Please note, in 2025 the running order will be Canopy Tower, Canopy Lodge, Canopy Camp

DAY ONE
Fly UK to Panama City via Amsterdam with KLM. Regional connections available from Manchester, Birmingham, Heathrow, Norwich and Bristol. We arrive around 1630 and then make the one hour transfer straight to the Canopy Tower, nestled in the midst of Soberania National Park.

DAY TWO
Semaphore Hill and Plantation Trails
The Canopy Tower is a prime location from which to observe the birds and other wildlife of the forest canopy. Since they are right at eye level it is usual to get fantastic views of birds you would hardly see otherwise. You don’t have to leave the Tower to find birds, you don’t even have to leave your bedroom! Tanagers, Toucans and Tityras can be seen right from your window. The dining area and the roof of the tower are better for finding elusive canopy birds, as well as Howler Monkeys, Tamarinds and other mammals. Some of the bird species that we are likely to see from the observation deck are: Green and Red legged Honeycreepers, Green-shrike Vireo, Blue Cotinga , Scaled Pigeon, Mealy and Red lored Amazon, Keel-billed Toucan, Chestnut- mandibilled Toucan, flycatchers and many others including a range of raptors. At mid morning we’ll start exploring the forests of Central Panama and we’ll walk down Semaphore Hill Road. This paved road is a little more than a mile long and passes through the forest of Soberanía National Park. Here you will get a chance to see birds and mammals that spend their lives closer to the forest floor, like ant birds and Agoutis. The bird list of Semaphore Hill Road is extensive, and includes birds from the forest interior as well as edge dwellers. Olivaceous Flatbill and White-whiskered Puffbird are common, and Slate-coloured Grosbeak, Bay-headed Tanager, and Great Jacamar are seen frequently. Great Tinamou and Streak-chested Antpitta are heard often, but to see them takes a little more work. This road is also great for raptors: White, Tiny and Bi-coloured Hawks have been seen, and it’s easy to see more than 10 species of warblers and migratory songbirds in one morning. Tennessee, Bay-breasted and Chestnut-sided Warblers are common, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, Baltimore Oriole, Yellow-throated Vireo and Blackburnian Warbler can also be seen. Plantation Road, which starts right by the entrance to the road to the Tower, is a good, easy graded dirt road that passes through a mature forest for about four miles. The road follows a small creek, Río Chico Masambi, where sometimes a Louisiana Waterthrush spends the winter. We have also spotted Sun bitterns and Caimans in this creek. In most places the forest is clear of undergrowth, which makes it especially suited for observing shy, interior forest birds like Tinamous and Leaftossers. Golden-crowned Spadebills are regular around the creek, and White-breasted Wood-Wrens are very easy to find. When visiting Plantation Road you also have a good chance to find an army ant swarm and many of the birds that follow these swarms as they roam the forest floor. Spotted, Bicoloured and Ocellated Ant birds, Grey-headed Tanagers, and Plain-brown, Northern Barred and [if you’re lucky] Ruddy Woodcreepers. Sometimes a Great Potoo can be found roosting silently among the canopy of a large tree and overhead Grey-headed Kite and Broad-winged Hawk can be seen.

DAY THREE
Old Gamboa Road, Summit Ponds
The Old Gamboa road will be our first destination this morning, and at the beginning of this bird-rich area, you’ll find Summit Ponds, where Boat-billed Herons nest and Capped Herons are seen regularly. Both Kiskadees, and both Green and Striated Herons are seen often, as well as the more common egrets. Going straight through the two ponds we’ll be on Old Gamboa Road South, one of the birdiest spots around. This road passes through a variety of habitats, and has plenty of specialties: Blue Ground-Dove, Great Ant shrike, Jet Ant bird, Black-tailed and Royal Flycatchers, Lance-tailed and Golden-collared Manakin and Rosy Thrush-Tanager are a few highlights. Going north of the pond we will find species like, White-bellied Ant bird, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Yellow-backed Oriole, Boat-billed Flycatcher, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Yellow-headed Caracara and more. Back at the Tower we will enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sun go down over the rainforest from the observation deck. Hummingbirds of five different species will be buzzing back and forth at the feeders, and a fruiting tree may attract a variety of warblers, vireos and honeycreepers coming to feed before dusk. All to the backdrop of calling Red Howler Monkeys and an orange sky across the forest canopy. This is rainforest birding at its very best!

