Itatiaia National Park

🇧🇷 Brazil

🐒 Capuchin and Alpine Toad Highlands

⏱ 2–3 days 🥾 Moderate trails

🌍 #77 Global · 4.2 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #13 in South America #33 in Savanna & Grassland

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1276 spp. recorded

Itatiaia stacks Atlantic forest below and open alpine grassland above 2,000 m, and each level has its own animal. Black-horned capuchins are recorded on nine visits in ten in the lower forest, and the Itatiaia highland toad — a small dark frog that lives only on these summits — on nearly as many trips to the top.

-22.361° S 44.667° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Black capuchin

Sapajus nigritus

40–50% · Likely

Maldonada redbelly toad

Melanophryniscus moreirae

40–50% · Likely

Red-breasted Toucan

Ramphastos dicolorus

50–60% · Likely

Black-and-gold Cotinga

Lipaugus ater

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Zonotrichia capensis

70–80% · Very likely

Dusky-legged Guan

Penelope obscura

70–80% · Very likely

Saffron Finch

Sicalis flaveola

60–70% · Likely

Brazilian Ruby

Clytolaema rubricauda

60–70% · Likely

Golden-crowned Warbler

Basileuterus culicivorus

60–70% · Likely

Maroon-bellied Parakeet

Pyrrhura frontalis

60–70% · Likely

Rufous-bellied Thrush

Turdus rufiventris

60–70% · Likely

Picazuro Pigeon

Patagioenas picazuro

60–70% · Likely

Blue-and-white Swallow

Notiochelidon cyanoleuca

60–70% · Likely

Southern House Wren

Troglodytes musculus

50–60% · Likely

Violet-capped Woodnymph

Thalurania glaucopis

50–60% · Likely

White-eyed Parakeet

Aratinga leucophthalma

50–60% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Black capuchin

Sapajus nigritus

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Tayra

Eira barbara

10–20% · Possible

Dicotyles tajacu

Pecari tajacu

Insufficient data

Crab-eating Fox

Cerdocyon thous

Insufficient data

Black-fronted Titi Monkey

Callicebus nigrifrons

Insufficient data

Maned Wolf

Chrysocyon brachyurus

Insufficient data

Brown-throated Sloth

Bradypus variegatus

Insufficient data

Yellow Pygmy Rice Rat

Oligoryzomys flavescens

Insufficient data

Nine-banded Armadillo

Dasypus novemcinctus

Insufficient data

Atlantic Forest hocicudo

Oxymycterus dasytrichus

Insufficient data

Capybara

Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris

Insufficient data

South American Coati

Nasua nasua

Insufficient data

Southern Tamandua

Tamandua tetradactyla

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

Red-breasted Toucan

Ramphastos dicolorus

50–60% · Likely

Black-and-gold Cotinga

Lipaugus ater

20–30% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Rufous-collared Sparrow

Zonotrichia capensis

70–80% · Very likely

Dusky-legged Guan

Penelope obscura

70–80% · Very likely

Saffron Finch

Sicalis flaveola

60–70% · Likely

Brazilian Ruby

Clytolaema rubricauda

60–70% · Likely

Golden-crowned Warbler

Basileuterus culicivorus

60–70% · Likely

Maroon-bellied Parakeet

Pyrrhura frontalis

60–70% · Likely

Rufous-bellied Thrush

Turdus rufiventris

60–70% · Likely

Picazuro Pigeon

Patagioenas picazuro

60–70% · Likely

Blue-and-white Swallow

Notiochelidon cyanoleuca

60–70% · Likely

Southern House Wren

Troglodytes musculus

50–60% · Likely

Violet-capped Woodnymph

Thalurania glaucopis

50–60% · Likely

White-eyed Parakeet

Aratinga leucophthalma

50–60% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Argentine Black-and-white Tegu

