Podocarpus National Park

🇪🇨 Ecuador

🐦 Collared Inca's Misty Peaks

🌍 #263 Global · 2.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #44 in South America #114 in Tropical Forest

Southern Andes, Ecuador 1523 spp. recorded

Podocarpus National Park is a rugged tropical rainforest sanctuary in the Southern Andes of Ecuador, spanning steep mountain slopes and dense jungle valleys. Dense cloud forests and high Andean vegetation cloak the park, traversed by steep dirt trails through thick fern-choked undergrowth. This protected area is famous for shielding rare Andean wildlife, including the signature Marañón white-fronted capuchin that forages through the upper forest canopy during morning hours.

-4.370° S 78.933° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Jocotoco Antpitta

Grallaria ridgelyi

20–30% · Possible

Andean Bear

Tremarctos ornatus

Insufficient data

Bearded Guan

Penelope barbata

30–40% · Possible

Andean Tapir

Tapirus pinchaque

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Marañón white-fronted capuchin

Cebus yuracus

40–50% · Likely

Collared Inca

Coeligena torquata

40–50% · Possible

Blue-and-white Swallow

Notiochelidon cyanoleuca

30–40% · Possible

Band-tailed Pigeon

Patagioenas fasciata

30–40% · Possible

Amethyst-throated Sunangel

Heliangelus amethysticollis

30–40% · Possible

Masked Flowerpiercer

Diglossa cyanea

30–40% · Possible

Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager

Anisognathus lacrymosus

30–40% · Possible

Blue-necked Tanager

Stilpnia cyanicollis

30–40% · Possible

Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch

Atlapetes latinuchus

30–40% · Possible

Great Thrush

Turdus fuscater

30–40% · Possible

Green Jay

Cyanocorax yncas

30–40% · Possible

Chestnut-breasted Coronet

Boissonneaua matthewsii

30–40% · Possible

⭐ Iconic Species

Andean Bear

Tremarctos ornatus

Insufficient data

Andean Tapir

Tapirus pinchaque

Insufficient data

📊 Most Spotted

Marañón white-fronted capuchin

Cebus yuracus

40–50% · Likely

South American Coati

Nasua nasua

20–30% · Possible

Black Agouti

Dasyprocta fuliginosa

10–20% · With luck

Mountain Coati

Nasua olivacea

Insufficient data

Red-tailed Squirrel

Sciurus granatensis

Insufficient data

Stump-tailed Porcupine

Echinoprocta rufescens

Insufficient data

Spotted Paca

Cuniculus paca

Insufficient data

Kinkajou

Potos flavus

Insufficient data

Brown-eared Woolly Opossum

Caluromys lanatus

Insufficient data

Andean Caenolestid

Caenolestes condorensis

Insufficient data

Gray-bellied Caenolestid

Caenolestes caniventer

Insufficient data

Mexican Free-tailed Bat

Tadarida brasiliensis

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

Jocotoco Antpitta

Grallaria ridgelyi

20–30% · Possible

Bearded Guan

Penelope barbata

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Collared Inca

Coeligena torquata

40–50% · Possible

Blue-and-white Swallow

Notiochelidon cyanoleuca

30–40% · Possible

Band-tailed Pigeon

Patagioenas fasciata

30–40% · Possible

Amethyst-throated Sunangel

Heliangelus amethysticollis

30–40% · Possible

Masked Flowerpiercer

Diglossa cyanea

30–40% · Possible

Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager

Anisognathus lacrymosus

30–40% · Possible

Blue-necked Tanager

Stilpnia cyanicollis

30–40% · Possible

Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch

Atlapetes latinuchus

30–40% · Possible

Great Thrush

Turdus fuscater

30–40% · Possible

Green Jay

Cyanocorax yncas

30–40% · Possible

Chestnut-breasted Coronet

Boissonneaua matthewsii

30–40% · Possible

Russet-backed Oropendola

Psarocolius angustifrons

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Girard's Whorltail Iguana

Stenocercus ornatus

20–30% · Possible

Parker's Pholiodobolus

Macropholidus annectens

10–20% · Possible

Parker's Ground Snake

Atractus carrioni

10–20% · Possible

Cuilanes of Hillis

Pholidobolus hillisi

10–20% · Possible

Speckled Worm Lizard

Amphisbaena fuliginosa

10–20% · With luck

Andean Forest-pitviper

Bothrops pulcher

10–20% · With luck

Shieldhead Gecko

Gonatodes caudiscutatus

Insufficient data

Patterned Whorltail Iguana

Stenocercus humeralis

Insufficient data

Common Lancehead

Bothrops atrox

10–20% · With luck

Bothrops taeniata

Bothrops taeniatus

Insufficient data

Brown-eared Anole

Anolis fuscoauratus

Insufficient data

Lojan Lancehead

Bothrocophias lojanus

10–20% · With luck

