Our Panamá Nature Travel Birding Tour started after all participants arrived at the hotel close to Panamá City’s Tocumen International Airport. We had dinner and got to know each other a bit better. We were a small but diverse group that had all birded in the Americas before, as well as in other places all over the globe. Therefore, this trip was not so much about quantity as quality. We were targeting specific, range-restricted and endemic/near-endemic species in specific areas.
Some members of the group had spent the day exploring all that the city has to offer, including the famous Miraflores Canal Locks visitor centre and the beautiful Casco Viejo with its eclectic mix of old and new; both highly recommended!
Our first official day of the tour started with early coffee in the hotel. We met our local guide and hopped into our comfortable 4×4 vehicle.
We had an hour long drive up to the Blue Mountain or Cerro Azul to the northeast of the city. It was the first introduction to Panamá for most, and we marvelled at the stunning natural forest areas barely 10 minutes away from the city limits.
We spent the full day in this beautiful area, birding roadside and on various trails in an elevation window of between 600 and 1,050 metres above sea level.
Despite being quite a windy day, our trip list took off rapidly. The first stop at a small stream yielded near-endemic Snowy-bellied Hummingbird (the first of many hummingbirds on the trip), Blue-grey Tanager (probably the most common bird of the trip, except for Black and Turkey Vultures) and Black Phoebe.
Further up on a hill with stunning views over the city we ticked Chestnut-capped, Tennessee and Bay-breasted Warbler, Tooth-billed, Golden-hooded, Bay-headed and Rufous-winged Tanager, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Thick-billed Seedfinch, Masked Tityra, Violet-bellied Hummingbird and Crowned Woodnymph.
Another stop further on yielded Lesser Goldfinch, near-endemic Isthmian Wren, Variable Seedeater and Yellow-faced Grassquit.
The severe up and down slopes of the stunning Romeo and Juliet trail were next up. We started with a busy flock of Carmiol’s Tanagers, and soon added Rufous Motmot, Crimson-crested Woodpecker, Violet-headed Hummingbird, Northern Plain Xenops and Russet Antshrike among others. A swarm of army ants then gave us fantastic views of Spotted and Bicoloured Antbird, along with Plain-brown and Northern Barred Woodcreeper. The highlight on this trail however was a quartet of very relaxed Black-eared Wood Quails; undoubtedly the bird of the day!
We trekked back up the hill for a quick packed breakfast and our first taste of plantain and yuca chips on the trip. Yummy!
Another spot among the holiday houses at Cerro Azul yielded Fulvous-vented and White-vented Euphonia, White-ruffed Manakin, Summer Tanager, Mistletoe Tyrannulet, Yellow-winged Flatbill and the endemic Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker.
Next up was another beautiful trail where we saw Rufous Mourner, Gartered Trogon, White-whiskered Puffbird, Velvety Manakin and the colourful Yellow-eared Toucanet.
Cerro Jefe (the chief’s hill) was up after a packed lunch. We soon ticked Speckled Tanager as well as male and female near-endemic Violet-capped Hummingbirds. A little further up the hill we got the stunning Black-and-white Warbler and Black-crowned Antshrike. Right on top of the hill close to an observation tower we also had great views of Tawny-capped Euphonia and near-endemic Black-and-yellow Tanager. We enjoyed the verdant scenery surrounding us and then made our way down the mountain again.
Just before we reached our vehicle, we had our first mammal of the trip, a relaxed Red-tailed Squirrel. During the drive back to the city we added the graceful Swallow-tailed Kite and the distinctive Short-tailed Hawk. A final surprise was a White-nosed Coati on the roadside, a cute member of the raccoon family.
We enjoyed dinner at our hotel after a very successful first day.
The next started with an early wake-up call and a quick coffee at the hotel. We first headed east on the famous Pan-American highway and then north on a beautiful winding, undulating road.
We stopped at a private property in Choco-like habitat with a trail next to small stream. Here we ticked Black-crowned Antpitta, Ochre-throated Foliage-gleaner, spectacular Ocellated Antbird, and the highlight of the day, the enigmatic Sapayoa! As a bonus we also had a Mealy Amazon dropping fruit on us!
After our exciting time by the forest stream we hiked back up to the property to be welcomed by a brief and refreshing rain shower. We did tick near-endemic Sulphur-rumped Tanager and a tree full of Yellow-throated Toucans before we hopped into our vehicle.
Next up we enjoyed some roadside birding with great views of the Caribbean in the distance. We ticked another mammal in the form of a troop of Mantled Howler monkeys, and for our bird list we added Bat Falcon, Great Jacamar, Green and Shining Honeycreeper, Scarlet-rumped Cacique, Brown-capped Tyrannulet and Red-capped Manakin.
