Rincón de la Vieja National Park

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🦎 Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Volcanic Trails
🌍 #113 Global · 4.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #19 in Central America #49 in Tropical Forest
Guanacaste, Costa Rica 1031 spp. recorded

Rincón de la Vieja is Guanacaste's wildest national park — an active volcano surrounded by fumaroles, bubbling mud pots, and hot springs, wrapped in tropical dry forest that transitions to cloud forest at higher elevations. The park protects over 300 bird species and an impressive roster of mammals including three monkey species, tapirs, peccaries, coatis, and elusive big cats.

10.809° N   85.310° W

Wildlife

SIGHTING PROBABILITY Share of citizen-science records from the park that report this species
<5%
Rare5–20%
With luck20–40%
Possible40–70%
Likely>70%
Very likely
ACTIVITY PATTERN
☀️ Diurnal 🌙 Nocturnal 🌅 Crepuscular ☀️🌙 Day & Night

⭐ Iconic Species

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana ★
LC Endemic

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Ctenosaura similis

90–100% · Very likely
White-Throated Magpie-Jay ★

White-Throated Magpie-Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calocitta formosa

70–80% · Very likely
Long-tailed Manakin ★
LC

Long-tailed Manakin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chiroxiphia linearis

60–70% · Likely
Baird's Tapir ★

Baird's Tapir

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Tapirella bairdii

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Central American White-faced Capuchin
VU

Central American White-faced Capuchin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Cebus imitator

60–70% · Likely
Great Kiskadee
LC

Great Kiskadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pitangus sulphuratus

60–70% · Likely
Central American Agouti
LC Endemic

Central American Agouti

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Dasyprocta punctata

50–60% · Likely
Rainbow Ameiva
LC Endemic

Rainbow Ameiva

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Holcosus undulatus

50–60% · Likely
Keel-billed Toucan
NT

Keel-billed Toucan

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ramphastos sulfuratus

50–60% · Likely
Lesser Greenlet
LC

Lesser Greenlet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hylophilus decurtatus

50–60% · Likely
Rufous-capped Warbler
LC

Rufous-capped Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Basileuterus rufifrons

50–60% · Likely
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
LC

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanerpes hoffmannii

40–50% · Likely
Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

40–50% · Likely
Giant Marine Toad
LC

Giant Marine Toad

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Rhinella horribilis

40–50% · Likely
Lesson's Motmot
LC

Lesson's Motmot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Momotus lessonii

40–50% · Likely
Orange-chinned Parakeet
LC

Orange-chinned Parakeet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Brotogeris jugularis

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Baird's Tapir ★

Baird's Tapir

🌅 Crepuscular Mammal

Tapirella bairdii

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Central American White-faced Capuchin
VU

Central American White-faced Capuchin

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Cebus imitator

60–70% · Likely
Central American Agouti
LC Endemic

Central American Agouti

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Dasyprocta punctata

50–60% · Likely
Variegated Squirrel
LC

Variegated Squirrel

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Sciurus variegatoides

40–50% · Likely
Central American Spider Monkey
EN

Central American Spider Monkey

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Ateles geoffroyi

30–40% · Possible
Mantled Howler Monkey
VU

Mantled Howler Monkey

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Alouatta palliata

30–40% · Possible
White-nosed Coati
LC Endemic

White-nosed Coati

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Nasua narica

20–30% · Possible
Northern Tamandua
LC Endemic

Northern Tamandua

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Tamandua mexicana

10–20% · With luck
White-tailed Deer
LC Endemic

White-tailed Deer

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Odocoileus virginianus

10–20% · With luck
Tayra
LC

Tayra

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Eira barbara

Insufficient data
chestnut short-tailed bat
LC

chestnut short-tailed bat

🌙 Nocturnal Mammal

Carollia castanea

Insufficient data
hairy big-eared bat
LC

hairy big-eared bat

🌙 Nocturnal Mammal

Micronycteris hirsuta

Insufficient data
Sumichrast's Vesper Rat
LC

Sumichrast's Vesper Rat

🌙 Nocturnal Mammal

Nyctomys sumichrasti

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

White-Throated Magpie-Jay ★

White-Throated Magpie-Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calocitta formosa

70–80% · Very likely
Long-tailed Manakin ★
LC

Long-tailed Manakin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chiroxiphia linearis

60–70% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Great Kiskadee
LC

Great Kiskadee

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Pitangus sulphuratus

60–70% · Likely
Keel-billed Toucan
NT

Keel-billed Toucan

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ramphastos sulfuratus

50–60% · Likely
Lesser Greenlet
LC

Lesser Greenlet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Hylophilus decurtatus

50–60% · Likely
Rufous-capped Warbler
LC

Rufous-capped Warbler

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Basileuterus rufifrons

50–60% · Likely
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
LC

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Melanerpes hoffmannii

40–50% · Likely
Turkey Vulture
LC

Turkey Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Cathartes aura

40–50% · Likely
Lesson's Motmot
LC

Lesson's Motmot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Momotus lessonii

40–50% · Likely
Orange-chinned Parakeet
LC

Orange-chinned Parakeet

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Brotogeris jugularis

40–50% · Likely
White-fronted Parrot
LC

White-fronted Parrot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Amazona albifrons