DAY FOUR
Pipeline Road & Panama Canal
Pipeline Road is the best place in Central Panama to find forest birds, and plenty of them. Eight species of wrens, five trogons, four puffbirds, three motmots, many ant birds and even more flycatchers have been reported from the road. And if its 17 Km are not enough, there’s plenty of side trails plus eleven creeks and rivers that can be followed into the forest. Army ant swarms are found frequently, attended sometimes by Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo, and there are many Manakin leks right beside the road. Pipeline Road is also a great place for raptors: all three Forest-Falcons are heard if not seen with ease, and Tiny and Plumbeous Hawks and Ornate Hawk-Eagles have been reported a few times. A Harpy Eagle was seen one time right beside the road! We will spend the whole morning exploring this pristine forest, searching for feeding parties of birds that can add scores of new species to our list in minutes! Two and Three-toed Sloth are frequently encountered and armies of Leaf-cutter Ants criss-cross the trails. This is also a good place to look for Trogons, with Black-throated, Violaceous and Slaty-tailed likely. After returning to the Tower for a hearty lunch, we will head out in the afternoon to Miraflores on the Panama Canal where we will spend some time observing the impressive lock system and museum. Birding does not stop here though, as Great-tailed Grackle, Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull, Magnificent Frigatebird and Southern Lapwing will all be seen.

DAY FIVE
Ammo Ponds & Transfer to Canopy Lodge
We have an easy morning excursion to the Ammo Dump Pond. It is the best place to see the elusive White-throated Crake, as well as a host of other water birds. Least Grebes, Common Moorhens and Purple Gallinules are common, and Rufescent Tiger-Heron and American Pygmy-Kingfishers are around, but are not as easy to find. Sometimes you get a Limpkin and maybe even a Least Bittern, and lately a few Snail Kites have been reported. The Chagres River is located at the east side of Gatun Lake, we’ll be walking along the banks of the river to see other water birds, for example, Amazon Kingfisher, Green Kingfisher, American Pygmy-Kingfishers, as well as, Blue-Crowned Motmot and Cinnamon Woodpecker. We could also see species like Gray-Necked Wood-rail, Green Herons, and Anhinga. Tropical Mockingbird, Social and Fork-tailed Flycatchers, Grey-breasted Martin, Mangrove Swallow and Spotted Sandpiper are further likely list additions, while in this area we have also often spotted alligators, turtles and capybaras.
After lunch we make the three hour transfer to Canopy Lodge in the town of El Valle. El Valle de Antón, also known as Crater Valley is a small village nestled in the crater of an extinct volcano that exploded five million years ago. The resultant scenery is quite unique- a steep valley surrounded by jagged peaks and filled with flowers, streams and verdant forests. No wonder it is one of Panama’s most popular getaways. The village hosts a bustling market where artisans come down from the surrounding mountains to sell their goods and this will be an excellent opportunity to buy local handicraft directly from the “manufacturer.” Prices are usually negotiable. There are ceramics, bateas [wooden trays], weaved baskets, hats, carved and painted totumas [cups made from squash] and trinkets made from acorn, as well as vegetables, fruits, ornamental plants, flowers and orchids. Our home for the next three days will be Canopy Lodge, a charming small hotel built next to a lovely mountain stream and adjacent to the protected area of Cerro Gaital Natural Monument. In the gardens surrounding the lodge we can easily see species like the Crimson-backed, Blue-grey, Dusky-faced and Plain-coloured Tanagers, Barred Ant shrike, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Rufous-tailed, Violet-capped Hummingbirds and Clay-Coloured Robin. The accommodation is superb and the setting exquisite, and we will spend the remainder of the daylight watching the host of birds coming in to the fruit-filled feeders, often only a few feet away!

