Rincón de la Vieja National Park

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

🦎 Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Volcanic Trails

⏱ 1 day 🥾 Moderate trails

🌍 #102 Global · 4.0 ★★★★★ ★★★★★ #19 in Central America #47 in Tropical Forest

Guanacaste, Costa Rica 1031 spp. recorded

Rincón de la Vieja is Guanacaste's wildest national park — an active volcano surrounded by fumaroles, bubbling mud pots, and hot springs, wrapped in tropical dry forest that transitions to cloud forest at higher elevations. The park protects over 300 bird species and an impressive roster of mammals including three monkey species, tapirs, peccaries, coatis, and elusive big cats.

10.809° N 85.310° W

Wildlife

⭐ Iconic Species

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

Ctenosaura similis

90–100% · Very likely

White-Throated Magpie-Jay

Calocitta formosa

70–80% · Very likely

Long-tailed Manakin

Chiroxiphia linearis

60–70% · Likely

Baird's Tapir

Tapirella bairdii

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Central American White-faced Capuchin

Cebus imitator

70–80% · Very likely

Great Kiskadee

Pitangus sulphuratus

60–70% · Likely

Central American Agouti

Dasyprocta punctata

60–70% · Likely

Rainbow Ameiva

Holcosus undulatus

50–60% · Likely

Keel-billed Toucan

Ramphastos sulfuratus

50–60% · Likely

Lesser Greenlet

Hylophilus decurtatus

50–60% · Likely

Rufous-capped Warbler

Basileuterus rufifrons

50–60% · Likely

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

Melanerpes hoffmannii

40–50% · Likely

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

40–50% · Likely

Giant Marine Toad

Rhinella horribilis

40–50% · Likely

Lesson's Motmot

Momotus lessonii

40–50% · Likely

Orange-chinned Parakeet

Brotogeris jugularis

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Baird's Tapir

Tapirella bairdii

30–40% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Central American White-faced Capuchin

