Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
🐒 Reliable Monkey SightingsCabo Blanco is Costa Rica's very first protected area, established in 1963 by Swedish conservationist Nils Olof Wessberg. At the southern tip of the Nicoya Peninsula, where dry and wet tropical forests converge, the reserve shelters an extraordinary mix of wildlife — white-faced capuchins, howler monkeys, white-tailed deer, agoutis, coatis, and over 240 bird species including Costa Rica's largest colony of brown boobies.
9.504° N 85.082° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Mantled Howler Monkey
Alouatta palliata
★ 
Central American White-faced Capuchin
Cebus imitator
★ 
Magnificent Frigatebird
Fregata magnificens
★ 
Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
📊 Most Spotted
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana
Ctenosaura similis
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Variegated Squirrel
Sciurus variegatoides
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Rufous-backed Wren
Campylorhynchus capistratus
Giant Marine Toad
Rhinella horribilis
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
Melanerpes hoffmannii
Orange-chinned Parakeet
Brotogeris jugularis
White-nosed Coati
Nasua narica
Rose-bellied Lizard
Sceloporus variabilis
Black-headed Trogon
Trogon melanocephalus
White-Throated Magpie-Jay
Calocitta formosa
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Mantled Howler Monkey
Alouatta palliata
★ Central American White-faced Capuchin
Cebus imitator
📊 Most Spotted
Variegated Squirrel
Sciurus variegatoides
White-nosed Coati
Nasua narica
Central American Agouti
Dasyprocta punctata
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Common Raccoon
Procyon lotor
Northern Tamandua
Tamandua mexicana
Northern Ghost Bat
Diclidurus albus
Humpback Whale
Megaptera novaeangliae
Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine
Sphiggurus mexicanus
Greater Bulldog Bat
Noctilio leporinus
Pantropical Spotted Dolphin
Stenella attenuata
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Rufous-backed Wren
Campylorhynchus capistratus
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
Melanerpes hoffmannii
Orange-chinned Parakeet
Brotogeris jugularis
Black-headed Trogon
Trogon melanocephalus
White-Throated Magpie-Jay
Calocitta formosa
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Spotted Sandpiper
Actitis macularius
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Bare-throated Tiger Heron
Tigrisoma mexicanum
📊 Most Spotted
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana
Ctenosaura similis
Rose-bellied Lizard
Sceloporus variabilis
Common Basilisk
Basiliscus basiliscus
Green Iguana
Iguana iguana
White-throated Gecko
Gonatodes albogularis
Central American Boa
Boa imperator
Mourning Gecko
Lepidodactylus lugubris
Common House Gecko
Hemidactylus frenatus
Pacific Ridley
Lepidochelys olivacea
Copper Anole
Anolis cupreus
Rhombic Cat-eyed Snake
Leptodeira rhombifera
Central American Lyresnake
Trimorphodon quadruplex
📊 Most Spotted
Giant Marine Toad
Rhinella horribilis
Mexican Smilisca
Smilisca baudinii
Milk Frog
Trachycephalus macrotis
Yellow Toad
Incilius luetkenii
Fitzinger's Robber Frog
Craugastor fitzingeri
Red-eyed Treefrog
Agalychnis callidryas
Savage's Thin-toed Frog
Leptodactylus savagei
Boulenger's Snouted Tree Frog
Scinax boulengeri
Mexican White-lipped Frog
Leptodactylus fragilis
Turbo White-lipped Frog
Leptodactylus poecilochilus
Sheep Frog
Hypopachus variolosus
Yellow Treefrog
Dendropsophus microcephalus
Recent sightings in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Howler Monkey Breeding Season
Troops of mantled howler monkeys turn the forest canopy into a theater of deep, throaty roars that carry for kilometers as males call to defend territory and win mates. Follow the booming chorus at dawn and dusk to find them lounging and feeding in the treetops.
2Seabird Nesting Congregation
Magnificent frigatebirds and brown pelicans crowd together to nest in a raucous seabird colony, the males inflating scarlet throat pouches while pelicans plunge-dive offshore for fish. The dense congregation of squabbling adults and downy chicks makes for an unforgettable spectacle.
3Migrant Bird Season
When northern migrants pour south, flame-red summer tanagers and flashing orange Baltimore orioles brighten the forest edge while ospreys hover and dive over the coastal waters. Their arrival swells the birdlife with a burst of color and activity.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Howler Monkey Breeding Season
- 2Seabird Nesting Congregation
- 3Migrant Bird Season
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve?
The most likely sightings are Black Spiny-tailed Iguana (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Mantled Howler Monkey (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Central American White-faced Capuchin (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Great Kiskadee (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Variegated Squirrel (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 749 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve for wildlife?
February 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 Mantled Howler Monkey in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Mantled Howler Monkey sighting in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve, based on 125 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Central American White-faced Capuchin in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Central American White-faced Capuchin sighting in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve, based on 126 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Magnificent Frigatebird in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Magnificent Frigatebird sighting in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve, based on 661 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Brown Pelican in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Brown Pelican sighting in Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve, based on 693 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
