Masaya Volcano National Park
🇳🇮 Nicaragua
🦎 Best Place for Black Spiny-tailed IguanasMasaya is the rare park where you drive to the rim of an active crater. Its best-known animals are the chocoyos — Pacific parakeets that nest on the inner walls of the Santiago crater and fly in and out through the volcanic gases.
11.995° N 86.161° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Pacific Parakeet
Aratinga strenua
★ 
Red-eyed Treefrog
Agalychnis callidryas
★ 
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana
Ctenosaura similis
★ 
Mantled Howler Monkey
Alouatta palliata
📊 Most Spotted
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Rufous-backed Wren
Campylorhynchus capistratus
White-winged Dove
Zenaida asiatica
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
Melanerpes hoffmannii
Cinnamon-bellied Saltator
Saltator grandis
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives
Turquoise-browed Motmot
Eumomota superciliosa
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Scrub Euphonia
Euphonia affinis
Cinnamon Hummingbird
Amazilia rutila
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Columbina talpacoti
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Variegated Squirrel
Sciurus variegatoides
Derby's Woolly Opossum
Caluromys derbianus
Common Opossum
Didelphis marsupialis
Central American White-faced Capuchin
Cebus imitator
White-tailed Deer
Odocoileus virginianus
Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat
Artibeus jamaicensis
Mexican Greater Funnel-eared Bat
Natalus mexicanus
Southern Spotted Skunk
Spilogale angustifrons
Virginia Opossum
Didelphis virginiana
Jaguarundi
Puma yagouaroundi
Sumichrast's Vesper Rat
Nyctomys sumichrasti
Lesser Sac-winged Bat
Saccopteryx leptura
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Rufous-backed Wren
Campylorhynchus capistratus
White-winged Dove
Zenaida asiatica
Hoffmann's Woodpecker
Melanerpes hoffmannii
Cinnamon-bellied Saltator
Saltator grandis
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Melodious Blackbird
Dives dives
Turquoise-browed Motmot
Eumomota superciliosa
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Scrub Euphonia
Euphonia affinis
Cinnamon Hummingbird
Amazilia rutila
Ruddy Ground-Dove
Columbina talpacoti
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Green Iguana
Iguana iguana
White-throated Gecko
Gonatodes albogularis
Central American Boa
Boa imperator
Blackbelly Racerunner
Aspidoscelis deppii
Common House Gecko
Hemidactylus frenatus
Rainbow Ameiva
Holcosus undulatus
Blood Snake
Stenorrhina freminvillei
Taylor's Blind Snake
Epictia ater
Black-banded Cat-eyed Snake
Leptodeira nigrofasciata
Striped Lowland Snake
Leptodrymus pulcherrimus
Golden Spectacled Tegu
Gymnophthalmus speciosus
Copper Anole
Anolis cupreus
Recent sightings in Masaya Volcano National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Treefrogs in the Rains
Red-eyed treefrogs and Mexican treefrogs breed through the wet season and call from the forest pools after dark.
2Howler Troops in the Dry Forest
Mantled howlers and white-faced capuchins concentrate in the remaining shade and are heard across the whole park.
3Iguanas Out in the Open
Black spiny-tailed iguanas and green iguanas bask on the open rock along the crater road, easily seen from the car.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Treefrogs in the Rains
- 2Howler Troops in the Dry Forest
- 3Iguanas Out in the Open
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Masaya Volcano National Park?
The most likely sightings are Clay-colored Thrush (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Rufous-backed Wren (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), White-winged Dove (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Hoffmann's Woodpecker (seen by about 90% of wildlife watchers), Cinnamon-bellied Saltator (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers) — among 580 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Masaya Volcano National Park for wildlife?
March 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 Pacific Parakeet in Masaya Volcano National Park?
It's possible but not guaranteed: about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pacific Parakeet sighting in Masaya Volcano National Park, based on 173 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Sightings take luck and time in the field.
Can you see Red-eyed Treefrog in Masaya Volcano National Park?
It's possible but not guaranteed: about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red-eyed Treefrog sighting in Masaya Volcano National Park, based on 1 verified sighting from GBIF citizen-science data. Sightings take luck and time in the field.
Can you see Black Spiny-tailed Iguana in Masaya Volcano National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Black Spiny-tailed Iguana sighting in Masaya Volcano National Park, based on 25 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Mantled Howler Monkey in Masaya Volcano National Park?
It's possible but not guaranteed: about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Mantled Howler Monkey sighting in Masaya Volcano National Park, based on 1 verified sighting from GBIF citizen-science data. Sightings take luck and time in the field.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
GoodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
Very goodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