DAY SIX
El Valle Trails
Today we will wake up early and go birding around the mountain trails surrounding the crater where it is possible to find one of the most sought after species in neo-tropical birding: the Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo. This area also offers frequent sightings of Emerald Toucanets, Orange-bellied Trogon, Spotted Barbtail, Common Bush Tanager, Black-faced Grosbeak, Rufous-capped Warbler, Gray-headed Kite, Tawny-capped Euphonia, White-tailed Emerald, Violet-headed Hummingbird and if we are lucky we might see a Scaled Antpitta and a Black-headed Ant thrush. After lunch, those who wish will also have the opportunity to experience The Canopy Adventure. A series of zip lines high in the canopy by which travellers can explore the rain forest using safe and modern climbing techniques. After an invigorating short climb to the top of the ridge through bird-rich forest, you strap in and soar through the treetops, where you see a wealth of unexpected natural beauty and activity. Swooping from platform to platform high among the sturdy cloud forest trees, you pass over the stream and waterfall not once, but twice. The Canopy Adventure is located in a private refuge in the foothills above El Valle. The main attraction of this refuge is a beautiful 150 feet high waterfall called Chorro Macho; the birdlife and the flora are especially rich and diverse because the area has been a wildlife refuge for several years. The principle purpose of this refuge, apart from the obvious task of keeping the area free from poachers and loggers, has been to provide sustainable, nature-based employment to 10 young men who would otherwise be cutting down the forest through slash and burn agricultural methods in order to survive and raise their families. The refuge is a way to keep the forest ecosystem whole while providing much needed employment. Those who prefer not to do the Canopy Adventure can explore the trail around the waterfall where it is possible to see the Dull-mantled Ant bird, Tawny-crested and Dusky-faced tanagers, Bananaquits, Green and Little Hermits as well as trogons and mot mots.

DAY SEVEN
Altos del Maria
Today we venture a short distance East of El Valle, to the cloud forest around Altos del Maria. This area has recently been discovered to host a number of high altitude species normally only found further west in Panama, and include the Snowcap hummingbird which will be one of our main targets. A huge variety of new species can be expected though, by carefully sorting through roving flocks for species such as Black and Yellow Tanager, Spotted Barbtail, Red-faced Spinetail, Blue-throated Toucanet and Tawny-capped Euphonia. This is a particularly good area for American wood-warblers, with Black & White, Tennessee, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Canada, Magnolia and Black-throated Green all possible. Swainson’s Thrush might also be seen skulking in the understorey and hummingbirds are represented by Brown Violet-Ear, White-tipped Sicklebill, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Green-crowned Brilliant and of course the Snowcap. We lunch by an ornamental lake whihc hosts Green Heron, Green and Belted Kingfishers, Spotted Sandpiper and a variety of passerines in the surrounding scrub. Perhaps a Lineated Woodpecker will be seen excavating its nest hole, or an Orange-bellied Trogon could be calling mournfully from the tangled jungle behind the lake. On our way back, we may make a couple of stops for special birds such as the rare Dull-mantled Antbird, Tody Motmot or Spectacled Owl if we are missing them.

DAY EIGHT
Pacific Lowlands
Today we will have an early breakfast and travel outside El Valle to visit the Pacific Lowlands around the area known as Juan Hombron. Here a network of ricefields near the coast provide us with a very different habitat to the lush forests, and subsequently we can expect many new birds. We will search for Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant, Crested Bobwhite, Rufous-browed Pepper Shrike, Brown-throated Parakeet, Fork-tailed Flycatcher and Pearl Kite among other feathered residents of this scarce scrubby area. The endemic Vereguas Mango Hummingbird and Panama Flycatcher can also be found, and with luck we will also encounter the superb Savannah Hawk. Bird activity is high during the first few hours then it gets hot and it will be time to return to the much cooler foothills. The wetter rice paddies can be excellent for waders, often atracting both Great and Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted and Solitary Sandpipers as well as many Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons and other waterbirds. Pectoral, Least and Western Sandpipers are also recorded in optimum conditions, while areas of harvested rice attract many raptors that feed on fleeing prey. The rare Aplomado Falcon is often found, as well as American kestrel, Common Black Hawk and the localised Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture. Down at the coast, we take a break in the cooler breeze to check the shore for Hudsonian Whimbrel, Willet and American Oystercatcher, and sometimes see Blue-footed Booby, Gull-billed Tern and Magnificent Frigatebird offshore. Glossy and White Ibis, Wood Stork, Wattled Jacana, Southern Lapwing, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and Eastern Meadowlark are among the other species we may encounter in the marshy and scrubby areas behind the beach. After lunch at nearby Santa Clara, and a chance for a swim in the Pacific Ocean, we begin our journey back to El Valle, stopping to look for Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl on the way.

DAY NINE
Return to Panama City and Costa del Este
We have a final morning around El Valle before setting off again for Panama City. We will head to the estuary at Costa del Este where we have chance to sort through thousands of shorebirds! A great variety can be seen here starting with herons – Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Tricoloured and Little Blue Herons are common, and there will be Brown Pelicans, Laughing Gulls, Magnificent Frigatebird and maybe Black Skimmers too. Among the waders, we could see Western and Semipalmated Sandpipers, Spotted Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson’s Plover, Semipalmated Plover and Hudsonian Whimbrel. Transfer to Riande Airport Hotel for overnight.