Salvator merianae

40–50% · Likely

Tropical House Gecko

Hemidactylus mabouia

30–40% · Possible

Yarará Lancehead

Bothrops jararaca

20–30% · Possible

Neuwied's False Fer-de-lance

Xenodon neuwiedii

20–30% · Possible

Paraguay Mabuya

Aspronema dorsivittatum

20–30% · Possible

Jiboinha

Tropidodryas striaticeps

10–20% · Possible

Jackson's Fathead Anole

Enyalius perditus

10–20% · Possible

Aesculapian False Coral Snake

Erythrolamprus aesculapii

Insufficient data

Two-headed Sipo

Chironius bicarinatus

Insufficient data

Chicken Snake

Spilotes pullatus

Insufficient data

Neotropical Rattlesnake

Crotalus durissus

Insufficient data

Painted Coral Snake

Micrurus corallinus

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

Maldonada redbelly toad

Melanophryniscus moreirae

40–50% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Yellow Cururu Toad

Rhinella icterica

40–50% · Likely

Blacksmith Tree Frog

Boana faber

10–20% · Possible

Pumpkin Toadlet

Brachycephalus ephippium

10–20% · Possible

Cope's Eastern Paraguay Tree Frog

Boana polytaenia

Insufficient data

Clay Robber Frog

Haddadus binotatus

Insufficient data

Mantiqueira Smooth-horned Frog

Proceratophrys mantiqueira

Insufficient data

Boie's Frog

Proceratophrys boiei

Insufficient data

Teresopolis Treefrog

Aplastodiscus arildae

Insufficient data

Elegant Forest Tree Frog

Dendropsophus elegans

Insufficient data

Guinle Treefrog

Aplastodiscus leucopygius

Insufficient data

Corcovado Tree Frog

Dendropsophus seniculus

Insufficient data

Leopard Tree Frog

Boana pardalis

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🐸

Highland Toads on the Summits

OctNovDec

The endemic Itatiaia highland toad emerges among the summit rocks during its brief breeding season.

Maldonada redbelly toad

Melanophryniscus moreirae

40–50% · Likely

🐦

Hummingbird Feeder Gatherings

SepOctNovDec

Black jacobins and frilled coquettes crowd the lodge feeders and flowering trees.

Black Jacobin

Florisuga fusca

30–40% · Possible

Frilled Coquette

Lophornis magnificus

20–30% · Possible

🐒

Capuchins and Tegus in

DecJanFebMar

Black capuchins forage around the park roads while tegu lizards bask in the summer heat.

Black capuchin

Sapajus nigritus

40–50% · Likely

Argentine Black-and-white Tegu

Salvator merianae

40–50% · Likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

50–60

40–50

50–60

60–70

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

20–30

60–70

20–30

20–30

40–50

60–70

70–80

60–70

30–40

10–20

30–40

Maldonada redbelly toad

40–50

60–70

60–70

20–30

20–30

20–30

10–20

10–20

20–30

50–60

80–90

40–50

Red-breasted Toucan

40–50

0–10

20–30

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

40–50

60–70

60–70

50–60

40–50

Black-and-gold Cotinga

10–20

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

10–20

10–20

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

Rufous-collared Sparrow

70–80

80–90

80–90

80–90

70–80

70–80

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

80–90

Dusky-legged Guan

50–60

30–40

60–70

80–90

50–60

60–70

70–80

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

90–100

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

70–80

60–70

50–60

60–70

70–80

70–80

70–80

50–60

50–60

50–60

70–80

40–50

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

70–80

50–60

Golden-crowned Warbler

70–80

50–60

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

Maroon-bellied Parakeet

60–70

40–50

50–60

80–90

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

Rufous-bellied Thrush

60–70

20–30

50–60

70–80

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

70–80

70–80

60–70

Picazuro Pigeon

30–40

50–60

50–60

50–60

40–50

60–70

60–70

60–70

70–80

60–70

60–70

40–50

Blue-and-white Swallow

40–50

60–70

40–50

60–70

60–70

40–50

50–60

50–60

70–80

60–70

60–70

70–80

Southern House Wren

50–60

10–20

40–50

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

60–70

Violet-capped Woodnymph

40–50

40–50

40–50

70–80

40–50

60–70

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

White-eyed Parakeet

50–60

50–60

60–70

20–30

20–30

20–30

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

70–80

50–60

Animal Events

🐦 Hummingbird Feeder Gatherings

🐸 Highland Toads on the Summits

🐒 Capuchins and Tegus in

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

🐒 Capuchin and Alpine Toad Highlands

🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

780

🐒 Mammals

200

🦎 Reptiles

155

🐸 Amphibians

141

1276 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

52 Threatened 211 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

64%

📊

Coverage (270 species at ≥5% of 1276 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

21%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (12 bird)

47% Global avg

0%

🔭

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

132 Global avg

203

🌟

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

11

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

45

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