The giant swallowtail butterfly, Papilio Cresphantes, more than lives up to its name. It can grow bigger than some birds.

Giant swallowtails are in fact the largest butterfly to inhabit North America, with an average wingspan of more than four-and-a-half inches. Large ones can exceed six inches and approach seven.

They're found throughout all of Florida's 67 counties and most of the eastern United States, ranging as far north as southern New England (and Canada), across the Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains, into the southwest, eastward through the Gulf to the Atlantic. They're found in Mexico, through Central America to South America.

Giants are distinguished from most other swallowtails found in Florida by the yellow-gold band that cuts horizontally across the forewings. Schaus' swallowtail is similar, but it's rare and limited only to the Florida Keys. The giant has yellow marking on the "tails" of the hindwings, versus all black for Schaus'. Their undersides are mostly yellow, with black accents on the hindwings, and a band of blue, red and black that's hinted at when the butterfly is viewed from above.

In South Florida, giant swallowtails are active year-round. In the northern part of the state, they're "in flight" all months but January and February. In the northern extremes of their range, they're active May through September.