Volcán Barú National Park
🇵🇦 Panama
🐦 Quetzals and Solitaires on Volcán BarúVolcán Barú National Park protects Panama's highest peak (3,475 m) and the cloud forests that blanket its slopes. The park is one of the best places in Central America to see the Resplendent Quetzal, especially along the Quetzal Trail (Sendero Los Quetzales) connecting Boquete to Cerro Punta.
8.803° N 82.534° W
Wildlife
⭐ Iconic Species
★ 
Resplendent Quetzal
Pharomachrus mocinno
★ 
White-throated Mountain-gem
Lampornis castaneoventris
★ 
White-nosed Coati
Nasua narica
★ 
Black-faced Solitaire
Myadestes melanops
📊 Most Spotted
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
Henicorhina leucophrys
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Slaty Flowerpiercer
Diglossa plumbea
Yellow-thighed Finch
Atlapetes tibialis
Mountain Thrush
Turdus plebejus
Collared Redstart
Myioborus torquatus
Flame-throated Warbler
Oreothlypis gutturalis
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Black-cheeked Warbler
Basileuterus melanogenys
Talamanca Hummingbird
Eugenes spectabilis
Lesser Violetear
Colibri cyanotus
Wilson's Warbler
Cardellina pusilla
⭐ Iconic Species
📊 Most Spotted
Red-tailed Squirrel
Sciurus granatensis
Mantled Howler Monkey
Alouatta palliata
Cacomistle
Bassariscus sumichrasti
Hoffmann's Two-toed Sloth
Choloepus hoffmanni
Mexican Hairy Dwarf Porcupine
Sphiggurus mexicanus
Central American Red Brocket
Mazama temama
Chiriqui Olingo
Bassaricyon gabbii
Common Opossum
Didelphis marsupialis
Central American Squirrel Monkey
Saimiri oerstedii
Tayra
Eira barbara
Great Fruit-eating Bat
Artibeus lituratus
Central American Agouti
Dasyprocta punctata
⭐ Iconic Species
★ Resplendent Quetzal
Pharomachrus mocinno
★ White-throated Mountain-gem
Lampornis castaneoventris
★ Black-faced Solitaire
Myadestes melanops
📊 Most Spotted
Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
Henicorhina leucophrys
Rufous-collared Sparrow
Zonotrichia capensis
Slaty Flowerpiercer
Diglossa plumbea
Yellow-thighed Finch
Atlapetes tibialis
Mountain Thrush
Turdus plebejus
Collared Redstart
Myioborus torquatus
Flame-throated Warbler
Oreothlypis gutturalis
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Black-cheeked Warbler
Basileuterus melanogenys
Talamanca Hummingbird
Eugenes spectabilis
Lesser Violetear
Colibri cyanotus
Wilson's Warbler
Cardellina pusilla
📊 Most Spotted
Emerald Swift
Sceloporus malachiticus
Black-speckled Palm Pit Viper
Bothriechis nigroviridis
South American Milksnake
Lampropeltis micropholis
Thick Graceful Brown Snake
Rhadinaea calligaster
Kempton's Anole
Anolis kemptoni
Side-striped palm pit viper
Bothriechis lateralis
Montane Alligator Lizard
Abronia monticola
Humble Anole
Anolis humilis
White-throated Gecko
Gonatodes albogularis
Green Iguana
Iguana iguana
Costa Rica Montane Pitviper
Cerrophidion sasai
Common Mussurana
Clelia clelia
📊 Most Spotted
Giant Marine Toad
Rhinella horribilis
Dunn's Robber Frog
Craugastor monnichorum
Guayaquil Dwarf Frog
Engystomops pustulosus
Magnificent Web-Footed Salamander
Bolitoglossa magnifica
Golden-groined Robber Frog
Pristimantis cruentus
Cerro Utyum Robber Frog
Craugastor podiciferus
Banded-thighed Rain Frog
Craugastor melanostictus
Musical Rain Frog
Pristimantis museosus
La Loma Robber Frog
Pristimantis caryophyllaceus
American Cinchona Plantation Tree Frog
Isthmohyla rivularis
Peralta Frog
Lithobates taylori
Yellow-flecked Glassfrog
Sachatamia albomaculata
Recent sightings in Volcán Barú National Park
LIVEiNaturalistAnimal Events
1Resplendent Quetzal Nesting Season
The Resplendent Quetzal—the male trailing iridescent emerald tail streamers up to a meter long—becomes far easier to find as pairs excavate and defend nest cavities in dead trees along the Los Quetzales Trail. Watch for them darting to wild avocado trees, where they pluck fruit whole and swallow it in mid-flight to feed their chicks.
2Highland Songbird Chorus
During the breeding season the cloud forest fills with the ethereal, flute-like song of the Black-faced Solitaire, an unassuming grey bird whose voice carries like a slow-ringing bell through the mist. The Mountain Thrush joins in, and their overlapping melodies make the forest easier to hear than to see.
3Highland Hummingbird Season
Highland hummingbirds like the White-throated Mountain-gem and the tiny Volcano Hummingbird gather in numbers around flowering shrubs and feeders on Barú's upper slopes, jostling and chasing rivals in glittering aerial skirmishes. It is one of the best chances to watch several montane species compete side by side at a single bloom.
Sighting Calendar
Average chance of spotting the park's most-spotted species, month by month
- 1Resplendent Quetzal Nesting Season
- 2Highland Songbird Chorus
- 3Highland Hummingbird Season
Sighting Zones
Warmer areas are where all species together are recorded most often.
Essentials
Climate
Quick answers
What animals can you see in Volcán Barú National Park?
The most likely sightings are White-throated Mountain-gem (seen by about 80% of wildlife watchers), Gray-breasted Wood-Wren (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Rufous-collared Sparrow (seen by about 70% of wildlife watchers), Slaty Flowerpiercer (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers), Yellow-thighed Finch (seen by about 60% of wildlife watchers) — among 1047 recorded vertebrate species, based on citizen-science data from GBIF.
When is the best time to visit Volcán Barú National Park for wildlife?
June 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 Resplendent Quetzal in Volcán Barú National Park?
Yes — about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Resplendent Quetzal sighting in Volcán Barú National Park, based on 600 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see White-throated Mountain-gem in Volcán Barú National Park?
Yes — about 80% of wildlife watchers report a White-throated Mountain-gem sighting in Volcán Barú National Park, based on 1,259 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see White-nosed Coati in Volcán Barú National Park?
Yes — about 30% of wildlife watchers report a White-nosed Coati sighting in Volcán Barú National Park, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Can you see Black-faced Solitaire in Volcán Barú National Park?
Yes — about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Black-faced Solitaire sighting in Volcán Barú National Park, based on 776 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
Where Wildlife Score
How good is this park for seeing wildlife?Biodiversity
Very goodHow rich is the wildlife?
Sighting
GoodHow likely to see animals?
Experience
GoodHow easy and pleasant is the visit?
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