Tailed jay
Males gather at damp mud and puddles in groups, filtering large volumes of liquid through their bodies while barely pausing their constantly fluttering wings.
| Where | Forest clearings, grassland and gardens |
|---|---|
| Size | 65 to 85 mm wingspan |
| When | January to December |
The Tailed jay has apple green spots of varying sizes scattered over a black background, with a short tail on each hindwing and pointed projections at the forewing tip. It is a strong, restless flier that keeps its wings fluttering even while feeding at flowers such as Lantana and Ixora.
Caterpillars feed on trees in the custard apple, cinnamon and champak families, and begin dark brown with two white stripes before turning green and taking on an unusual shape, wider at the head end and tapering toward the tail, ahead of pupation.
Traits
Habitat
Garden
Colour
Green, Black
Active
Day
To people
Visits garden flowers; safe to touch.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
Wing markings form pale blue, semi-transparent bands rather than the scattered apple green spots of the Tailed jay.
Questions
Is the Tailed jay dangerous to people?
Visits garden flowers; safe to touch.
When can you see the Tailed jay?
The Tailed jay can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by Maf Yunda, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Swallowtails›Graphium
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.