Birding in Panama
Details for 10 Day Trip:
Panama Isthmus Tour
Details for 10 Day Trip:
Panama Isthmus Tour
| Day 1: Arrival into Panama City You will be met by a representative of the tour at the airport and driven to the Albrook Inn Hotel. The Hotel is located in a nice area, surrounded by nature and with easy access to the main bird spots of the Panama Canal Rainforest. Upon arrival at the hotel, you will be able to bird the grounds effectively, likely picking up your first trip birds and first Panama life birds. Though this is mostly an arrival day, we will offer afternoon birding for anyone arriving by 1 PM. That evening, we will all have supper together and have a full trip orientation. We will finish up by 8 PM so that everyone can get a good night's sleep for an early start in the morning. Day 2: Pipeline Road & Discovery Center Tower Birding as it best with an early start at the Discovery Center Tower, from 100 feet high, enjoy fantastic views of the tropical forest and a sort of Canopy Birds, such as the Blue Cotinga, flocks of Keel-billed Toucans, Blue Dacnis, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, flying Red and Mealy Parrots, Scaled Pigeons and more. Visit to the Rainforest Discovery Center gardens where some easy to photograph birds include: Slaty-tailed Trogon, Black- breasted Puffbird and Broad-billed Motmot. Admire hummingbird feeders with at least 9 species such as White-necked Jacobin, Violet-bellied Hummingbird, White- vented Plumeleteer, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, and Black-throated Mango. Birdwalk the Pipe to look for Great Jacamar, Streak-chested Antpitta, different species of Antbirds, and who knows maybe the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo! Before leaving we drive around Gamboa to look for bird tables with fruits that lure more birds of open areas such as Blue-gray Tanagers, Red-legged Honeycreepers, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Green Honeycreepers and more. Day 3: Old Gamboa Road & Plantation Road Explore another hot spot at the Canal corridor, looking for Spectacled Owls and Blue-crowned Motmots. Scan the Summit Ponds for Amazon, Green, Ringed Kingfishers and nesting Boat-billed Herons. Bird walk under the evergreen forest of Plantation Road, there are possibilities to find army ant-swarms and many of the birds that follow these ants, such as Spotted Antbird, and Ocellated Antbird. Some other specialties of the Plantation Road include: Golden-crowned Spadebill, Olivaceous Flatbill, White-whiskered Puffbird and more. The rainforest of the Panama Canal are highly diverse, we go over the list every day! Day 4: Metropolitan Nature Park - Drive to the Caribbean Side With a list of 267 species, the Metropolitan Nature Park is the largest tropical forest park within the limits of a Latin American city, this a good place to find birds of the Pacific forest of the Panama Canal. Some of the key birds are: the Panama endemic: Yellow-green Tyrannulet (National Endemic and rare), Lance-tailed Manakin, and the elusive Rosy-thrush Tanager. After lunch in a local restaurant, we’ ll be driven to the Caribbean side of the Canal to spend 2 nights at the Sierra Llorona Ecolodge. N Day 5: Achiote Road – Atlantic side of the Panama Canal We'll spend the day on the Western Caribbean bank of the Panama Canal. Along the Achiote Road, on the edge of the San Lorenzo National Park, we’ll search for Spot- crowned Barbet, Pied Puffbird, and White-headed Wren. At mid-morning we'll go to the Trogon Trail, a short loop under ever-wet forest to look for forest-interior birds, such as Chestnut-backed, Spotted, Bicolored and Ocellated Antbird. Several species of trogons could be found, like White-tailed Trogon, and Black-throated Trogon. Achiote is an important site for diurnal raptors. Skies should be watched for King Vulture, Gray-headed Kite and Hook- billed Kite. Lunch we’ll be at a community owned restaurant at Achiote. Day 6: Sierra Llorona – Caribbean Slope Morning birding on the slopes of Sierra Llorona, the place is located 300m above see level on the Caribbean slope, conditions are good to find some foothill tanagers such as Sulphur-rumped Tanager and Rufous-winged Tanager. The private trails of the reserve are good to find Syristes, Olive-striped Flycatcher, Olivaceous Flatbill and more. Sierra Llorona is an excellent place to find Owls, such as: Crested, Mottled and the Black and White Owl, also Common and Great Potoo; sometimes call right out from your window. Afternoon transfer to Panama City, to take our flight to the Western Highlands where we’ll spend 3 nights at the Hotel Dos Rios. Day 7: Los Quetzales Trail & Volcán Baru National Park Find Resplendent Quetzals with the help of your specialist guide. The bird could be found eating the wild avocados and everyone will like to have the perfect photo. The Quetzal was the most sacred symbol of the Aztecs and Mayas. The name quetzal is an ancient Indian term for tail feather and the bird itself represents liberty. We should look also for Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Barred Becard, Black-faced Solitaire, Chestnut-capped Brush-Finch, Black-capped Flycatcher, Buffy Tuftedcheek, Ruddy Treerunner Blue-throated (Emerald) Toucanet and more. Continue birding around the area of Cerro Punta looking for more highland birds and endemics. Day 8: La Amistad International Park Visit to La Amistad International Park. This Park also known as PILA, is a World Heritage site and part of the Talamanca Mountain Range, a volcanic origin formation that congregates the highest concentration of endemic and threatened species in Panama, such as Silvery- fronted Tapaculo, Yellow-thighed Finch, Collared Redstart, Flame-throated Warbler, Prong-billed Barbet and Wrenthrush (Zeledonia). Afternoon visit to Cielito Sur, a private reserve with a trail, that winds through hillside forest, passing several streams, providing an opportunity to see some of the highland bird species. Enjoy several sets of hummingbird feeders around the reserve where you can watch the White-throated Mountain Gem, Green Violet-ear, Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird, Scintillant Hummingbird, Volcano Hummingbird, Green-crowned Brilliant and more. Day 9: Volcán Lakes & Chiriquí Highlands The lakes near Volcán are very good to find species not found on the higher slopes of Cerro Punta. Wetland species include: Masked Duck and Northern Jacanas. Interesting birds of woodland areas such as Golden- winged Warbler, Olivaceous Piculet, Spotted Woodquail, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Fiery-billed Aracari and Collared Trogon could be found. After lunch, the small group we’ll go back to David to take a late afternoon flight to Panama City. Day 10: Departure to Tocumen Airport Early morning birding around the hotel (if time permits) and transfer to Tocumen Airport (PTY) for international flights. |
| Detailed Itinerary |
| 10 Days Birding in Panama |
| For More Information or to Register for this Trip, call Charles at 888-203-7464 or directly at 720-320-1974 or by email at info@PIBird.com. |
| This site is under construction, going under final design and editing. Though content is rough at points, the information should be helpful for birders looking for a good birding trip to Panama. Trips from $2,190. |
| Canal Zone and Rainforest (Metropolitan Park, Pipeline Road & Discovery Center Tower, Plantation Road & Old Gamboa Road), Atlantic Side of Canal (Achiote Road), Caribbean Slope (Sierra Llorona), Cerro Azul Foothills & Chagres National Park and Chiriqui Highlands Extensions to Darien |