Chagres National Park
🇵🇦 Panama
🐒 Monkeys & Sloths RainforestChagres National Park protects 129,000 hectares of tropical rainforest in the watershed that feeds the Panama Canal. The park is home to Emberá indigenous communities accessible by dugout canoe, and its old-growth forests shelter harpy eagles, jaguars, and abundant primate troops.
9.378° N 79.426° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Geoffroy’s Tamarin
Saguinus geoffroyi
★ 
Mantled Howler Monkey
Alouatta palliata
★ 
Brown-throated Sloth
Bradypus variegatus
★ 
Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus
📊 Most Spotted
Crimson-backed Tanager
Ramphocelus dimidiatus
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Golden-hooded Tanager
Stilpnia larvata
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Bay-headed Tanager
Tangara gyrola
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Tiaris olivaceus
Palm Tanager
Thraupis palmarum
Hepatic Tanager
Piranga flava
Southern House Wren
Troglodytes musculus
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
Saucerottia edward
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Geoffroy’s Tamarin
Saguinus geoffroyi
★ Mantled Howler Monkey
Alouatta palliata
★ Brown-throated Sloth
Bradypus variegatus
📊 Most Spotted
Red-tailed Squirrel
Sciurus granatensis
Central American Agouti
Dasyprocta punctata
Northern Tamandua
Tamandua mexicana
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
White-nosed Coati
Nasua narica
Common Opossum
Didelphis marsupialis
Tayra
Eira barbara
Kinkajou
Potos flavus
Spotted Paca
Cuniculus paca
Andean Porcupine
Coendou quichua
Variegated Squirrel
Sciurus variegatoides
Derby's Woolly Opossum
Caluromys derbianus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Crimson-backed Tanager
Ramphocelus dimidiatus
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Golden-hooded Tanager
Stilpnia larvata
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Bay-headed Tanager
Tangara gyrola
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Yellow-faced Grassquit
Tiaris olivaceus
Palm Tanager
Thraupis palmarum
Hepatic Tanager
Piranga flava
Southern House Wren
Troglodytes musculus
Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
Saucerottia edward
📊 Most Spotted
Common Basilisk
Basiliscus basiliscus
American Crocodile
Crocodylus acutus
Helmeted Iguana
Corytophanes cristatus
Puffing Snake
Phrynonax poecilonotus
Turniptail Gecko
Thecadactylus rapicauda
Green Iguana
Iguana iguana
Caribbean Least Gecko
Sphaerodactylus homolepis
Blunthead Tree Snake
Imantodes cenchoa
Mourning Gecko
Lepidodactylus lugubris
Dusky Giant Ameiva
Ameiva praesignis
Brown Anole
Anolis sagrei
Rainforest Hog-nosed Viper
Porthidium nasutum
📊 Most Spotted
Giant Marine Toad
Rhinella horribilis
Forest Toad
Rhinella alata
Masked Tree Frog
Smilisca phaeota
Leaf Litter Toad
Rhaebo haematiticus
Guayaquil Dwarf Frog
Engystomops pustulosus
Gaige's Rain Frog
Pristimantis gaigei
Pugnosed Tree Frog
Smilisca sila
Fitzinger's Robber Frog
Craugastor fitzingeri
Camp Sasardi Salamander
Bolitoglossa cuna
Ghost Glass Frog
Sachatamia ilex
Green Climbing Toad
Incilius coniferus
Green and Black Dart-poison Frog
Dendrobates auratus
Animal Events
1Raptor Migration Over the Watershed
Migrating vultures and broad-winged hawks funnel over the canal watershed in large flocks.
2Sloth & Coati Dry-Season Activity
Sloths and coatis move visibly through the drier, more open canal-watershed forest.
3Poison Dart Frog Breeding Season
Green-and-black poison dart frogs and red-eyed treefrogs breed in the wet-season leaf litter and pools.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Raptor Migration Over the Watershed
- 2Sloth & Coati Dry-Season Activity
- 3Poison Dart Frog Breeding Season
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Red-legged Honeycreeper (male) Red-legged Honeycreeper (female) Thick-billed Euphonia** (male) If this was the welcome party, I couldn’t wait to see what lay ahead.
Traveling slowly up the left side of the river we looked for birds, especially toucans, crocodiles and anything else we could see.
Along our way back through the San Lorenzo National Park & Rainforest, we saw howler and capuchin monkeys, as well as a white nosed coati.
Our first notable birds of the day were a relatively cooperative pair of Bay-headed Tanagers, which we found at our brief stop in at the main office.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Chagres National Park?
The most likely sightings are Crimson-backed Tanager (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Blue-gray Tanager (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Golden-hooded Tanager (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Clay-colored Thrush (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers) — among 1149 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Chagres National Park for wildlife?
September 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 Geoffroy’s Tamarin in Chagres National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Geoffroy’s Tamarin sighting in Chagres National Park, based on 28 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Mantled Howler Monkey in Chagres National Park?
It's possible but not guaranteed: about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mantled Howler Monkey sighting in Chagres National Park, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Sightings take luck and time in the field.
Can you see Brown-throated Sloth in Chagres National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Brown-throated Sloth sighting in Chagres National Park, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Keel-billed Toucan in Chagres National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Keel-billed Toucan sighting in Chagres National Park, based on 831 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
Very goodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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