40–50% · Likely
Black Vulture
LC

Black Vulture

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Coragyps atratus

40–50% · Likely
Montezuma Oropendola
LC

Montezuma Oropendola

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Psarocolius montezuma

40–50% · Likely
Banded Wren
LC

Banded Wren

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Thryophilus pleurostictus

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana ★
LC Endemic

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Ctenosaura similis

90–100% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Rainbow Ameiva
LC Endemic

Rainbow Ameiva

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Holcosus undulatus

50–60% · Likely
Neotropical Green Anole
LC

Neotropical Green Anole

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Anolis biporcatus

20–30% · Possible
Copper Anole
LC

Copper Anole

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Anolis cupreus

20–30% · Possible
Black-banded Snake
LC

Black-banded Snake

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Scolecophis atrocinctus

20–30% · Possible
Stream Anole
LC

Stream Anole

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Anolis oxylophus

20–30% · Possible
Four-lined Ameiva
LC

Four-lined Ameiva

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Holcosus quadrilineatus

20–30% · Possible
Fer-de-lance
LC

Fer-de-lance

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Bothrops asper

Insufficient data
Puffing Snake
LC

Puffing Snake

☀️ Diurnal Reptile

Phrynonax poecilonotus

20–30% · Possible
Helmeted Iguana
LC

Helmeted Iguana

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Corytophanes cristatus

10–20% · With luck
Common House Gecko
LC Endemic

Common House Gecko

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Hemidactylus frenatus

10–20% · With luck
Bighead Anole
LC

Bighead Anole

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Anolis capito

10–20% · With luck
Central American Boa
LC

Central American Boa

☀️🌙 Day & Night Reptile

Boa imperator

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Giant Marine Toad
LC

Giant Marine Toad

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Rhinella horribilis

40–50% · Likely
Warszewitsch's Frog

Warszewitsch's Frog

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Lithobates warszewitschii

20–30% · Possible
Milk Frog

Milk Frog

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Trachycephalus macrotis

Insufficient data
Dry Forest Toad
LC

Dry Forest Toad

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Incilius coccifer

Insufficient data
Fitzinger's Robber Frog
LC

Fitzinger's Robber Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Craugastor fitzingeri

Insufficient data
Masked Tree Frog
LC

Masked Tree Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Smilisca phaeota

Insufficient data
Turbo White-lipped Frog
LC

Turbo White-lipped Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Leptodactylus poecilochilus

Insufficient data
Savage's Thin-toed Frog
LC

Savage's Thin-toed Frog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Leptodactylus savagei

Insufficient data
Mexican Smilisca
LC

Mexican Smilisca

☀️🌙 Day & Night Amphibian

Smilisca baudinii

Insufficient data
Yellow Treefrog
LC

Yellow Treefrog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Dendropsophus microcephalus

Insufficient data
Red-eyed Treefrog
LC

Red-eyed Treefrog

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Agalychnis callidryas

Insufficient data
Wet Forest Toad
LC

Wet Forest Toad

🌅 Crepuscular Amphibian

Incilius melanochlorus

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🐦

Long-tailed Manakin Lek Courtship

AprMayJun

Male Long-tailed Manakins pair up at traditional leks to perform their coordinated duet-and-dance display for females.

Long-tailed Manakin
LC

Long-tailed Manakin

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chiroxiphia linearis

60–70% · Likely
🐸

Rainy Season Amphibian Breeding

JulOctNov

With the rains, giant toads and harlequin treefrogs gather to breed and call around ponds and streams.

Giant Marine Toad
LC

Giant Marine Toad

🌙 Nocturnal Amphibian

Rhinella horribilis

40–50% · Likely
🐒

Howler Monkey Vocal Activity

MarMayJulAug

Mantled howler troops call at dawn through the canopy, their roars carrying across the volcano slopes.

Mantled Howler Monkey
VU

Mantled Howler Monkey

☀️ Diurnal Mammal

Alouatta palliata

30–40% · Possible
🐦

Dry Forest Birding Peak

FebMarApr

Bare dry-season canopy makes magpie-jays and both motmots easy to spot along the Las Pailas trails.

Lesson's Motmot
LC

Lesson's Motmot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Momotus lessonii

