Pollinator Zone Maps
Pollinator conservation runs on two kinds of maps: ecoregions (what to plant where) and corridors (the routes migratory species actually follow). Here's a plain-language guide to both, plus an illustrative schematic of the Americas.
Illustrative Overview
How the corridors run, north to south
Illustrative schematic only — not to scale and not geographically precise. See "Live, Official Maps & Tools" below for accurate, up-to-date interactive maps.
What To Plant Where
Ecoregional Planting Guides
The Pollinator Partnership publishes 24 free "Selecting Plants for Pollinators" guides, each tailored to a specific ecoregion of the United States and Canada. Each 24-page guide covers regional pollinators, recommended native plants, host plants, bloom periods, and the flower traits (color, shape, scent) that local pollinators prefer. Enter your zip code at pollinator.org/guides to find your ecoregion and download your free guide.
Boreal & Taiga
Northern Canada – short growing season, bumble bees and specialist native bees dominate.
Eastern Broadleaf Forest
Eastern U.S. & southern Canada – core monarch breeding range and swamp/butterfly milkweed territory.
Great Plains Steppe
Central flyway for monarchs – the Mid-America Monarch Conservation Strategy region.
Mediterranean California
Coastal California overwintering groves for the western monarch population.
Sonoran & Chihuahuan Desert
Agave and columnar cactus country – core of the lesser long-nosed bat's nectar corridor.
Sierra Madre & Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
Home to the oyamel fir forests of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.
Tropical & Subtropical (Central America)
Overwintering grounds for ruby-throated hummingbirds and rich native bee diversity.
Andean & Amazonian (South America)
Extraordinary hummingbird and native bee diversity, still being mapped and studied.
Following The Routes
Migratory Corridors, Explained
Monarch Flyways
Monarchs split into two populations at the Rocky Mountain divide. The eastern population funnels down through Texas into the oyamel fir forests of Michoacán and the State of Mexico. The western population follows the Pacific coast and overwinters in groves along the California coastline.
Hummingbird Corridor
Rufous hummingbirds loop up the Pacific coast and Rocky Mountain corridor from Mexico to Alaska each spring, then return south through the interior in fall. Ruby-throated hummingbirds take a more direct path, crossing the Gulf of Mexico non-stop between Central America/Mexico and the eastern U.S. and Canada.
Bat Nectar Corridor
Lesser long-nosed bats follow a chain of blooming agave and cactus north from Mexico into Arizona and the Sonoran Desert each spring (Coastal Lowland and Inland Montane routes), returning south each fall along an Inland Agave Corridor.
Why Corridors Break Down
Any gap in the chain — a mowed roadside, a herbicide-cleared field, a removed agave stand — can strand a migrating population without fuel. Corridor conservation is about keeping the whole chain intact, not just protecting the endpoints.
Go Deeper
Live, Official Maps & Tools
| Tool | What it shows | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Pollinator Partnership Ecoregion Guide Finder | Your specific ecoregional planting guide by zip code | pollinator.org/guides ↗ |
| Journey North Interactive Maps | Real-time monarch, hummingbird, and milkweed sighting maps | journeynorth.org ↗ |
| NWF / Interactive Monarch Migration Map | Eastern and western monarch migration routes and timing | butterfly.nwf.org ↗ |
| U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Monarch Migration Map | Official federal map of the monarch migration range | fws.gov ↗ |
| Cornell Lab / All About Birds Range Maps | Seasonal range maps for ruby-throated and rufous hummingbirds | allaboutbirds.org ↗ |
| Bat Conservation International – Agave Restoration Initiative | Nectar corridor routes and restoration project sites | batcon.org ↗ |