Bat Falcon
Bat FalconBat FalconBat FalconBat Falcon

Bat Falcon

Falco rufigularis

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tikal National Park
206 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026
10,307 Verified sightings across all 78 parks From 2019 to 2026
August Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Bat Falcon

The bat falcon (Falco rufigularis) is a bird of prey in the family Falconidae, the falcons and caracaras. It is found in Mexico, Central America, Trinidad, and every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.

The bat falcon was long known as Falco albigularis; the names Falco fusco-coerulescens or Falco fuscocaerulescens, long used for the aplomado falcon (F. femoralis), are now believed to refer to the present species. The bat falcon has these three subspecies:

F. r. petoensis Chubb, 1918 F. r. rufigularis Daudin, 1800 F. r. ophryophanes (Salvadori, 1895) Some authors maintain that F. r. petoensis and F. r. ophryophanes are not subspecies but clinal variations in plumage. Others add a fourth subspecies F. r. petrophilus that is usually included in petoensis. Yet others assign only two subspecies, the nominate F. r. rufigularis and F. r. petrophilus.

The bat falcon is closely related to and looks like a small version of the orange-breasted falcon (F. deiroleucus), with which it has often been misidentified. They share plumage and vocal characteristics and are sister species. These two had been thought to be closely related to the aplomado... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Orange-breasted Falcon
NT

Orange-breasted Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco deiroleucus

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Peregrine Falcon
LC

Peregrine Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco peregrinus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Kestrel
LC Endemic

American Kestrel

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Falco sparverius

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Barred Forest Falcon
LC

Barred Forest Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Micrastur ruficollis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Laughing Falcon
LC

Laughing Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Herpetotheres cachinnans

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Collared Forest Falcon
LC

Collared Forest Falcon

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Micrastur semitorquatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Crested Caracara
LC

Crested Caracara

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Caracara plancus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.

where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is)  ·  parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Noel Kempff Mercado National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~30%
2 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
3 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
4 Chapada dos Guimarães National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
5 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
6 Anavilhanas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
7 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
8 Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
9 Tambopata National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
10 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
11 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
12 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~10%
13 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
14 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
15 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
16 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
17 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
18 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
19 Sierra de la Macarena National Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
20 Madidi National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
~10%
21 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
22 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
23 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~10%
24 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
25 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
26 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
27 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
28 Canaima National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~10%
29 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
30 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
31 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
32 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~10%
33 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
34 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
35 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
36 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
37 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
38 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
39 Brownsberg Nature Park 🇸🇷 Suriname
<5%
40 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
41 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
42 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
43 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
44 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
45 Amacayacu National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
46 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
47 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
48 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
49 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
50 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
51 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
52 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
53 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
54 Podocarpus National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
55 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
56 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
57 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
58 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
59 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
60 Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
61 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
62 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
63 Los Quetzales National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
64 Cordillera Azul National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
65 Chingaza National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%
66 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
67 Masaya Volcano National Park 🇳🇮 Nicaragua
Insufficient data
68 Coiba National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
69 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
70 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
71 Celaque National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
72 Irazú Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
73 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
74 Puracé National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
75 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
76 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
77 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
78 Los Nevados National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Bat Falcon in Tikal National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Bat Falcon sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 206 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Bat Falcon in Tikal National Park?

August has the highest sighting rate for Bat Falcon in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.

← Back to Tikal National Park