Puracé National Natural Park
🇨🇴 Colombia
🦅 Andean Condor SanctuaryPuracé rises across the Colombian Massif near Popayán, a volcanic páramo of crater lakes and Espeletia. It is the only place in Colombia to reliably see wild Andean condors, drawn to a feeding lookout since a reintroduction programme began in 1989.
2.052° N 76.512° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Andean Condor
Vultur gryphus
★ 
Andean Tapir
Tapirus pinchaque
★ 
Andean Bear
Tremarctos ornatus
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Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager
Anisognathus igniventris
📊 Most Spotted
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Green Jay
Cyanocorax yncas
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Great Thrush
Turdus fuscater
Blackburnian Warbler
Setophaga fusca
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Black-billed Thrush
Turdus ignobilis
Slate-throated Redstart
Myioborus miniatus
Colombian Chachalaca
Ortalis columbiana
Yellow-backed Oriole
Icterus chrysater
Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Red-tailed Squirrel
Sciurus granatensis
Mountain Coati
Nasua olivacea
Jaguar
Panthera onca
Common Opossum
Didelphis marsupialis
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Black Vulture
Coragyps atratus
Green Jay
Cyanocorax yncas
Tropical Kingbird
Tyrannus melancholicus
Great Thrush
Turdus fuscater
Blackburnian Warbler
Setophaga fusca
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Black-billed Thrush
Turdus ignobilis
Slate-throated Redstart
Myioborus miniatus
Colombian Chachalaca
Ortalis columbiana
Yellow-backed Oriole
Icterus chrysater
Southern Lapwing
Vanellus chilensis
📊 Most Spotted
Huila Anole
Anolis huilae
South American Milksnake
Lampropeltis micropholis
Quimbaya Anole
Anolis quimbaya
Cloudy Snail-eating Snake
Sibon nebulatus
Atractus chthonius
Atractus chthonius
Mountain Sipo
Chironius monticola
Tropical House Gecko
Hemidactylus mabouia
Double-banded Coral Snake Mimic
Erythrolamprus bizona
Elegant Eyed Lizard
Cercosaura argulus
Fire-bellied Snake
Erythrolamprus epinephalus
Boddaert's Tropical Racer
Mastigodryas boddaerti
Central American Indigo Snake
Drymarchon melanurus
Recent sightings in Puracé National Natural Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Andean Condor at the Lookout
Wild Andean condors gather at the Piedra del Cóndor lookout, the most reliable place in Colombia to watch them soar over the páramo.
2Mountain Tapir & Bear
The rare mountain tapir and the Andean spectacled bear move through Puracé's high páramo and cloud-forest edges, most active at dawn and dusk.
3Boreal Migrants Arrive
North American migrants winter in the park's cloud forest. Blackburnian Warbler and Summer Tanager are common from October to March and nearly absent the rest of the year.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Andean Condor at the Lookout
- 2Mountain Tapir & Bear
- 3Boreal Migrants Arrive
Essentials
Climate
What visitors saw
Finally reaching a semblance of flat ground, my two remaining friends and I found one of the guides with about five other hikers crouched behind some large rocks.
Laguna Verde seen from the 4070 meters high summit of Volcan Azufral Flower at 3800 meters sea-level When we came to Popayan our car lost cooling liquid.
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Puracé National Natural Park?
The most likely sightings are Rufous-collared Sparrow (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Black Vulture (seen by about 50% of wildlife watchers), Green Jay (seen by about 50% of wildlife watchers), Tropical Kingbird (seen by about 50% of wildlife watchers), Great Thrush (seen by about 50% of wildlife watchers) — among 1006 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Puracé National Natural Park 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 Andean Condor in Puracé National Natural Park?
It's possible but not guaranteed: about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Andean Condor sighting in Puracé National Natural Park, based on 174 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Sightings take luck and time in the field.
Can you see Andean Tapir in Puracé National Natural Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Andean Tapir sighting in Puracé National Natural Park, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Andean Bear in Puracé National Natural Park?
It's possible but not guaranteed: about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Andean Bear sighting in Puracé National Natural Park, based on 1 verified sighting from GBIF citizen-science data. Sightings take luck and time in the field.
Can you see Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager in Puracé National Natural Park?
Yes — about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Scarlet-bellied Mountain-Tanager sighting in Puracé National Natural Park, based on 216 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?
