Viruá National Park

Viruá Overview

Viruá National Park, or Parque Nacional do Viruá in Portuguese, is a protected area located in the northern region of Brazil in the state of Roraima. It spans approximately 2,270 square miles, which is around 5,880 square kilometers.

The park lies near the border with Venezuela and is part of the greater Amazon biome, offering a unique mix of ecological features rarely found in other regions. The park’s location in the lowland basin, combined with the intense seasonal flooding and white sand soils, creates an environment of high biodiversity and distinct vegetation.

The landscape of Viruá National Park is primarily composed of campinarana, a type of white-sand forest that is known for its poor, acidic soils and waterlogged terrain. This type of vegetation gives the park a striking appearance, with stunted trees, thick underbrush, and open fields interspersed with dense groves.

Seasonal lakes and rivers cut through the landscape, including parts of the Branco River basin, creating a mosaic of ecosystems that change significantly with the seasons. There are no dramatic mountains or cliffs, but the unique terrain makes the area ecologically rich and visually distinct. During the rainy season, vast areas of the park become submerged, turning into temporary wetlands that support a wide range of aquatic life and migratory birds.

The park hosts a remarkable diversity of wildlife, including several mammal species such as tapirs, armadillos, and various species of monkeys like the squirrel monkey and howler monkey. It is also home to elusive jaguars and ocelots, though these are rarely seen.

Birdlife is abundant, making the park a haven for ornithologists and birdwatchers. Species like the harpy eagle, hoatzin, and the black-collared hawk can be observed, along with numerous hummingbirds, toucans, and parrots. The flooded forests and seasonally dry areas create varied habitats that support both waterfowl and forest birds.

Viruá National Park is recognized not only for its biodiversity but also for its scientific value. The park is often visited by researchers due to its relatively untouched and unique ecosystems, offering insight into Amazonian biodiversity and ecological processes.

Though not heavily trafficked by mainstream tourism, the park has gained popularity among eco-tourists and scientific groups. Visitors who do make the journey can explore the park through guided boat tours, nature walks, and birdwatching expeditions. The isolation and challenging access have preserved much of the park’s natural character, though they also limit infrastructure and ease of visitation.

Conservation efforts in Viruá National Park have been largely successful, owing in part to its remote location and its management by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio).

Challenges do remain, especially from potential illegal logging, hunting, and unregulated land use in surrounding regions. However, ongoing monitoring and research partnerships have contributed to its protection. The park plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance in the northern Amazon and continues to serve as a model for low-impact conservation in fragile habitats.

Park Map

Viruá National Park Highlights

Wildlife

Viruá National Park, located in the northern Brazilian state of Roraima, protects a vast and ecologically rich mosaic of Amazonian ecosystems, including white-sand forests (campinaranas), flooded igapós, savannas, and terra firme rainforest. This diversity of habitats supports a wide array of unique and often specialized mammals, including many rarely observed in other parts of the Amazon.

Jaguar
This iconic apex predator roams the dense forests and flooded lowlands of the park, preying on peccaries, deer, and caimans. Its presence signals healthy and undisturbed ecosystems.

Giant Anteater
Though elusive, the giant anteater can be found in Viruá’s open savannas and white-sand clearings, using its long snout and powerful claws to feed on ant and termite colonies.

South American Tapir
The largest land mammal in South America, the tapir uses its prehensile snout to browse on vegetation. It frequents riverbanks and forest edges, playing a critical role in seed dispersal.

White-lipped Peccary
These social and noisy foragers travel in herds through terra firme and seasonally flooded forests, disturbing leaf litter and shaping forest dynamics as they search for roots, fruit, and invertebrates.

Red-handed Howler Monkey
Their loud, echoing calls are often heard at dawn and dusk across the canopy. These monkeys live in family groups and feed on a diet of leaves, flowers, and fruits in the treetops.

Ocelot
This beautifully patterned small wild cat hunts at night and prefers dense vegetation for stalking small mammals, birds, and reptiles. It thrives in the park’s understory and transitional zones.

Paca
This large, spotted rodent prefers areas near streams and lagoons, where it forages for fallen fruit. It is nocturnal and plays an important role in seed dispersal in both flooded and dry forests.

Tayra
A curious and agile omnivore from the weasel family, the tayra climbs trees and forages for birds, fruit, and small mammals. It is most active during the day and often seen darting through forest trails.

Amazonian Brown Brocket Deer
A small, solitary deer that inhabits dense understory and flooded forests. It feeds on leaves and fallen fruit and is well-camouflaged within Viruá’s shaded terrain.

Nine-banded Armadillo
This armor-plated mammal is a common resident in sandy and forested areas. It digs burrows and forages for insects and larvae, usually emerging at dusk or night.

Birds

Viruá National Park is a birdwatcher’s paradise, especially renowned for its white-sand (campinarana) specialists and Amazonian lowland forest birds. The mix of wetland, savanna, and rainforest habitats attracts both endemic and migratory species in extraordinary numbers.

Harpy Eagle
One of the most powerful birds of prey in the world, the harpy eagle nests in tall emergent trees and preys on monkeys and sloths. It requires vast territories of undisturbed forest to survive.

Pompadour Cotinga
A rare and vividly colored bird with deep purple plumage, the male cotinga is most often seen perched quietly in the canopy of campinarana forest.

Black Manakin
This small, fast-moving bird is a campinarana specialist. Males gather in leks to perform snapping wing displays to attract females during breeding season.

Scarlet Macaw
Brightly colored and unmistakable in flight, scarlet macaws form strong pair bonds and help disperse seeds of large Amazonian trees. They are often seen flying above forest edges or feeding on fruit.

White-throated Toucan
With its oversized yellow-and-black bill and bold calls, this toucan is a prominent canopy dweller. It feeds on fruit and plays a major role in dispersing seeds across various habitats.

Chestnut-headed Nunlet
An uncommon puffbird that lives in campinarana and transitional forests. It sits motionless on low perches, waiting to snap up passing insects.

Azure-naped Jay
A stunning and social bird with a vibrant blue crown, this jay travels in noisy flocks through savanna and open forest, feeding on insects, fruit, and small vertebrates.

Pavonine Quetzal
Rare and secretive, this brilliantly colored bird inhabits terra firme forest and is often spotted perched silently high in the canopy. It feeds primarily on fruit.

Bronzy Jacamar
With metallic plumage and a slender bill, this insect-eating bird perches along forest edges and clearings. It hawks flying insects mid-air and is a campinarana highlight.

Tropical Screech-Owl
A small, nocturnal predator that calls from forest edges and clearings. It feeds on insects and small animals and is often seen roosting in tree hollows during the day.