Carara National Park

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🦜 Scarlet Macaw Rainforest

⏱ 1 day 🥾 Easy trails

🌍 #104 Global · 4.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #21 in Central America #49 in Tropical Forest

Central Pacific, Costa Rica 1084 spp. recorded

Carara National Park protects the only transitional zone on Costa Rica's Central Pacific coast, where dry forest meets humid rainforest. With 430+ bird species and the country's largest nesting population of scarlet macaws, it delivers world-class birding just 90 minutes from San José.

9.784° N 84.571° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao

70–80% · Very likely

American Crocodile

Crocodylus acutus

20–30% · Possible

Central American White-faced Capuchin

Cebus imitator

50–60% · Likely

Green and Black Dart-poison Frog

Dendrobates auratus

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

Ctenosaura similis

80–90% · Very likely

Common Basilisk

Basiliscus basiliscus

60–70% · Likely

Delicate Ameiva

Holcosus leptophrys

50–60% · Likely

Chestnut-backed Antbird

Myrmeciza exsul

50–60% · Likely

Black-hooded Antshrike

Thamnophilus bridgesi

50–60% · Likely

Clay-colored Thrush

Turdus grayi

50–60% · Likely

Rufous-backed Wren

Campylorhynchus capistratus

50–60% · Likely

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

50–60% · Likely

Black Vulture

Coragyps atratus

50–60% · Likely

Great Kiskadee

Pitangus sulphuratus

50–60% · Likely

Central American Agouti

Dasyprocta punctata

40–50% · Likely

Black-mandibled Toucan

Ramphastos ambiguus

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Central American White-faced Capuchin

