Crested Guan
Crested GuanCrested GuanCrested GuanCrested Guan

Crested Guan

Penelope purpurascens

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Tikal National Park
315 Verified sightings at Tikal National Park From 2019 to 2026
24,991 Verified sightings across all 45 parks From 2019 to 2026
December Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Crested Guan

The crested guan (Penelope purpurascens) is a Near Threatened species in an ancient group of birds of the family Cracidae, which are related to the Australasian megapodes or mound builders (Megapodiidae). It is found from central Mexico through Central America and in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.

The crested guan has three subspecies, the nominate P. p. purpurascens (Wagler, 1830), P. p. aequatorialis (Salvadori & Festa, 1900), and P. p. brunnescens (Hellmayr & Conover, 1932). The crested guan is 76 to 91.5 cm (30 to 36 in) long and weighs about 1.6 to 2.4 kg (3.5 to 5.3 lb). Among standard measurements, its wing chord is 33 to 37 cm (13 to 15 in), its tail is 29 to 36 cm (11 to 14 in), and its tarsus is 6.5 to 8.6 cm (2.6 to 3.4 in). It is similar in general appearance to a turkey, with a small head, long strong legs, and a long broad tail. The sexes are similar. Adults of the nominate subspecies are mostly dusky olive brown and have a faint greenish or purplish iridescence. Their belly and crissum are chestnut and the breast and belly feathers have white edges. Their throat has some bristles and its loose skin dangles as a... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Tikal National Park

Plain Chachalaca
LC

Plain Chachalaca

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Ortalis vetula

Daily sighting probability ~40% · Likely
Great Curassow
VU Endemic

Great Curassow

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Crax rubra

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Ocellated Turkey
NT

Ocellated Turkey

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Meleagris ocellata

Daily sighting probability ~60% · Likely
Spotted Wood Quail
LC

Spotted Wood Quail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Odontophorus guttatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Singing Quail
LC

Singing Quail

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Dactylortyx thoracicus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data

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 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~70%
2 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~50%
3 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
4 Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary 🇧🇿 Belize
~40%
5 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~40%
6 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
7 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
8 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
9 El Triunfo 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
10 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~20%
11 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
12 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
13 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
14 Tikal National Park 🇬🇹 Guatemala
~10%
15 Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
16 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
17 La Tigra National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~10%
18 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
19 Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
20 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
21 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
22 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
23 Darién National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
24 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
25 Henri Pittier National Park 🇻🇪 Venezuela
<5%
26 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
27 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
28 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
29 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
<5%
30 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
<5%
31 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
32 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
33 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
34 Celestún Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
35 Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
<5%
36 Utría National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
Insufficient data
37 San Lorenzo Protected Forest 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
38 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
39 Biotopo Cerro Cahuí 🇬🇹 Guatemala
Insufficient data
40 Cusuco National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
41 Ostional Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
42 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
Insufficient data
43 Volcán Barú National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
Insufficient data
44 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
45 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Crested Guan in Tikal National Park?

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Crested Guan sighting in Tikal National Park, based on 315 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Crested Guan in Tikal National Park?

December has the highest sighting rate for Crested Guan in Tikal National Park in our monthly data.

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