We then drove back down to the Pan-American highway and headed to the eastern lowlands of Darién. The members of our group from Africa felt right at home seeing the spectacular Cuipo trees along the highway; they look like the Central American version of the mythical Baobab trees of Africa.
We enjoyed lunch at an establishment with great views of Bayano lake. After lunch we continued east and stopped at a spot known to our guide. Here we picked up Black-tailed Trogon, male and female Black Antshrikes (near endemic), Dusky Antbird, Buff-breasted Wren, near-endemic Southern Bentbill and White-eared Conebill.
At our mid-afternoon coffee stop in the town of Tortí we got to watch the hummer feeders and enjoyed the antics of Black-throated Mango, White-bellied Hummingbirds.
We added two more fantastic species before the Darién province checkpoint: Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth and Fork-tailed Flycatcher. We reached the town of Metetí close to dusk but decided to check out one more spot. This proved well worth it as we got great views of Collared Aracari, Red-rumped Woodpecker and Pied Puffbird as the sun set in the distance. We also added another mammal in the form of a pair of Geoffroy’s Tamarin on our way back to Metetí.
We enjoyed dinner and a few cold drinks in town and headed to bed early after a long but productive day.
We had another early start the next day with a breakfast croissant and coffee at a gas station in town. We then headed even further east along the Pan-American highway. Our group had the option to spend the whole day looking for Harpy Eagle; this involves a road transfer, boat ride and 10 kilometre hike. We decided to rather concentrate on range-restricted, near-endemic and other interesting species as all members of the group had connected with Panamá’s impressive national bird before on trips in South America.
We spent the morning birding an area close to the Chucunaque river, Panamá’s longest waterway. Our walk in the forest close to the river started with a flyover of a pandemonium of Chestnut-fronted Macaws, followed by near-endemic Spot-crowned Barbet, a tree full of near-endemic Black Oropendolas, a very obliging Grey-cheeked Nunlet (near-endemic), stunning Prothonotary Warbler, striking (and near-endemic) Golden-collared Manakin, Black-bellied Wren, Olivaceous Piculet, vocal Roadside Hawk, Whooping Motmot, Golden-green and Red-crowned Woodpecker, Black-chested Jay and many more.
On the way back to highway we added Black-and-white and Black Hawk-Eagle soaring overhead, 3 stunning male Blue Cotingas, Cinnamon Becard, Choco Sirystes and White-necked Puffbird.
We returned to Metetí for lunch and a short siesta. In the afternoon we braved the heat for a walk in a beautiful patch of tall forest on a hill near town. We added Spectacled Parrotlet, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Forest Elaenia, Golden-headed Manakin, White-flanked Antwren and Russet-winged Schiffornis. Our walk ended with a Northern Waterthrush at a small stream.
We then drove a short distance to the east of town to explore some more spots before dusk. Our various walks produced Rufous-breasted Hermit, a very relaxed (and near-endemic) White-headed Wren, Squirrel Cuckoo, a female Great Antshrike and a pair of very vocal Barred Puffbirds.
We returned to town for dinner in a nice restaurant and then went owling! We had a great time and added Mottled and Black-and-white Owl, Pauraque and Great Potoo. Our mammal list grew with Derby’s Woolly and Northern Black-eared Opossum. A fantastic day for all!
The next morning we had another early start, leaving the beauty of Darién and heading back west. After a quick breakfast in Tortí we stopped at a small lake and ticked Rufescent Tiger and Green Heron.
We visited the famous Reserva San Francisco next and started with a gentle flat trail. Here we had our first sightings of Central American Agouti, a cute rodent that looks like a cross between a small antelope and a rabbit, and Panamanian White-faced Capuchin, an endangered member of the Cebid monkey family. Birds we saw included Black-crowned Tityra, Moustached Antwren, Bare-crowned Antbird, Sooty-headed Tyrannulet and Stripe-throated Hermit.
The hilly trail at San Francisco tested our endurance but rewarded us with some special sightings, including Dot-winged and Rusty-winged Antwren, Golden-crowned Spadebill, melodious Song Wren, Northern Black-throated Trogon, Trilling Gnatwren, Panama Tyrannulet (endemic), striking Golden-winged Warbler and Tropical Royal Flycatcher.
We drove back down to the highway and had lunch in Tortí, whereafter we drove back to Panamá City. On the way we had time for a quick stop and added Cocoa Woodcreeper, Pacific Antwren, Bay Wren and Amazon Kingfisher, as well as a massive Green Iguana.
We checked into our comfortable hotel in the Canal Zone and enjoyed dinner together.
