We begin with the Panama Canal rainforests, where a phenomenal congregation of species occur. You will be introduced to a variety of tropical bird families, such as trogons, toucans and puffbirds. Also you will learn to identify an assortment of tropical flycatchers.
We'll move to the Cerro Azul foothills where an interesting mix of colorful tanagers wait for us. We explore the Western Highlands of Panama in search of eccentric species, such as Resplendent Quetzals, Three Wattled Bellbird, Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, Turquoise Cotinga and more.
The program also includes, a short visit to the Panama Canal, scenic viewpoints, and other points of interest. These are full day tours led by a bilingual professional bird guide with good eyes and fully equipped. At slow pace there are opportunities to photograph birds, butterflies or common wildlife. The extension to Darién lowlands is perfect for those with an adventure spirit and looking to see a Harpy Eagle in the wild.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Upon arrival to the Tocumen International airport in Panama City you will be met by your guide to be transferred to your hotel for an explanation of the bird itinerary, and delivery of the Audubon checklist of the birds of Panama. Night: Canal Area
Day 2: Pipeline road - Old Gamboa Road. This morning we will take you to the famous Pipeline Road, in search of the birds of the Panama Canal rainforest. We explore several aquatic habitats around Gamboa, searching for Rufescent-Tiger-Heron, Yellow–tailed Oriole, Limpkin, and many flycatchers. We'll walk the moist forests of Pipeline looking for adding different trogons, manakins, toucans and parrots on the list.
Many fruit eaters are commonly seen at Pipeline, this includes Collared Aracaris, Chestnut-mandible Toucan, Purple-throated Fruitcrows and more. We will have a picnic lunch at the Summit Gardens. In the Afternoon we'll explore the more semidecidious forests of the Panama Canal (Old Gamboa Road) looking for Spectacle Owls, Fascinated Antshrike and Blue-crowned Motmot. We'll scan the Summit Ponds for Kingfishers and nesting Boat-billed Night-Herons. We will try the call for secretive Jet Antbird. Full Day Birding: Pick up time 6:30am
Day 3: Metropolitan Park - Plantation Road. The Metro Park is a good place find birds of dry and second-growth forest of the Pacific of Panama. We'll drive 10 minutes from the city to find ourselves in the Metropolitan Park, looking for pacific-slope specialties like: the Panama endemic Yellow-green Tyrannulet (rare), Lance-tailed Manakin, Rosy-thrush Tanager, Rufous-and-white Wren, White-bellied Antbird several Euphonias, White-necked Puffbird, Short-tailed Hawk and many more.In the afternoon we'll go to the Plantation Road, this dirt road goes under evergreen forest and follows a small creek. The road is good to find Blue-crowned Manakin, Golden-crowned Spadebill, leaftossers and many others. There are possibilities to find army ant-swarms and many of the birds that follow these ants such as Spotted Antbird, Bicolored Antbird, Ocellated Antbird, Gray-headed Tanager, and several woodcreepers. Full Day Birding: Pick up time 6:30am
Day 4: Achiote Road - Birds of the Atlantic Side of the Canal. We'll spend the day on the Western Caribbean bank of the Panama Canal. We'll go in the morning to Achiote Road, an early start will put us on the road, watching for Spot-crowned Barbet, Pied Puffbird, Gray-headed Kite and Bay Wren.
The sky's should be constantly watched for raptors such as King Vulture, Black Hawk-Eagle and more. At mid-morning we'll go to the Trogon Trail, a short loop under evergreen forest to look for forest-interior birds, such as Chestnut-backed Antbird, Olivaceous Flatbill, Plumbeous Hawk, and several species of trogons like White-tailed Trogon, Violaceous Trogon and Black-throated Trogon. The tall trees with bromeliads are good places to find White-headed Wrens.
In the afternoon we'll travel 30 minutes to the San Lorenzo National Park (former Fort Sherman), where we'll patrol several trails like Skunk Hollow, to try to find Crested Guan and Common Black-Hawks. Full Day Birding: Pick up time 5:00am
Day 5: Tocumen Marsh - Cerro Azul Foothills. Tocumen Marsh is a good place to look for new species of more open Pacific country and scrubs such as Great-black Hawk, Yellowish Pipit, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Pied-water Tyrant, Savanna Hawk, Pale-breasted Spinetail, Pearl Kite, Capped Heron and more. North east of Panama City is Cerro Azul Foothills, contiguous to the Chagres National Park. These foothills are very good to find species not found in the canal corridor.
We'll go in search of White-tipped Sicklebill, Rufous-crested Coquette, Violet-capped Hummingbird, and Scaled Pigeons. Soaring Black-and-white-Hawk Eagle is often seen at Cerro Azul. In the afternoon we'll go around Cerro Jefe (1,000m), an area that has elfin forest dominated by a particular palm tree. Cerro Jefe is excellent to find specialties of Eastern Panama, such as Tacarcuna Bush-Tanagers, Xenornies and Russet-crowned Quail-Dove. Full Day Birding: Pick up time 6:30am
Day 6: Western Foothills – Chiriqui Highlands. We'll leave early in the morning for the Albrook domestic airport in Panama city to go to the Western Highlands (one hour flight), upon arrival at the David airport in Chiriqui, we will be met and transferred to the Volcan Baru foothills; to look for a variety of Western foothill tanagers, such as Bay-headed Tanager, Silvery-throated Tanager and Speckled Tanagers.
