Banded Owl-Butterfly

Banded Owl-Butterfly

Caligo atreus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Farallones de Cali National Natural Park

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

5 Verified sightings at Farallones de Cali National Natural Park From 2019 to 2026
431 In all 16 parks
March Best month
☀️🌙 Day & Night When it's spotted

About the Banded Owl-Butterfly

Caligo atreus, the yellow-edged giant owl, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. The species can be found from Mexico to Peru. The wingspan is 140–160 mm. The larvae feed on Musa and Heliconia species and can be a pest for banana cultivation. Adults feed on juices of rotting fruit.

Adults are known for their relatively long lifespan compared to other butterflies. Up to 3-4+ months. Adults are slow and often are attacked by birds. Adult males remaining inactive for most of the day until around 6 AM and 6 PM for an hour.

Chrysalis mimic dead leaves with shiny gold spots. They remain in this stage for about 22 days until emerging. Adults are common in butterfly houses because of their relative ease to breed. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
2 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
3 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
4 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
5 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
6 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
7 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
8 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
9 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
10 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
11 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
12 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
13 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
14 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
15 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
16 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Banded Owl-Butterfly in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Owl-Butterfly sighting in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 32nd most-seen of the 43 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Banded Owl-Butterfly in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

March and June–July

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Banded Owl-Butterfly in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–May and August–January, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Banded Owl-Butterfly?

Between 9 am and noon

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Banded Owl-Butterfly sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is seen both by day and at night.

Is Farallones de Cali National Natural Park the best place to see a Banded Owl-Butterfly?

11th of 16

Of the 16 parks where we can rate Banded Owl-Butterfly sightings, Farallones de Cali National Natural Park ranks 11th at about 10%. The best odds are in Braulio Carrillo National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%), Tenorio Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%) and Tortuguero National Park (Costa Rica, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Banded Owl-Butterfly live in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Banded Owl-Butterfly that you can see in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Red Peacock (about 30%), Red Postman (about 30%) and Pseudohaetera hypaesia (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Banded Owl-Butterfly sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Banded Owl-Butterfly is recorded against all the insects logged in Farallones de Cali National Natural Park (5 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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