The following day we had another early start with coffee and a sandwich on the go. The was no time to waste; we were heading to the world famous Pipeline Road! Peru has its own famous birding road (Manu), so has India (Eaglenest road) and Colombia (Ventanas road), but this is Panamá ’s very own version.
We had luck on our side with a relaxed Northern Tamandua (a member of the True Anteater family) in a tree very close to the start of the road; a special mammal to add to our list! Bird wise we soon ticked Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Broad-billed Motmot, a pair of Great Tinamou, Blue-headed and Brown-headed Parrot, Green Shrike-Vireo, colourful Keel-billed Toucan, Choco Elaenia, Black-cheeked Woodpecker, King Vulture, skulking Kentucky Warbler, Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Sulphur-rumped Myiobius and Spot-crowned Antvireo.
We witnessed another incredible army ant swarm with Ocellated and Bicoloured Antbirds, and Plain coloured and Northern Barred Woodcreepers present. We then had another spectacular mammal sighting in the form of a Jaguarundi at the Rio limbo turnaround point!
We returned to the Discovery Rainforest Centre to enjoy a picnic lunch while marvelling at the hummers at the feeders.
Although it’s easy to spend many days along Pipeline Road, we decided to do something different in the afternoon and went to a patch of dry forest at an area nearby. We were the only birders there and enjoyed Panama Flycatcher, Lance-tailed Manakin, Chestnut-sided Warbler, a female Red-throated Ant Tanager, Slate-coloured Seedeater, Rufous-and-white Wren, Orange-billed Sparrow, Slate-coloured Grosbeak and a pair of obliging Rosy Thrush-tanagers.
We headed back to our hotel, but not before seeing some Panamanian Night Monkeys sleeping in a cavity in a tree; yet another great mammal for our trip! We enjoyed dinner and an early night after a very productive day.
Before breakfast the next day we looked for mammals and birds and other fauna in the hotel grounds and just enjoyed the forest scenery around us.
After breakfast we drove to Ammo Ponds right next to the Panamá Canal where we saw several new species for the trip, including Smooth-billed Ani, Yellow-bellied Seedeater, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Muscovy Duck (possibly an escapee), Purple Gallinule, Anhinga, and Baltimore and Orchard Orioles.
A quick stop next to the Chagres River at a spot with a patch of forest and some ponds reward us with Barred Antshrike, Rufous-breasted Wren, White-browed Gnatcatcher and Grey-cowled Wood Rail.
Thereafter we went to watch the thousands of shorebirds on the mudflats at Costa del Este. We only had about half an hour to scan the masses of birds, but did add Black-necked Stilt, Semipalmated and Western Sandpiper, Blue-winged Teal and Marbled Godwit to our list.
The popular Amador causeway was next up; this causeway was built using soil excavated during the construction of the Panamá Canal and named after Manuel Amador Guerrero, the first President of Panamá. Here we added one bird (Cocos Booby) and two mammals (Crab-eating Raccoon and Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloth) before enjoying an excellent lunch at one of the many restaurants in this arty, cultural area.
After lunch we hopped into our vehicle and headed west to El Valle de Antón. We arrived just in time to have dinner in the beautiful gardens of our lodge.
The next morning some members of our group went for a jog before breakfast in the beautiful, almost European-like town. Because of its elevation (600 metres above sea level), the area is cooler than the lowlands, making a jog a little easier! Another mammal for our trip was seen on the run in the form of a Variegated Squirrel.
After breakfast at the lodge we spent the morning in the hills in the area looking for specific targets. Our first stop yielded Mourning Warbler, American Redstart and Ringed Kingfisher.
A dramatically steep road through a beautiful forest patch rewarded us with Grey-lined Hawk, Northern Tufted Flycatcher, Blackburnian Warbler, Silver-throated Tanager, Common Chlorospingus, Red-faced Spinetail and the stunning Green Thorntail.
A little further on a different stretch of road we struck “saltator gold” with Buff-throated, Streaked and Black-headed Saltator all in a 100 metre stretch!
We drove back to town had some wonderful sandwiches and top quality coffee for lunch. We then started making our way back to Panamá City via some “back roads”, picking up Grey-headed Chachalaca flying across the road, Merlin, impressive Montezuma Oropendola, Savanna Hawk, Crested Caracara, Eastern Meadowlark and Groove-billed Ani. Other key stops along the way gave us rarely-seen White-thighed Swallow, near-endemic Garden Emerald and near-endemic Veraguan Mango, all three important species to pick up in this part of the world. We also saw our only snake of the trip on this drive, when a normally arboreal Green Vine Snake slithered across the road.
