Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
🇧🇿 Belize
🐒 Jaguar and Howler Monkey BasinCockscomb was the first protected area in the world created for jaguars, and they are still here: recorded on about one visit in five, mostly as tracks on the trails at first light.
16.749° N 88.671° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Jaguar
Panthera onca
★ 
Mexican Black Howler Monkey
Alouatta pigra
★ 
Baird's Tapir
Tapirella bairdii
★ 
Keel-billed Toucan
Ramphastos sulfuratus
📊 Most Spotted
Spot-breasted Wren
Pheugopedius maculipectus
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Brown Basilisk
Basiliscus vittatus
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
White-collared Manakin
Manacus candei
Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Short-billed Pigeon
Patagioenas nigrirostris
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Black-headed Trogon
Trogon melanocephalus
White-breasted Wood-Wren
Henicorhina leucosticta
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Jaguar
Panthera onca
★ Mexican Black Howler Monkey
Alouatta pigra
★ Baird's Tapir
Tapirella bairdii
📊 Most Spotted
Central American Red Brocket
Mazama temama
White-nosed Coati
Nasua narica
Kinkajou
Potos flavus
Deppe's Squirrel
Sciurus deppei
Gray Fox
Urocyon cinereoargenteus
Northern Tamandua
Tamandua mexicana
Collared Peccary
Pecari tajacu
Ocelot
Leopardus pardalis
Greater Spear-nosed Bat
Phyllostomus hastatus
Mexican Mouse Opossum
Marmosa mexicana
Desmarest's Spiny Pocket Mouse
Heteromys desmarestianus
West Indian Manatee
Trichechus manatus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Spot-breasted Wren
Pheugopedius maculipectus
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Amazilia tzacatl
Social Flycatcher
Myiozetetes similis
White-collared Manakin
Manacus candei
Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Short-billed Pigeon
Patagioenas nigrirostris
Turkey Vulture
Cathartes aura
Black-headed Trogon
Trogon melanocephalus
White-breasted Wood-Wren
Henicorhina leucosticta
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
📊 Most Spotted
Brown Basilisk
Basiliscus vittatus
Middle American Ameiva
Holcosus festivus
Red Coffee Snake
Ninia sebae
Yucatán Banded Gecko
Coleonyx elegans
Helmeted Iguana
Corytophanes cristatus
White-lipped Mud Turtle
Kinosternon leucostomum
Blunthead Tree Snake
Imantodes cenchoa
Hernandez’s Helmeted Basilisk
Corytophanes hernandesii
Mesoamerican Slider
Trachemys venusta
Cloudy Snail-eating Snake
Sibon nebulatus
Variable Coralsnake
Micrurus diastema
Fer-de-lance
Bothrops asper
📊 Most Spotted
Central American Gulf Coast Toad
Incilius valliceps
Giant Marine Toad
Rhinella horribilis
Vaillant's Frog
Lithobates vaillanti
Mexican Smilisca
Smilisca baudinii
Yellow Treefrog
Dendropsophus microcephalus
Long-Legged Streamfrog
Craugastor sabrinus
Mexican Mushroomtongue Salamander
Bolitoglossa mexicana
Julian's Frog
Lithobates juliani
Stauffer's Tree Frog
Scinax staufferi
Rufescent Salamander
Bolitoglossa rufescens
Elegant Narrow-mouthed Toad
Gastrophryne elegans
Mexican Burrowing Toad
Rhinophrynus dorsalis
Recent sightings in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Jaguars and Tapirs on the Trails
Jaguars and Baird's tapir leave tracks along the trails and river crossings, at their most recorded of the year.
2Howlers and Coatis in the Dry Months
Yucatán black howler troops call across the basin at dawn and coati bands work the forest floor.
3Frogs and Toads in the Rains
Cane toads and Mexican tree frogs breed in every pool and call through the night.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Jaguars and Tapirs on the Trails
- 2Howlers and Coatis in the Dry Months
- 3Frogs and Toads in the Rains
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Just outside the visitor center we saw some very colorful birds, both the smaller Golden-hooded Tanager and an Olive-backed Euphonia were spending time together in the same tree, they reminded me of the colorful warblers that also spend time in Central America and then travel up to the PNW in summer time.
Throughout the hike, our guide pointed out a mesmerizing array of nocturnal wildlife: the elusive kinkajou climbing above us, a glimpse of a majestic ocelot slipping through the undergrowth, large tarantulas peeking from burrows, and non-venomous snakes gliding silently across the path.
It’s possible you’ll see a jaguar in Belize, and while it is highly unlikely, it’s not impossible – as we proved when we got incredibly lucky and saw one ourselves!
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?
The most likely sightings are Spot-breasted Wren (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Great Kiskadee (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Rufous-tailed Hummingbird (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Brown Basilisk (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Social Flycatcher (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 860 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 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 Jaguar in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Jaguar sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Mexican Black Howler Monkey in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Mexican Black Howler Monkey sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Baird's Tapir in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Baird's Tapir sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Keel-billed Toucan in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Keel-billed Toucan sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 704 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
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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