Cebus imitator

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Central American Agouti

Dasyprocta punctata

40–50% · Likely

Variegated Squirrel

Sciurus variegatoides

30–40% · Possible

Mantled Howler Monkey

Alouatta palliata

30–40% · Possible

White-nosed Coati

Nasua narica

30–40% · Possible

Northern Ghost Bat

Diclidurus albus

30–40% · Possible

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

20–30% · Possible

Northern Tamandua

Tamandua mexicana

20–30% · Possible

Greater Sac-winged Bat

Saccopteryx bilineata

20–30% · Possible

Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth

Choloepus hoffmanni

Insufficient data

Proboscis Bat

Rhynchonycteris naso

0–10% · With luck

Common tent-making Bat

Uroderma bilobatum

Insufficient data

Brown-throated Sloth

Bradypus variegatus

0–10% · With luck

⭐ Iconic Species

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Chestnut-backed Antbird

Myrmeciza exsul

50–60% · Likely

Black-hooded Antshrike

Thamnophilus bridgesi

50–60% · Likely

Clay-colored Thrush

Turdus grayi

50–60% · Likely

Rufous-backed Wren

Campylorhynchus capistratus

50–60% · Likely

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

50–60% · Likely

Black Vulture

Coragyps atratus

50–60% · Likely

Great Kiskadee

Pitangus sulphuratus

50–60% · Likely

Black-mandibled Toucan

Ramphastos ambiguus

40–50% · Likely

Orange-billed Sparrow

Arremon aurantiirostris

40–50% · Likely

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

Melanerpes hoffmannii

40–50% · Likely

Lesser Greenlet

Hylophilus decurtatus

40–50% · Likely

Blue-gray Tanager

Thraupis episcopus

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

American Crocodile

Crocodylus acutus

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

Ctenosaura similis

80–90% · Very likely

Common Basilisk

Basiliscus basiliscus

60–70% · Likely

Delicate Ameiva

Holcosus leptophrys

50–60% · Likely

Copper Anole

Anolis cupreus

40–50% · Likely

Green Iguana

Iguana iguana

30–40% · Possible

White-throated Gecko

Gonatodes albogularis

30–40% · Possible

Many-scaled Anole

Anolis polylepis

20–30% · Possible

Helmeted Iguana

Corytophanes cristatus

20–30% · Possible

Fer-de-lance

Bothrops asper

20–30% · Possible

Common House Gecko

Hemidactylus frenatus

20–30% · Possible

Border Anole

Anolis limifrons

20–30% · Possible

Neotropical Green Anole

Anolis biporcatus

20–30% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

Green and Black Dart-poison Frog

Dendrobates auratus

70–80% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Giant Marine Toad

Rhinella horribilis

30–40% · Possible

Harlequin Treefrog

Dendropsophus ebraccatus

20–30% · Possible

Yellow Treefrog

Dendropsophus microcephalus

20–30% · Possible

Red-eyed Treefrog

Agalychnis callidryas

20–30% · Possible

Savage's Thin-toed Frog

Leptodactylus savagei

20–30% · Possible

Fitzinger's Robber Frog

Craugastor fitzingeri

20–30% · Possible

Rainforest Toad

Incilius aucoinae

10–20% · Possible

Sipurio Snouted Treefrog

Scinax elaeochroa

10–20% · Possible

Masked Tree Frog

Smilisca phaeota

10–20% · With luck

Milk Frog

Trachycephalus macrotis

10–20% · With luck

Yellow Toad

Incilius luetkenii

10–20% · With luck

Drab Tree Frog

Smilisca sordida

10–20% · With luck

Animal Events

🦜

Scarlet Macaw Nesting Season

DecJanFebMarAprMay

Brilliant crimson-and-blue Scarlet Macaws pair off and claim cavities high in old-growth trees, their raucous squawks echoing through the canopy as mated couples ferry food to nestlings. Watch for the flashes of scarlet as devoted partners fly wingtip to wingtip between roost and nest.

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao

70–80% · Very likely

🐊

American Crocodile Nesting

FebMarAprMay

Female American Crocodiles haul out to excavate riverbank nests and guard their clutches, a rare glimpse of maternal care in one of the largest reptiles in the Americas. The Tárcoles population gathers in impressive numbers, with hefty adults basking along the muddy banks.

American Crocodile

Crocodylus acutus

20–30% · Possible

🐦

Migratory Bird Peak

NovDecJanFebMar

Flocks of northern songbirds pour into the forest to escape the cold, splashing the understory with the gold of Yellow Warblers, the fiery orange of Baltimore Orioles, and the deep red of Summer Tanagers. Their arrival swells birdlife to its most colorful and abundant.

Yellow Warbler

Setophaga petechia

30–40% · Possible

Summer Tanager

Piranga rubra

30–40% · Possible

Baltimore Oriole

Icterus galbula

20–30% · Possible

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

American Crocodile

20–30

20–30

10–20

10–20

10–20

30–40

0–10

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

20–30

Central American White-faced Capuchin

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

Green and Black Dart-poison Frog

50–60

50–60

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

90–100

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

60–70

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

Common Basilisk

50–60

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

50–60

70–80

70–80

70–80

30–40

50–60

60–70

Delicate Ameiva

60–70

40–50

50–60

60–70

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

50–60

50–60

20–30

50–60

Chestnut-backed Antbird

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

70–80

70–80

60–70

50–60

50–60

Black-hooded Antshrike

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

Clay-colored Thrush

50–60

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

50–60

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

Rufous-backed Wren

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

60–70

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

60–70

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

40–50

Central American Agouti

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

30–40

40–50

60–70

30–40

50–60

Black-mandibled Toucan

40–50

30–40

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

50–60

50–60

30–40

50–60

40–50

Animal Events

🐦 Migratory Bird Peak

🦜 Scarlet Macaw Nesting Season

🐊 American Crocodile Nesting

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

🦜 Scarlet Macaw Rainforest

🦜

Biodiversity

Very good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.5 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

709

🐒 Mammals

209

🦎 Reptiles

109

🐸 Amphibians

57

1084 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

35 Threatened 79 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

63%

📊

Coverage (254 species at ≥5% of 1084 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

23%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (7 bird, 3 reptile, 1 amphibian, 1 mammal)

47% Global avg

78%

🔭

Species per 10 outings (distinct species a visitor would meet over 10 outings — effort held equal across parks)

132 Global avg

173

🌟

Iconic-group species (≥15%) (every species from the 19 iconic groups — monkeys, cats, toucans, macaws, sloths, crocodilians… — not just the 4 highlighted above)

14 Global avg

14

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

23

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