Cebus imitator

70–80% · Very likely

Central American Agouti

Dasyprocta punctata

60–70% · Likely

Variegated Squirrel

Sciurus variegatoides

40–50% · Likely

Central American Spider Monkey

Ateles geoffroyi

30–40% · Possible

Mantled Howler Monkey

Alouatta palliata

30–40% · Possible

White-nosed Coati

Nasua narica

20–30% · Possible

Northern Tamandua

Tamandua mexicana

10–20% · Possible

White-tailed Deer

Odocoileus virginianus

10–20% · With luck

Tayra

Eira barbara

Insufficient data

Chestnut Short-Tailed Bat

Carollia castanea

Insufficient data

Hairy Big-Eared Bat

Micronycteris hirsuta

Insufficient data

Sumichrast's Vesper Rat

Nyctomys sumichrasti

Insufficient data

⭐ Iconic Species

White-Throated Magpie-Jay

Calocitta formosa

70–80% · Very likely

Long-tailed Manakin

Chiroxiphia linearis

60–70% · Likely

📊 Most Spotted

Great Kiskadee

Pitangus sulphuratus

60–70% · Likely

Keel-billed Toucan

Ramphastos sulfuratus

50–60% · Likely

Lesser Greenlet

Hylophilus decurtatus

50–60% · Likely

Rufous-capped Warbler

Basileuterus rufifrons

50–60% · Likely

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

Melanerpes hoffmannii

40–50% · Likely

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura

40–50% · Likely

Lesson's Motmot

Momotus lessonii

40–50% · Likely

Orange-chinned Parakeet

Brotogeris jugularis

40–50% · Likely

White-fronted Parrot

Amazona albifrons

40–50% · Likely

Black Vulture

Coragyps atratus

40–50% · Likely

Montezuma Oropendola

Psarocolius montezuma

40–50% · Likely

Banded Wren

Thryophilus pleurostictus

40–50% · Likely

⭐ Iconic Species

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

Ctenosaura similis

90–100% · Very likely

📊 Most Spotted

Rainbow Ameiva

Holcosus undulatus

50–60% · Likely

Neotropical Green Anole

Anolis biporcatus

30–40% · Possible

Copper Anole

Anolis cupreus

30–40% · Possible

Black-banded Snake

Scolecophis atrocinctus

20–30% · Possible

Stream Anole

Anolis oxylophus

20–30% · Possible

Four-lined Ameiva

Holcosus quadrilineatus

20–30% · Possible

Fer-de-lance

Bothrops asper

Insufficient data

Puffing Snake

Phrynonax poecilonotus

20–30% · Possible

Helmeted Iguana

Corytophanes cristatus

20–30% · Possible

Common House Gecko

Hemidactylus frenatus

20–30% · Possible

Bighead Anole

Anolis capito

20–30% · Possible

Central American Boa

Boa imperator

10–20% · Possible

📊 Most Spotted

Giant Marine Toad

Rhinella horribilis

40–50% · Likely

Warszewitsch's Frog

Lithobates warszewitschii

20–30% · Possible

Milk Frog

Trachycephalus macrotis

Insufficient data

Dry Forest Toad

Incilius coccifer

Insufficient data

Fitzinger's Robber Frog

Craugastor fitzingeri

Insufficient data

Masked Tree Frog

Smilisca phaeota

Insufficient data

Turbo White-lipped Frog

Leptodactylus poecilochilus

Insufficient data

Savage's Thin-toed Frog

Leptodactylus savagei

Insufficient data

Mexican Smilisca

Smilisca baudinii

Insufficient data

Yellow Treefrog

Dendropsophus microcephalus

Insufficient data

Red-eyed Treefrog

Agalychnis callidryas

Insufficient data

Wet Forest Toad

Incilius melanochlorus

Insufficient data

Animal Events

🐦

Long-tailed Manakin Lek Courtship

AprMayJun

Male Long-tailed Manakins pair up at traditional leks to perform their coordinated duet-and-dance display for females.

Long-tailed Manakin

Chiroxiphia linearis

60–70% · Likely

🐸

Rainy Season Amphibian Breeding

JulOctNov

With the rains, giant toads and harlequin treefrogs gather to breed and call around ponds and streams.

Giant Marine Toad

Rhinella horribilis

40–50% · Likely

🐒

Howler Monkey Vocal Activity

MarMayJulAug

Mantled howler troops call at dawn through the canopy, their roars carrying across the volcano slopes.

Mantled Howler Monkey

Alouatta palliata

30–40% · Possible

🐦

Dry Forest Birding Peak

FebMarApr

Bare dry-season canopy makes magpie-jays and both motmots easy to spot along the Las Pailas trails.

Lesson's Motmot

Momotus lessonii

40–50% · Likely

Turquoise-browed Motmot

Eumomota superciliosa

40–50% · Likely

White-Throated Magpie-Jay

Calocitta formosa

70–80% · Very likely

Sighting Calendar

Chance of spotting each species, month by month

Species Total

40–50

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana

90–100

90–100

80–90

80–90

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

90–100

80–90

90–100

80–90

White-Throated Magpie-Jay

60–70

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

60–70

50–60

60–70

50–60

80–90

Long-tailed Manakin

40–50

40–50

60–70

70–80

80–90

70–80

70–80

60–70

70–80

70–80

50–60

50–60

30–40

40–50

30–40

30–40

30–40

10–20

30–40

30–40

60–70

40–50

50–60

30–40

Central American White-faced Capuchin

80–90

70–80

80–90

70–80

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

40–50

40–50

60–70

70–80

50–60

60–70

80–90

70–80

50–60

60–70

60–70

50–60

50–60

60–70

50–60

50–60

Central American Agouti

50–60

60–70

70–80

70–80

40–50

60–70

40–50

50–60

60–70

70–80

60–70

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

80–90

70–80

80–90

60–70

50–60

40–50

40–50

Keel-billed Toucan

40–50

60–70

40–50

60–70

60–70

60–70

50–60

70–80

70–80

60–70

30–40

40–50

Lesser Greenlet

40–50

40–50

50–60

40–50

60–70

70–80

50–60

60–70

50–60

60–70

30–40

50–60

Rufous-capped Warbler

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

50–60

60–70

30–40

60–70

50–60

60–70

40–50

50–60

Hoffmann's Woodpecker

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

40–50

60–70

50–60

50–60

40–50

50–60

40–50

50–60

60–70

40–50

30–40

30–40

50–60

50–60

20–30

40–50

50–60

50–60

Giant Marine Toad

30–40

40–50

10–20

10–20

50–60

70–80

10–20

80–90

20–30

60–70

10–20

10–20

Lesson's Motmot

20–30

40–50

50–60

50–60

60–70

70–80

20–30

50–60

50–60

40–50

40–50

30–40

Orange-chinned Parakeet

20–30

40–50

50–60

50–60

40–50

70–80

60–70

50–60

30–40

40–50

50–60

30–40

Animal Events

🐦 Long-tailed Manakin Lek Courtship

🐸 Rainy Season Amphibian Breeding

🐦 Dry Forest Birding Peak

🐒 Howler Monkey Vocal Activity

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

🦎 Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Volcanic Trails

🦜

Biodiversity

Very good

How rich is the wildlife?

4.3 Global avg

4.3 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

Species by taxon

🦅 Birds

661

🐒 Mammals

177

🦎 Reptiles

129

🐸 Amphibians

64

1031 Total Species

841 Global average across 280 parks

31 Threatened 79 Endemic

🔭

Sighting

Very good

How likely to see animals?

3.6 Global avg

3.9 ★★★★★ ★★★★★

🎯

Top-12 Avg Probability

62% Global avg

62%

📊

Coverage (206 species at ≥5% of 1031 in the inventory)

24% Global avg

20%

🔀

Taxon variety in top 12 (8 bird, 2 reptile, 2 mammal)

47% Global avg

67%

🔭

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

132 Global avg

136

🌟

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

15

⭐

High-prob species (>40%)

26 Global avg

26

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