DAY TEN
San Francisco Nature Reserve & arrival at Canopy Camp
We will rise early for breakfast before starting our journey towards the Canopy Camp. We will stop at San Francisco Nature Reserve, a private forest reserve owned and managed by the St. Francis Foundation, covering 1,300 acres in eastern Panama Province, and we will spend the morning birding at this fantastic site. The San Francisco Reserve was established in 2001 by Father Pablo Kasuboski, an American priest from Wisconsin who came to Panama in 1988. The reserve serves as a wildlife refuge and protects the headwaters of the main rivers of the area. The foundation created by Padre Pablo, as Father Kasuboski is called, also works on infrastructure development in the area by building and maintaining aqueducts, roads, schools and churches. In fact, the St. Francis Foundation built and maintains the largest private rural aqueduct in all of Panama and Central America. The reserve has a variety of habitats including primary, secondary and riparian forests, forest edge, fields, farmland, ponds and wetlands. During our morning here, we will explore the some of the different habitats along the short road that enters the reserve. We will hope to find Great Jacamar, Broad-billed Motmot, Collared Aracari, Russet-winged Schiffornis, Royal Flycatcher, White-fronted Nunbird, Brownish Twistwing, Yellow-green Tyrannulet, Central American Pygmy-Owl, Blue and Plain-breasted ground-doves, and if we’re very lucky, a Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle soaring overhead or a Wing-banded Antbird along the trails! In the afernoon, we will head back to the Pan-American Highway and continue east. We will carry on from here to Canopy Camp Darien, and arrive before daylight fades so we can settle into our tents and get acquainted with the setting. After a delicious dinner of fresh American and Panamanian fare, we will gather to have a meeting about the days to come, and settle into our tents for the night.

DAY ELEVEN
Canopy Camp Trails & Aruza Lagunas
We will meet before sunrise for a hot drink and to enjoy the sounds of the birds. Black-mandibled and Keel-billed toucans call from the towering Cuipo trees; Red-lored and Mealy parrots fly overhead; White-bellied Antbird, Bright-rumped Attila, White-headed Wren and Golden-headed Manakin sing from the surrounding forests; while Pale-bellied Hermit and Sapphire-throated Hummingbird visit the flowers around camp. Rufous-tailed Jacamar and Barred Puffbird are also seen frequently around the campsite. We will be served a hearty breakfast at 7:30 am. After breakfast we will work our way into the forest on “Nando’s Trail,” in hopes of finding Tiny Hawk, Black Antshrike, Great Antshrike, Olive-backed Quail-Dove, Cinnamon Becard, Black-tailed Trogon, Double-banded Graytail, Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, Royal Flycatcher and Russet-winged Schiffornis. We will also be looking for groups of Red-throated Caracara, King Vulture and Short-tailed Hawk overhead in the clearings. Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Plumbeous and Zone-tailed hawks are also possible.After lunch we can enjoy the hummingbirds and other species around the camp, dip our feet in the rocky stream or have a siesta. This afternoon we will bird along the road to Las Lagunas. This road extends 12 km south off the Pan-American Highway through open farmland, dry scrub and roadside habitat. The road eventually crosses a small stream and ends at small ponds. Along the roadsides, we hope to find Red-breasted Blackbird, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, White-headed Wren, Smooth-billed and Greater Ani, Muscovy Duck, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Southern Lapwing, Blue-headed Parrot, Striped Cuckoo, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Ringed and Amazon kingfishers, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Buff-breasted Wren, Bananaquit, Giant and Shiny cowbirds, Crested Oropendola, Laughing Falcon and Aplomado Falcon. If we’re lucky, we may get a glimpse of a Chestnut-fronted Macaw or a shy Little Cuckoo, both having been seen along this road. At the lagoons, we hope to find Pied Water-Tyrant, Capped Heron, the beautiful Yellow-hooded Blackbird and the extraordinary Black-capped Donacobius, a great habitat for all these wonderful species!
After dinner we will gather to look for owls, including Striped, Crested, Barn, Black-and-white and Mottled owls, as well as Common and Great potoos are sometimes heard around the camp and likely some nocturnal mammals such as Panamanian Night Monkey. We will end the day with our checklist, tallying our sightings for our first full day at the Canopy Camp!

