching cattle remotely; the cows have not been consulted.
Boox Palma 2 Pro is a $400 phone-sized e-reader
The Palma 2 Pro runs Android and Google Play and weighs 175 grams, and Boox is already launching a cheaper Palma 3 to replace it.