We arrived back at our comfortable airport hotel in Panamá City for dinner and then all had a good rest.
The next morning we had an early transfer to the Tocumen international airport for our short flight to David, the capital of the Chiriquí province in the west.
After arriving we picked our new vehicle and decided to head south to the agricultural area close to the Pacific. Here we saw Northern Jacana, Plain-breasted Ground Dove, Swainson’s and Zone-tailed Hawk, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture and Bronzed Cowbird on the flat farming areas. We also added Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Glossy and American White Ibis, and Bare-throated Tiger Heron at some ponds. The nearby beach gave us Inca Dove (this species is expanding its range southwards), Grey Plover, Sanderling, Cabot’s Tern and more.
We then headed north and had lunch on the way to Boquete, climbing constantly. We arrived in the beautiful town in Panamá’s green mountain highlands, feeling energised and happy!
We drove to a commercial coffee farm situated at a window of 1,650 to 1,800 metres above sea level and walked in the gardens and the coffee plantation. Here we had sightings of Rufous-collared and Black-striped Sparrow, a big flock of near-endemic Sulphur-winged Parakeets, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Lesser Violetear, near-endemic Scintillant Hummingbird, Slate-throated Whitestart, Wilson’s Warbler, Band-tailed Pigeon, range-restricted Slaty Flowerpiercer, Stripe-tailed Hummingbird and White-naped Brushfinch. However, the highlight of the day (and the trip) was at least 5 male Three-wattled Bellbirds calling in the hills above us. We even got to see 3 of them on one branch of a tree! Fantastic!
After our exciting day we drove to our stunning accommodation high above Boquete. We had a wonderful dinner together with gentle rain falling around us.
The next morning we had coffee followed by a short walk in the lodge gardens. We had great views of Mountain Elaenia, near-endemic Olive-streaked Flycatcher, Pale-vented and Mountain Thrush, Blue-throated Toucanet, Flame-coloured Tanager, near-endemic White-throated Mountaingem, near-endemic Prong-billed Barbet, near-endemic Black-faced Solitaire and near-endemic Golden-browed Chlorophonia.
After breakfast at the lodge we spent the full day in the mountains and valleys around Boquete, visiting specific trails and spots for targeted species. Most people come here for the aptly named Resplendent Quetzal, but seeing that everyone in our group had birded in Costa Rica before, it wasn’t a main target; we did hear them though! We enjoyed lunch in town as well as excellent local coffee at one of the hundreds of “fincas” around town.
New birds for our trip list today included Rufous-browed Peppershrike, uncommon Streak-breasted Treehunter, near-endemic Buffy Tuftedcheek, Spot-crowned Woodcreeper, Hairy Woodpecker, near-endemic Spangle-cheeked Tanager, two different Ornate Hawk-Eagles, near-endemic Talamanca Hummingbird, near-endemic Flame-throated Warbler and range-restricted Purple-throated Mountaingem. Our day ended with a brilliant sighting of two American Dippers hunting in a river. We returned to the lodge for dinner and a good night’s sleep.
Our final day started with a relatively late breakfast after some rain during the night. Everything looked and felt fresh! A double bonus while sipping our coffees was a gorgeous Elegant Euphonia a mere 5 metres from us, along with a near-endemic Dark Pewee.
We packed our bags and drove south to the famous Birding Paradise property situated on the way to Volcán. This beautiful property is situated in a transitional zone between lowlands and the more mountainous terrain of the Chiriquí province.
We spent most of the day watching the feeders in the garden and walking in the beautiful patch of forest attached to the property. We had some cracking sightings and excellent photographic opportunities of near-endemic Fiery-billed Aracari, near-endemic Orange-collared Manakin, Long-billed Starthroat, near-endemic Charming Hummingbird, Purple-crowned Fairy, Crested Oropendola, Scarlet-rumped Tanager, near-endemic Spot-crowned Euphonia, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Philadelphia Vireo and many more. It was a great way to end the tour.
We made our way to the airport in David and flew back to Panamá City. We transferred to the airport hotel and enjoyed our farewell Nature Travel Birding dinner together before going our separate ways, having made friends for life. Our final lists included 375 bird species and an incredible 16 mammals!
We all agreed that Panamá exceeded our wildest expectations. It is an absolute paradise for nature lovers, offering an incredible mix of world-class birding, breathtaking landscapes and rich biodiversity, all within a compact and easily accessible country. Beyond the birds, Panamá captivates with its warm and welcoming people, vibrant culture, delicious coffee, and stunning natural beauty, from misty highland forests to pristine coastlines, making it an unforgettable destination. We highly recommend Panamá!