Lunch will be in a local restaurant at the town of Volcan. In the afternoon we'll explore the Volcan Lakes, small lakes near town at about 1,300m above sea level, surrounded by woodland. These altitudes are good to find species not found at higher altitudes; some of them are Northern Jacana, Slaty Antwren, the elusive Rose-throated Becard, Masked Duck and Elegant Euphonia. Full Day Birding: Pick up time 5:15am
Day 7: Chiriqui Highlands - Los Quetzales Trail. After breakfast at your hotel we'll leave for the Quetzales Trail, an area of high endemism which is part of the Talamanca Mountain Range, an important bird area shared with Costa Rica that protects the largest mountain forest extension in Central America. We will look for mountain forests species, such as Buffy-tufted Cheek, Ruddy-Treerunner, Spotted Barbtail, and Spectacled-foliage Gleaner. Heliconias and flowers attract a variety of gorgeous hummingbirds like White-throated Mountain-Gem, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Volcano-Hummingbird, Magnificent Hummingbird and Violet-Sabrewing. Some other species typical of the area are Yellow-thighed Finch, Large-footed Finch, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, and the globally endangered Black Guan. Of course we'll dedicate time to find the Resplendent Quetzal on the wild avocado trees.
In the afternoon we'll try La Amistad (Friendship) International Park. This park is shared with Costa Rica and it has a high concentration of endemic species; we'll walk el Retoño trail (1.4 mi) to look for, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Prong-billed Barbet and Wrenthrush (Zeledonia). Full Day Birding: Pick up time 8:00am
Day 8: Chiriqui Highlands - Finca Hartman - Rio Sereno Road. This morning we'll go to the Rio Sereno Road westward from Volcan. The road is good for foothills species not found around Volcan. We'll visit Finca Hartman near the small town of Santa Clara. This is a shaded-grown coffee farm, under remnant rainforest trees, and pre-mountain and highland forest that serve as a buffer zone to Parque Internacional La Amistad. At elevations between 4000-6000 ft there are a number of accessible dirt roads that pass through many habitat types that are excellent for birding. This is a good place in Panama to find the Turquoise Cotinga, White-crested Coquette, Fiery-billed Aracari, White-tailed Emerald, Spot-crowned Euphonia, Smoky-brown Woodpecker and many others.
We'll have lunch at the Farm. In the Afternoon on our way back to Cerro Punta, if time permits we will stop to visit an area called New Switzerland, to look for Flame-colored Tanager, Yellow-winged Vireo, and many Warblers. We will try our luck for the Red-headed Barbet. Full Day Birding: Pick up time 7:00am
Day 9: Chiriqui Highlands-Finca Dracula-Cerro Punta. This day we'll go to Finca Dracula, at Guadalupe town, near Cerro Punta. This is an Orchid Sanctuary with a beautiful yard to do some easy birding. Some of the easy-to-photograph species include Common-bush Tanager, Chestnut-cap Brush-Finch, Violet Sabrewing, and several Nightingale-Thrushes. We'll look also for Blue-throated Toucanet, Black-and-yellow Silky-Flycatcher and Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher. We'll leave for David in the afternoon to catch our plane to Panama City. Pick up time: 8:00am
Day 10: Darien Lowlands - Mogue River. We'll take a flight from Panama city to La Palma (one hour). Mogue is a little Embera village located near the coast of Darien. The village is two hours by boat from La Palma (depending on tides), the capital of Darién. The village itself is 30 minutes up river from the mouth of the Mogue River. In our way to Mogue, we'll explore by boat the Black Mangroves looking for Green-and-Rufous Kingfisher, Mangrove Hawk, Capped Heron and more.
In the afternoon we'll continue our explorations around different trails near the village. We'll spend our nights at the village in a traditional hut raised on stilts above the ground.
Day 11: In search of the Harpy Eagle. This morning we'll go in search of the Harpy Eagle, the emergent trees of the Darien lowland rainforest are the habitat of this majestic raptor. The best way to get looks of the eagle, is to find a nest, with the help of the Emberas. Soaring Crested Eagles and Harpy Eagles are often seen around this area. Taking only small groups to observe these raptors on their nests, it'll help to protect this endangered bird against the threads of the new world. We'll have good chances to find a Juvenile on nest with the help of the Emberas.
Day 12: Darien Lowlands. We'll walk several trails around the village in search of some Darien specialties, such as Black Oropendolas, Orange-crowned Orioles, White-eared Conebill and more. Other typical birds of the zone are Red-throated Caracaras and Laughing Falcons. This Darien-Mogue area is perfect for those looking to find species from South American origins not found in the rest of Central America; some other special birds of the zone are Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Barred Puffbird and magnificent raptors, such as White Hawk and Ornate-Hawk Eagle.
Day 13: Darien Lowlands. We'll have some time to learn more about the Embera Culture and the way they survive in the rainforest, before we take our boat out of the Mogue River. We'll say "adiós amigos" to our indigenous friends and we'll continue on our way back to La Palma and then to Panama City.
Day 14: Departure to Tocumen Airport - International Flight.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Prices on double occupancy; Single Supplement: $350
Price Includes:
- 5% tax
- All food, lodging, entrance fees to parks, land and sky transportation in the country
- Driver and guide
Price Excludes:
- International Airfares (please request quote at time of booking)
- Panama departure tax
- Medical and/or cancellation insurance (please request quote at time of booking)
- Gratuities
- Items of personal nature such as laundry, gifts, etc
Accommodations: Comfortable lodges, private rooms and bathrooms with hot water. For the Darien extension, the nights will be on private tents accommodated in a traditional hut, raised on stilts above the ground.
Also see tour packages in:
Central America and Caribbean
Panama
Birdwatching
Rainforest
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