Poás Volcano National Park
🇨🇷 Costa Rica
🐦 Highland Hummingbird Cloud ForestPoás protects one of the world's most accessible active volcanic craters — a massive turquoise acid lake surrounded by dwarf cloud forest at 2,700 meters elevation. The park is a highland birding hotspot where Fiery-throated Hummingbirds, Volcano Hummingbirds, and the elusive Resplendent Quetzal inhabit moss-draped forests just minutes from the crater rim.
10.198° N 84.228° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Fiery-throated Hummingbird
Panterpe insignis
★ Volcano Hummingbird
Selasphorus flammula
★ 
Resplendent Quetzal
Pharomachrus mocinno
★ 
White-nosed Coati
Nasua narica
📊 Most Spotted
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager
Chlorospingus pileatus
Slaty Flowerpiercer
Diglossa plumbea
Mountain Elaenia
Elaenia frantzii
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
Henicorhina leucophrys
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Black-and-yellow Phainoptila
Phainoptila melanoxantha
Mountain Thrush
Turdus plebejus
Wilson's Warbler
Cardellina pusilla
Yellow-thighed Finch
Atlapetes tibialis
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush
Catharus gracilirostris
Sooty Thrush
Turdus nigrescens
Common Chlorospingus
Chlorospingus flavopectus
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Variegated Squirrel
Sciurus variegatoides
Red-tailed Squirrel
Sciurus granatensis
Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth
Choloepus hoffmanni
Central American Spider Monkey
Ateles geoffroyi
Baird's Tapir
Tapirella bairdii
Jaguar
Panthera onca
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Fiery-throated Hummingbird
Panterpe insignis
★ Volcano Hummingbird
Selasphorus flammula
★ Resplendent Quetzal
Pharomachrus mocinno
📊 Most Spotted
Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager
Chlorospingus pileatus
Slaty Flowerpiercer
Diglossa plumbea
Mountain Elaenia
Elaenia frantzii
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
Henicorhina leucophrys
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Black-and-yellow Phainoptila
Phainoptila melanoxantha
Mountain Thrush
Turdus plebejus
Wilson's Warbler
Cardellina pusilla
Yellow-thighed Finch
Atlapetes tibialis
Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush
Catharus gracilirostris
Sooty Thrush
Turdus nigrescens
Common Chlorospingus
Chlorospingus flavopectus
📊 Most Spotted
Side-striped palm pit viper
Bothriechis lateralis
Stream Anole
Anolis oxylophus
Middle American Ameiva
Holcosus festivus
Slender Anole
Anolis woodi
Black Spiny-tailed Iguana
Ctenosaura similis
📊 Most Spotted
Rana Montanera
Lithobates vibicarius
Red-eyed Treefrog
Agalychnis callidryas
Golden-groined Robber Frog
Pristimantis cruentus
Cerro Utyum Robber Frog
Craugastor podiciferus
Common Worm Salamander
Oedipina uniformis
Green and Black Dart-poison Frog
Dendrobates auratus
Warszewitsch's Frog
Lithobates warszewitschii
Blue-sided Tree Frog
Agalychnis annae
Recent sightings in Poás Volcano National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
2Quetzal Breeding Season
During the breeding season the Resplendent Quetzal turns loud and conspicuous, the male trailing shimmering emerald tail plumes as he calls and courts through the montane cloud forest. It is the best window to catch this legendary bird perched, vocal, and tending its nest.
1Highland Hummingbird Peak
High on the volcano's flanks, Fiery-throated and Volcano Hummingbirds swarm the summit bromeliads and feeders, jewel-bright specks buzzing through the cold mountain air. Watch them hover and dart between blossoms, iridescent throats flaring as they refuel at these chilly elevations.
3Neotropical Migrant Season
North American warblers like Wilson's Warbler and Black-throated Green Warbler pour into the Poás highlands to spend the northern winter, flitting through the cloud-forest canopy alongside resident birds. Their arrival swells the mountain's diversity with flashes of yellow and restless, foliage-gleaning energy.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Highland Hummingbird Peak
- 2Quetzal Breeding Season
- 3Neotropical Migrant Season
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
In the end, we only encountered a few variegated squirrels, along with a yellow-thighed finch, a large-footed finch, and a euphonia, their flashes of movement and colour briefly breaking the stillness.
We still saw some birds the feeders, best being a female Red-headed Barbet, but no Prong-billed Barbet nor toucanet.
With one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, it wasn’t long before we spotted something interesting from our tour bus – this hairy coconut is a sloth, although we didn’t get any more of an indication of his slothfulness beyond his refusal to move.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Poás Volcano National Park?
The most likely sightings are Fiery-throated Hummingbird (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Slaty Flowerpiercer (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Mountain Elaenia (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 1261 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Poás Volcano National Park for wildlife?
November 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 Fiery-throated Hummingbird in Poás Volcano National Park?
Yes — about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Fiery-throated Hummingbird sighting in Poás Volcano National Park, based on 424 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Volcano Hummingbird in Poás Volcano National Park?
Yes — about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Volcano Hummingbird sighting in Poás Volcano National Park, based on 263 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Resplendent Quetzal in Poás Volcano National Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Resplendent Quetzal sighting in Poás Volcano National Park, based on 69 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see White-nosed Coati in Poás Volcano National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-nosed Coati sighting in Poás Volcano National Park, based on 4 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
ExcellentHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
