Caryothraustes poliogaster
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The black-faced grosbeak (Caryothraustes poliogaster) is a species of bird in the family Cardinalidae, the cardinals, grosbeaks, and “tanager” allies. it is found from Mexico to Panama. The black-faced grosbeak was formally described in 1847 with the binomial Pitylus poliogaster. According to most taxonomic systems it now shares the genus Caryothraustes with the yellow-green grosbeak (C. canadensis). However, BirdLife International's Handbook of the Birds of the World (HBW) also includes the crimson-collared grosbeak and the red-and-black grosbeak in the genus. The other systems assign them to the genus Periporphyrus.
The black-faced grosbeak is about 14 to 22 cm (5.5 to 8.7 in) long; five individuals weighed an average of 35 g (1.2 oz). The sexes have the same plumage. Adults of the nominate subspecies are black on their lores, face, and throat. Their forecrown is yellow and the rest of their head is yellow with an olive tinge. Their upper back, wings, and tail are yellowish olive-green. Their... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 2 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 5 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 7 | Tikal National Park | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 8 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 9 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 10 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 11 | Poás Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 12 | Rincón de la Vieja National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 13 | Tortuguero National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-faced Grosbeak sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, based on 252 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 305th most-seen of the 503 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-faced Grosbeak in Arenal Volcano National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-faced Grosbeak sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
9th of 13
Of the 13 parks where we can rate Black-faced Grosbeak sightings, Arenal Volcano National Park ranks 9th at under 5%. The best odds are in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (Belize, about 30%), Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%) and Tenorio Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%).
Same family: Cardinalidae
The closest relatives of the Black-faced Grosbeak that you can see in Arenal Volcano National Park (family Cardinalidae, Cardinals and Allies) are Summer Tanager (about 40%), Red Tanager (about 30%) and Carmiol's Tanager (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-faced Grosbeak is recorded against all the birds logged in Arenal Volcano National Park (252 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
