Black-pencilled Marmoset

Black-pencilled Marmoset

Callithrix penicillata

Silhouette: Yan Wong from drawing by T. F. Zimmermann · PhyloPic

LCLeast ConcernNTVUENCR Endemic
Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Chapada Diamantina National Park

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

38 Verified sightings at Chapada Diamantina National Park From 2019 to 2026
179 In all 3 parks
August Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Black-pencilled Marmoset

The black-tufted marmoset (Callithrix penicillata) is a species of New World monkey that lives primarily in the Neotropical gallery forests of the Brazilian Central Plateau. It ranges from Bahia to Paraná, and as far inland as Goiás, between 14°S and 25°S, and can commonly be seen in the Rio de Janeiro city where it was introduced. This marmoset typically resides in rainforests, living an arboreal life high in the trees, below the canopy. They are only rarely spotted near the ground.

The black-tufted marmoset is characterized by black tufts of hair around their ears. It typically has some sparse white hairs on its face. It usually has a brown or black head and its limbs and upper body are gray, as well as its abdomen, while its rump and underside are usually black. Its tail is ringed with black and white and is not prehensile, instead used for balance. It does not have an opposable thumb and its nails tend to have a claw-like appearance. The black-tufted marmoset reaches a size of 19.0 to 22.1 centimetres (7.48–8.7 in) and weighs up to 350 g (12.35 oz).

The black-tufted marmoset has a lifestyle very similar to other marmosets, being diurnal... Wikipedia →

Sounds

Call0:15

Brazil · 2025

© Fabrício Grigolin · XC991391 · CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Recording0:12

Brazil · 2026

© Facundo Varela Barros · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Recording0:17

Brazil · 2025

© mtfoliveira · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~50%
2 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
3 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Brasilia 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
2 Goiânia 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
3 Belo Horizonte 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
4 Curitiba 🇧🇷 Brazil
~40%
5 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
6 Niterói 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
7 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
8 Campinas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
9 Santos 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
10 Campo Grande 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%

Zoos & Centres Where Found

# Zoo / Centre Country
1 Parque das Aves 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
2 Vinpearl Safari 🇻🇳 Vietnam In captivity
3 Nehru Zoological Park 🇮🇳 India In captivity
4 São Paulo Zoo 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
5 Berlin Zoological Garden 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
6 Terra Natura Benidorm 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
7 Zoológico de Goiânia 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
8 Night Safari 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
9 Drakenstein Lion Park 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity
10 Singapore Zoo 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
11 Simba Safari 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
12 Minsk Zoo 🇧🇾 Belarus In captivity
13 Parque Ecológico de São Carlos 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
14 Bauru Zoo 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
15 River Wonders 🇸🇬 Singapore In captivity
16 Zoológico Municipal de Guarulhos 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
17 Granja los Pibes 🇦🇷 Argentina In captivity
18 Hartbeespoort Dam Snake and Animal Park 🇿🇦 South Africa In captivity
19 Monkey Park 🇪🇸 Spain In captivity
20 Ralph Perkins II Wildlife Center and Woods Garden 🇺🇸 United States In captivity
21 Zoológico do Município de São Bernardo do Campo 🇧🇷 Brazil In captivity
22 Aquarium Berlin 🇩🇪 Germany In captivity
23 Japan Monkey Centre 🇯🇵 Japan In captivity
24 Montreal Biodome 🇨🇦 Canada In captivity
25 Дэльфінарый 🇧🇾 Belarus In captivity

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black-pencilled Marmoset in Chapada Diamantina National Park?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Black-pencilled Marmoset sighting in Chapada Diamantina National Park on a given day, based on 38 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the most-seen of the 5 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black-pencilled Marmoset in Chapada Diamantina National Park?

June and August

In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Black-pencilled Marmoset in Chapada Diamantina National Park on a given day, against about 30% in November, the lowest month. Those are among Chapada Diamantina National Park's driest months, with about 55 mm of rain a month against 180 mm in November.

What time of day is best to see a Black-pencilled Marmoset?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black-pencilled Marmoset sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Chapada Diamantina National Park the best place to see a Black-pencilled Marmoset?

Yes

Of the 3 parks where we can rate Black-pencilled Marmoset sightings, Chapada Diamantina National Park has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 30%) and Tijuca National Park (Brazil, about 30%).

Where does the Black-pencilled Marmoset sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black-pencilled Marmoset is recorded against all the mammals logged in Chapada Diamantina National Park (38 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.

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