Arenal Volcano National Park
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
🦃 Costa Rica's Top Guan & Curassow ForestArenal Volcano is Costa Rica's most iconic volcano, a near-perfect cone rising 1,670 meters above Lake Arenal and surrounding rainforest. The park protects a transition zone between lowland rainforest and cloud forest, creating exceptional habitat diversity. Old lava flows host a remarkable succession of pioneer plants and wildlife, while the surrounding forests shelter toucans, howler monkeys, coatis, and over 500 bird species.
10.455° N 84.711° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
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Red-eyed Treefrog
Agalychnis callidryas
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White-nosed Coati
Nasua narica
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Brown-throated Sloth
Bradypus variegatus
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Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus
📊 Most Spotted
Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Ramphocelus passerinii
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Middle American Ameiva
Holcosus festivus
Montezuma Oropendola
Psarocolius montezuma
Crested Guan
Penelope purpurascens
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Bananaquit
Coereba flaveola
Black-mandibled Toucan
Ramphastos ambiguus
Palm Tanager
Thraupis palmarum
Great Curassow
Crax rubra
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Mantled Howler Monkey
Alouatta palliata
Variegated Squirrel
Sciurus variegatoides
Central American Agouti
Dasyprocta punctata
Central American Spider Monkey
Ateles geoffroyi
Collared Peccary
Pecari tajacu
Central American White-faced Capuchin
Cebus imitator
Northern Tamandua
Tamandua mexicana
Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth
Choloepus hoffmanni
Gabb's Cottontail
Sylvilagus gabbi
Tayra
Eira barbara
Red-tailed Squirrel
Sciurus granatensis
Kinkajou
Potos flavus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Ramphocelus passerinii
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Montezuma Oropendola
Psarocolius montezuma
Crested Guan
Penelope purpurascens
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Bananaquit
Coereba flaveola
Black-mandibled Toucan
Ramphastos ambiguus
Palm Tanager
Thraupis palmarum
Great Curassow
Crax rubra
Green Honeycreeper
Chlorophanes spiza
📊 Most Spotted
Middle American Ameiva
Holcosus festivus
Basiisk Verde
Basiliscus plumifrons
Mourning Gecko
Lepidodactylus lugubris
Border Anole
Anolis limifrons
Fer-de-lance
Bothrops asper
Decorated Anole
Anolis insignis
Ornate Cat-eyed Snake
Leptodeira ornata
Green Iguana
Iguana iguana
Cloudy Snail-eating Snake
Sibon nebulatus
Helmeted Iguana
Corytophanes cristatus
Neotropical Green Anole
Anolis biporcatus
Blunthead Tree Snake
Imantodes cenchoa
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Strawberry Poison-dart Frog
Oophaga pumilio
Warszewitsch's Frog
Lithobates warszewitschii
Masked Tree Frog
Smilisca phaeota
Giant Marine Toad
Rhinella horribilis
Harlequin Treefrog
Dendropsophus ebraccatus
Savage's Thin-toed Frog
Leptodactylus savagei
Mahogany Tree Frog
Tlalocohyla loquax
Emerald Glass Frog
Espadarana prosoblepon
Green and Black Dart-poison Frog
Dendrobates auratus
Fitzinger's Robber Frog
Craugastor fitzingeri
Wet Forest Toad
Incilius melanochlorus
Pygmy Rain Frog
Pristimantis ridens
Recent sightings in Arenal Volcano National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
2Raptor Migration
Vast rivers of raptors funnel over the volcano as American Swallow-tailed Kites carve the sky on forked, black-and-white wings and thousands of Broad-winged Hawks spiral upward in swirling 'kettles.' The steady lift off Arenal's slopes makes it a front-row seat for one of the continent's great aerial migrations.
1Frog Chorus & Night-Tour Season
When the rains swell the forest, Arenal's amphibians erupt into a nocturnal breeding chorus led by the neon-green Red-eyed Treefrog clinging to leaves above the ponds, the tiny crimson Strawberry Poison Dart Frog, and the delicate Harlequin Treefrog. Night tours turn a headlamp beam into a treasure hunt of jewel-bright frogs calling for mates.
3Fruiting-Season Toucan & Aracari Activity
As forest trees heavy with fruit ripen, boisterous flocks of toucans and aracaris move in to feast, tossing berries down their throats with a flick of the head. Watch for the rainbow bill of the Keel-billed Toucan, the sleek Collared Aracari, and the deep-voiced Black-mandibled Toucan gathering in the canopy.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Frog Chorus & Night-Tour Season
- 2Raptor Migration
- 3Fruiting-Season Toucan & Aracari Activity
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Arenal Observatory Lodge’s night tour was particularly good for seeing frogs, toads and eyelash pit vipers, though we also saw a Mexican mouse opossum, a praying mantis, a tarantula, stick insects and fireflies, to name but a few.
Along the walk we saw, c lockwise after the Scarlet Macaw: - a Viper - a Great Curassow - a Broad-billed Motmot - a Laughing Falcon Threatening rain sent us to lunch at Selva Rustica where we both had corvina fish, Bill with rosemary butter and Pat with sea food sauce.
Walking back we found a pair of usually-scarce Smoky-brown Woodpeckers foraging near the road along with a beautiful Black-cheeked Woodpecker, and further down there was a little group of Black-striped Sparrows.
Late in the afternoon while sitting out on our deck we heard a ruckus from a number of birds and then saw an Ornate Hawk Eagle pop into view.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Arenal Volcano National Park?
The most likely sightings are White-nosed Coati (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Scarlet-rumped Tanager (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Red-eyed Treefrog (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Middle American Ameiva (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 1298 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Arenal Volcano National Park for wildlife?
March 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 Red-eyed Treefrog in Arenal Volcano National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Red-eyed Treefrog sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park, based on 694 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see White-nosed Coati in Arenal Volcano National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a White-nosed Coati sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park, based on 1,089 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Brown-throated Sloth in Arenal Volcano National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-throated Sloth sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park, based on 164 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Keel-billed Toucan in Arenal Volcano National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Keel-billed Toucan sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park, based on 5,615 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
ExcellentHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
