Can a Butterfly Flapping Its Wings Really Cause a Hurricane? Q: Why are my butterfly's wings shaking? ANSWER: All insects are coldblooded unlike birds and mammals that maintain a constant high temperature. A butterfly vibrates its wings to increase the metabolic The beautiful madness of the butterflies' dance Butterflies The Guardian Ever notice a monarch butterfly vibrating its wings? This isn't just random behaviorit's a survival strategy called Shivering. Especially when temperatures drop, monarchs vibrate their wings to generate heat and warm Butterflies vibrate wings to warm up in cold weather