📊 Most Spotted

Red-skirted Tree Frog

Dendropsophus rhodopeplus

20–30% · Possible

Lyman's Robber Frog

Pristimantis lymani

20–30% · Possible

Pristimantis cajamarcensis

10–20% · Possible

South American Common Toad

Rhinella margaritifera

10–20% · Possible

Gray Toad

Rhinella poeppigii

10–20% · Possible

Red Snouted Tree Frog

Scinax ruber

10–20% · Possible

Espada's Robber Frog

Pristimantis galdi

10–20% · With luck

Sharp-nosed Forest Toad

Rhinella acutirostris

10–20% · With luck

Pristimantis andinognomus

10–20% · With luck

Günther's Banded Tree Frog

Boana fasciata

Insufficient data

Tapichalaca Tree Frog

Hyloscirtus tapichalaca

Insufficient data

Cocha Chirping Frog

Adenomera andreae

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🦜

Golden-plumed Parakeet Flocks

FebMarAprNovDec

Noisy flocks of this threatened parakeet forage in the upper cloud forest at Cajanuma, a documented tour target of the park.

Golden-plumed Parakeet

Leptosittaca branickii

20–30% · Possible

🐦

Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Lekking

SepOctNovDec

Males gather at communal leks in the lower Bombuscaro forest to display; a lek is reported near the river trail inside the park.

Andean Cock-of-the-rock

Rupicola peruvianus

10–20% · Possible

🐦

Boreal Migrant Songbird Season

NovDecJanFebMar

North American warblers and tanagers overwinter in the park's cloud forests, joining mixed flocks during the northern winter.

Blackburnian Warbler

Setophaga fusca

10–20% · Possible

Canada Warbler

Cardellina canadensis

10–20% · Possible

Summer Tanager

Piranga rubra

0–10% · With luck

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

20–30

30–40

20–30

30–40

30–40

30–40

Jocotoco Antpitta

10–20

20–30

20–30

20–30

20–30

10–20

0–10

20–30

0–10

10–20

20–30

20–30

10–20

<5

<5

<5

20–30

<5

20–30

10–20

<5

<5

<5

<5

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

20–30

10–20

10–20

40–50

20–30

40–50

30–40

20–30

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

<5

30–40

<5

<5

Marañón white-fronted capuchin

60–70

50–60

40–50

30–40

10–20

30–40

30–40

30–40

20–30

10–20

60–70

40–50

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

20–30

20–30

40–50

20–30

40–50

30–40

40–50

Blue-and-white Swallow

20–30

30–40

30–40

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

30–40

40–50

40–50

50–60

Band-tailed Pigeon

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

30–40

20–30

10–20

20–30

20–30

20–30

30–40

50–60

Amethyst-throated Sunangel

30–40

30–40

50–60

40–50

30–40

20–30

10–20

40–50

10–20

40–50

30–40

30–40

Masked Flowerpiercer

30–40

20–30

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

20–30

40–50

30–40

30–40

Lacrimose Mountain-Tanager

30–40

30–40

40–50

20–30

30–40

30–40

20–30

30–40

20–30

40–50

40–50

40–50

Blue-necked Tanager

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

Yellow-breasted Brush-Finch

30–40

30–40

50–60

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

20–30

20–30

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

20–30

20–30

40–50

30–40

30–40

40–50

40–50

30–40

30–40

20–30

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

Chestnut-breasted Coronet

30–40

30–40

40–50

20–30

30–40

20–30

10–20

40–50

10–20

40–50

20–30

20–30

Animal Events

🦜 Golden-plumed Parakeet Flocks

🐦 Andean Cock-of-the-Rock Lekking

🐦 Boreal Migrant Songbird Season

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 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ Moderate

🐦 Collared Inca's Misty Peaks

🦜

Biodiversity

Excellent

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

5.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

1030

🐒 Mammals

269

🦎 Reptiles

147

🐸 Amphibians

77

1523 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

76 Threatened 83 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

2.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

38%

📊

Coverage (317 species at ≥5% of 1523 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

21%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (11 bird, 1 mammal)

47% Global avg

20%

🔭

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

132 Global avg

210

🌟

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

6

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

1

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