Episode 12

The Giant of the Skies – The Birdwing Butterfly

Some butterflies flutter. Some dance on the wind. But the Birdwing Butterfly—it soars.

With wings that stretch nearly a foot across, this giant of the skies is the largest butterfly in the world. It moves not like an insect, but like a bird, commanding the air with elegance and power. For centuries, its beauty made it a target—hunted, collected, and stolen. Yet, like all truly majestic things, the Birdwing remains untamed, soaring above the hands that sought to claim it.


In this episode of Gleam of Butterflies, we explore:

🦋 The Birdwing’s astonishing size and graceful flight—why it moves more like a bird than a butterfly.

🦋 The history of obsession—how its rarity made it one of the most sought-after species in the world.

🦋 Its ties to royalty, power, and freedom—what this butterfly symbolizes across cultures.

🦋 Why some creatures are meant to be admired, not owned.


Join Adrian Adair, The King of Butterflies, as we journey into the realm of the untouchable, the extraordinary—the Birdwing.

About the Podcast

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Gleam Of Butterflies
A poetic journey into the mystery, beauty, and transformation of butterflies. Hosted by Adrian Adair

About your host

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Adrian Adair

There are those who simply admire butterflies—and then there are those who seem to move with them, understanding their silent language, following their unseen paths.

Adrian Adair is one of the latter.

The creator and voice behind Gleam of Butterflies, Adrian doesn’t just study butterflies—he listens to them. He traces their flight through myth and time, unearthing the stories they carry on their wings. With each episode, he takes listeners on a journey through forgotten legends, poetic symbolism, and the quiet miracles of nature.

His voice is both a guide and a whisper—leading through the gilded shimmer of the Blue Morpho, the spectral mystery of the Black Swallowtail, the eternal migration of the Monarch. He speaks of butterflies as spirits, as omens, as echoes of transformation, revealing what cultures across history have always known: these creatures are more than delicate wings. They are messages, waiting to be understood.

Some people chase butterflies. Adrian walks among them.

Follow the flight, and step into the wonder.