DAY TWELVE
Nuevo Vigia
We will awake once again to the energetic dawn chorus of oropendolas, wrens, antbirds, manakins, parrots and toucans, as the sun rises over eastern Panama. After a satisfying breakfast, we will once again leave the Canopy Camp for a morning filled with great birds! This morning we are off to Nuevo Vigia, an Embera village nestled north of the Panamerican Highway, surrounded by great secondary growth dry forest and two small lakes, all of which attract an enticing variety of birds. The village is accessible by “piragua”, locally-made dugout canoes. As we coast along the Chucunaque and Tuquesa Rivers, we will keep our eyes and ears open for Chestnut-backed, Crested and Black oropendolas, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Common Black Hawk, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Red-billed Scythebill, Capped and Cocoi herons, White Ibis, Greater Ani, Solitary Sandpiper and other water birds. We will spend the majority of the morning birding at the lakes, a great place to see Black-collared Hawk, Bare-crowned and White-bellied antbirds, Green Ibis, Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Spectacled Parrotlet, Black-tailed Trogon, Striped Cuckoo, Black-bellied Wren, Little Tinamou, Golden-green Woodpecker and Green-and-rufous Kingfisher! In the village of Nuevo Vigia, local artisans weave colorful decorative masks and plates out of palm fronds and carve cocobolo wood and tagua nuts into animals and plants, and we will have the opportunity to meet some of the community members and admire (and purchase) some of the beautiful products they make by hand. We will enjoy a satisfying picnic lunch in the village, followed by more great birding around the riversides and scrubby habitat surrounding Nuevo Vigia before heading back to the Canopy Camp.

DAY THIRTEEN
Aligandi
We take an easier day today, inbetween our two long full day excursions. In the morning we travel about forty minutes from the camp to Aligandi, and area of agricultural fields and secondary growth forest where we can look for some Darien specialities. The area is excellent for raptors, and as well as familiar Roadside and Grey-lined Hawks, Bat Falcon and Broad-winged Hawk, we may find Aplomado and Laughing Falcons. Open areas are great for the larger parrots such as Mealy and Red-lored, plus various flycatchers and tyrannulets. Long-tailed Tyrant, Pied Puffbird, Crimson-crested Woodpecker and Blue Ground-dove can also be found here. Once we reach the forested areas, mixed feeding flocks are the target – this is a great place to find Double-banded Greytail and White-eared Conebill, two of Dariens trickier specialities. Black-crowned Tityra, Grey Elaenia, Purple-throated Fruitcrow and the scarce Sooty-headed Tyrannulet might also be found here. After a long lunch break back at the camp, we keep this afternoon flexible to look for any missed species or to visit another area. Alternatively we could stay around the camp as the verbena garden here is very good for hummingbirds in late afternoon – this includes the Ruby-topaz Hummingbird, an extremely rare bird in Panama.

DAY FOURTEEN
Harpy Eagle!
One of the most spectacular birds of fabled Darien is the Harpy Eagle—Panama’s elusive National Bird. Powerful and majestic, Harpy Eagles live in intact dense lowland rainforest, now within the protected borders of Darien National Park. The Harpy Eagle is our target for the day! Today we will start very early, long before sunrise, and drive to Yaviza, at the end of the Pan-American Highway. Arriving at dawn in Yaviza, we will board a “piragua”—a dugout canoe, and traverse the still waters of the Chucunaque and Tuira rivers. The river edges offer shrub and grass habitat, as well as mudflats and beaches depending on the water level. There are plenty of birds to see along the riverside: Neotropic Cormorant, Anhinga, Great Blue, Cocoi, Little Blue, Tricolored, Striated and Capped, Snowy Egret, White Ibis, Green Ibis, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, Pied Water-Tyrant, Bronzed Cowbird, Yellow-hooded Blackbird and both Crested and Black Oropendolas. White-tailed Kite, Black-collared Hawk and Common Black-Hawk may be found cruising overhead. Many eastern Panama specialties can be seen along the river, including Spectacled Parrotlet, Rufous-tailed and Dusky-backed jacamars, Large-billed Seed-Finch, Black-capped Donacobius and more!
Upon arrival, we can scan the open areas for Spot-breasted Woodpecker and Great Potoo. We are likely to have to make a trek of around one hour through open country and banana plantations, and it could well be wet and muddy underfoot. It is along this trail where we will approach the huge nesting tree where the mighty Harpy Eagle has recently raised a chick. With some luck, we may see an eaglet in the nest or on the tree branches, or even an adult or two nearby. Hopefully with some success this morning, we can rest and have a picnic lunch in the field, and continue to bird along the trail. Other large forest eagles, including Ornate Hawk-Eagle and Crested Eagle, can also be found in the area, as well as Gray-cheeked Nunlet, White-fronted Nunbird, Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, Agami Heron, Red-throated Caracara, Chestnut-backed Antbird (the eastern Panama race shows white dots on the wings), Chestnut-fronted and Great Green macaws, Double-banded Greytail and more. After lunch and a break, we will retrace our steps and start our way back to Yaviza by river. Along the Pan-American Highway, we can scan for bird activity as the sun sets in the horizon. We will plan to arrive back at the Canopy Camp by dinnertime, and reminisce about the fantastic day we had!