40–50% · Likely
Turquoise-browed Motmot
LC

Turquoise-browed Motmot

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Eumomota superciliosa

40–50% · Likely
White-Throated Magpie-Jay

White-Throated Magpie-Jay

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Calocitta formosa

70–80% · Very likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Months
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Species Total
40–50
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana
90–100
90–100
80–90
80–90
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
90–100
80–90
90–100
80–90
White-Throated Magpie-Jay
60–70
80–90
70–80
80–90
70–80
80–90
70–80
60–70
50–60
60–70
50–60
80–90
Long-tailed Manakin
40–50
40–50
60–70
70–80
80–90
70–80
70–80
60–70
70–80
70–80
50–60
50–60
Baird's Tapir
30–40
40–50
20–30
30–40
30–40
10–20
30–40
30–40
60–70
40–50
50–60
30–40
Central American White-faced Capuchin
80–90
70–80
70–80
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
60–70
30–40
40–50
60–70
70–80
Great Kiskadee
50–60
60–70
80–90
70–80
50–60
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
60–70
50–60
50–60
Central American Agouti
50–60
50–60
70–80
60–70
40–50
60–70
30–40
50–60
60–70
60–70
50–60
50–60
Rainbow Ameiva
40–50
50–60
40–50
40–50
30–40
70–80
70–80
70–80
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
Keel-billed Toucan
40–50
60–70
40–50
60–70
60–70
60–70
50–60
70–80
70–80
60–70
30–40
40–50
Lesser Greenlet
40–50
40–50
50–60
40–50
60–70
70–80
50–60
60–70
50–60
60–70
30–40
50–60
Rufous-capped Warbler
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
50–60
60–70
30–40
60–70
50–60
60–70
40–50
50–60
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
40–50
40–50
40–50
60–70
50–60
50–60
40–50
50–60
Turkey Vulture
40–50
50–60
60–70
40–50
30–40
30–40
50–60
50–60
20–30
40–50
50–60
50–60
Giant Marine Toad
20–30
40–50
10–20
10–20
50–60
70–80
10–20
80–90
20–30
60–70
10–20
10–20
Lesson's Motmot
20–30
40–50
50–60
50–60
60–70
70–80
20–30
50–60
50–60
40–50
40–50
30–40
Orange-chinned Parakeet
20–30
40–50
50–60
50–60
40–50
70–80
60–70
50–60
30–40
40–50
50–60
30–40
Animal Events
🐦 Long-tailed Manakin Lek Courtship
🐸 Rainy Season Amphibian Breeding
🐦 Dry Forest Birding Peak
🐒 Howler Monkey Vocal Activity

Sighting Zones

Warm areas are where all species together are recorded most, so they track where people go as much as where animals are. For one species, see the map on its own page.

0.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Excellent
🦎 Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Volcanic Trails

Where Wildlife Score

How good is this park for seeing wildlife?
🦜

Biodiversity

Very good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg
4.3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
Species by taxon
🦅 Birds
661
🐒 Mammals
177
🦎 Reptiles
129
🐸 Amphibians
64
1031 Total Species
850 Global average across 296 parks
31 Threatened 79 Endemic
🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg
3.8 ★★★★★ ★★★★★
🎯
Top-12 Avg Probability
62% Global avg
61%
📊
Coverage (206 species at ≥5% of 1031 in the inventory)
24% Global avg
20%
🔀
Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 2 reptile, 2 mammal)
46% Global avg
67%
🔭
Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)
134 Global avg
136
🌟
Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)
15 Global avg
15
⭐
High-prob species (>40%)
27 Global avg
26

Quick answers

What animals can you see in Rincón de la Vieja National Park?

The most likely sightings are Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (seen by 90–100% of wildlife watchers), White-Throated Magpie-Jay (seen by 70–80% of wildlife watchers), Central American White-faced Capuchin (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Long-tailed Manakin (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers), Great Kiskadee (seen by 60–70% of wildlife watchers) — among 1031 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.

When is the best time to visit Rincón de la Vieja National Park for wildlife?

June has the highest combined sighting rate for the park's top species in our month-by-month GBIF data. The full sighting calendar on this page shows each species' best months.

Can you see Black Spiny-tailed Iguana in Rincón de la Vieja National Park?

Yes — about 91% of wildlife watchers report a Black Spiny-tailed Iguana sighting in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, based on 179 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see White-Throated Magpie-Jay in Rincón de la Vieja National Park?

Yes — about 73% of wildlife watchers report a White-Throated Magpie-Jay sighting in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, based on 590 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Long-tailed Manakin in Rincón de la Vieja National Park?

Yes — about 64% of wildlife watchers report a Long-tailed Manakin sighting in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, based on 516 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

Can you see Baird's Tapir in Rincón de la Vieja National Park?

Yes — about 36% of wildlife watchers report a Baird's Tapir sighting in Rincón de la Vieja National Park, based on 5 days of visitor records from GBIF citizen-science data.

⚖️

Rincón de la Vieja or ?

Compare species and sighting probabilities

Compare parks

Explore Other Parks

Tenorio Volcano National Park 📍 35 km 🐦 Costa Rica's Top Toucan Forest

Tenorio Volcano National Park

🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🌍 #59 Global · 4.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #7 in Central America #19 in Tropical Forest
Santa Rosa National Park 📍 40 km 🐢 Olive Ridley Arribada

Santa Rosa National Park

🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🌍 #63 Global · 4.4 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #8 in Central America #20 in Tropical Forest
Palo Verde National Park 📍 49 km 🐦 Jabiru Storks Over Flooded Marshes

Palo Verde National Park

🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🌍 #44 Global · 4.6 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #3 in Central America #13 in Tropical Forest
Arenal Volcano National Park 📍 76 km 🦃 Costa Rica's Top Guan & Curassow Forest

Arenal Volcano National Park

🇨🇷 Costa Rica 🌍 #47 Global · 4.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #5 in Central America #15 in Tropical Forest