*Please note it is hot and humid at El Real and the trails are muddy. Departure will be at 5am. Presence of Harpy Eagle is unpredictable but we will hope for an active nest. The Canopy Camp team are always looking for new nest sites and in the event of one becoming available, we may change the itinerary at short notice to accommodate.

DAY FIFTEEN
El Salto Road & Tierra Nueva Foundation
El Salto Road extends 6 km north from the Pan-American Highway and ends at the mighty Río Chucunaque. This open road and surrounding dry forest is a great place to search for regional specialties including Golden-green Woodpecker, Double-banded Graytail, Blue-and-gold and Chestnut-fronted macaws, Black and Crested oropendolas, Blue Cotinga, White-eared Conebill, Black-breasted Puffbird, Orange-crowned Oriole and the majestic King Vulture. A trail at the end of the road will take us into low-canopy forest, where we hope to find Bare-crowned Antbird, Pale-bellied Hermit, Olivaceous Piculet, Streak-headed Woodcreeper and Forest Elaenia.
Adjacent to EL Salto Road is the property of the Tierra Nueva Foundation. Fundación Tierra Nueva is a non-profit organization whose main mission is “working towards the sustainable development of people of the Darién Rainforest.” The property is the home of a technical school focusing on applications in agriculture. We will explore the trails of this large, forested property, in hopes of finding Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Yellow-breasted and Black-billed flycatchers, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon, Cinnamon, Cinereous and One-colored becards, White-eared Conebill, White-headed Wren and the magnificent Great Curassow. We will also search for the eastern race of the Chestnut-backed Antbird, which shows white spots on the wings.

DAY SIXTEEN
Return to Panama City & Canopy Tower
We take a later breakfast today after the weeks exertions and take time to pack our things for the return journey to Panama City. Departing the camp, the drive would take around 3.5hrs if we were to make it in one go. We will make a drinks and comfort stop at Torti, where a small restaurant with hummingbird feeders makes a great venue for watching Blue-throated Goldentail, Long-billed Starthroat, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird and Black-throated Mango. Over lunch, we will stop at the bridge at Lake Bayano, Panama’s second largest lake. This reservoir supports great amounts of water birds, including a large colony of Neotropic Cormorants, as well as Anhinga, Cocoi Heron and the rare Bare-throated Tiger-Heron. We will scan the water’s edge for Purple Gallinule, Pied Water-Tyrant, Smooth-billed Ani and Ruddy-breasted Seedeater. A short trail leading from the water’s edge is a great place to search for Black Antshrike, Bare-crowned Antbird, Rufous-winged Antwren and Golden-collared Manakin. At another great place stop along the way, Río Mono Bridge, the surrounding forest is home to One-colored Becard, Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Blue Cotinga, Pied Puffbird, Orange-crowned Oriole, Blue Ground-Dove and more. We will also scan the river below for Green-and-rufous Kingfisher and the elusive Fasciated Tiger-Heron. Mid afternoon, we will arrive Tocumen International Airport ready to take our overnight flight back to Amsterdam and on to connections within the UK.

DAY SEVENTEEN
Arrival back into the UK where the tour will conclude

Central Panama 2019

&

Eastern Panama 2019

NB these trip reports were compiled when the tour was operated as two separate trips

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Panama ‘Birding The Isthmus’ November 2024

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I most like about Oriole Birding the carefully planned itineraries, high standard of guiding, and the strong focus on both bird watching and wider wildlife. I particularly value the balance between seeing key species and enjoying the natural environment in a small group without being rushed.

JE, UK