My wife and I just spent a week in Panama birding (kids were with Grandma elsewhere, woo-hoo!) and I wanted to capture the experience in a trip report that highlights the species seen as well as general comments about the birding in general, the country, and lessons learned. Hopefully this will be of value to those already thinking about a trip there, and will help spur others to consider doing so. It was a fantastic experience in a birding paradise. My wife and I have been birding together now for about 20 years, and have been very lucky in that we have lived and traveled throughout North America and parts of Asia. This was easily the best birding trip we have ever had.
Part 1: Overview of Itinerary:
We visited several places, but the trip was primarily based around the Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge, two eco-lodges run by the same people, and which cater to birders. The Tower is about 1 hour north of Panama City in a national forest, near the canal, and the Lodge is in El Valle de Antón, about 2 hours west of there. El Valle is located in the crater of a dormant volcano, at an elevation high enough to provide a very different selection of habitats as well as a very comfortable climate. We also spent several days staying in other hotels because we wanted to spend non-prime-birding hours wandering about the city and/or town, enjoying the culture and food.
Sunday 4/1: Panama City
Monday 4/2: Canopy Tower
Tuesday 4/3: Canopy Tower, Canopy Lodge
Wednesday 4/4: Canopy Lodge
Thursday 4/5: Canopy Lodge, El Valle
Friday 4/6: El Valle
Saturday 4/7: El Valle, Panama City
Part 2: General Observations
All-in-all, a fantastic trip, with 162 species identified, 128 being Lifers. A few general notes about the experience follow, in no particular order:
1. It was a common occurrence that taxi drivers would agree to take you somewhere, when they did not know where they were going or how to get there. Our first driver was to take us to the Parque Nacional, which is in Panama City, but instead drove us across the Canal. I had my Garmin GPS with me, which kept me apprised of this and we were able to get back to the city, and eventually found another driver that knew where to go. During our last evening in the city, we had a driver agree to take us to our hotel, and then after we set the price and got in, then demonstrated that he had no idea where the hotel was (he would pull up to other taxis and ask directions). Don't let any of this dissuade you, it was not really a problem, just something to be aware of.
2. On Thursday and Friday night in El Valle, because this was the week leading up to Easter, neither stores nor restaurants served any alcohol. I learned this when trying to buy a bottle of beer in the supermarket. The cashier shook his head at me, and someone came and put the bottle back in the fridge. Luckily at the Golden Frog they had wine!
3. We speak Spanish, and one of the reasons for going to Central America for us is to be able to use it more, but if you do not speak it, you should not have any problems, especially if you stick to Panama City and the Canopy Tower/Lodge sites, the latter being very English-centric. However, if you wander about on your own in a place like El Valle, be prepared for everything to be in Spanish, with just occasional exceptions. Don't let any of this dissuade you either, as you'll still get along, it just may take longer.
4. The weather in early April – it was cloudy most of the time, with occasional sun. Actually this was preferable, as the direct sunlight beating down from directly overhead is oppressive. It rained at least a little every day, usually in the afternoon, and usually not for long, or very hard. However one day in El Valle we got caught and totally soaked in a very strong downpour that lasted an hour or so.
5. The humidity in the lower-lying areas (Panama City, Tower) was certainly high, but comparable to what you might find in say, Missouri, in the summer. Maybe even not that bad. I didn't really notice it. However if you want to have minimal exposure to humidity, head up to Canopy Lodge in El Valle. The weather is extremely mild and pleasant there. At least for this time of year. I cannot say anything about other times, but I imagine it will never be uncomfortable because of the high elevation.
6. Typical Panamanian food is not spicy. This may be good or bad news for you.
7. The birding guides employed at the Tower and Lodge are PHENOMENAL. I was extremely impressed with them. I have generally considered myself a competent, middle-percentile kind of birder, but after working with these guys I feel like a novice. They knew every call, and they have many more calls to deal with than we do here. They could locate birds deep, deep back through multiple layers of vegetation, in dark, thick forests under cloudy skies. They used green laser pointers to guide you to a spot very close to the bird, so it was very easy to see everything, and they also always brought a scope which they would quickly train on the target. I learned a lot from them, and they inspired me to improve my skills. They will do the same for you, I am sure. If you go, take some cash to tip them. You will want to.
8. We had to fly through Dallas to get there. Total air-time is about 6 hours; 2 to Dallas, 4 Dallas to Panama City. Best part: No jet lag, we are in the same time zone!
9. Bugs were not bad. I think MN is way worse. Just do not stand where the army ants are.
10. We used The Birds of Panama, by Angehr/Dean. Great book. Start learning the birds months before you go if possible, it makes all the difference. There are times when the birds come so fast and furious that you will NOT have time to look at the book. If you already have a feel for the field marks ahead of time it is much more fun.
Daily diary of sightings
March 31. Panama City:
We arrived late on Saturday night, March 31, and stayed at the Riande Aeropuerto Hotel, close to the airport. I specifically chose this for our first night because I had read online that it had a spacious, tree-filled courtyard, so we could bird immediately the following morning. The hotel is a bit pricey (~$140), but it is very nice. It is near the airport and there is a free shuttle back and forth.
April 1. Panama City.
Early AM, Riande Aeropuerto Hotel: The birds start singing very early here, before dawn, and the first bird we heard (and saw) in the hotel courtyard was the very common CLAY-COLORED THRUSH. Also seen about the hotel grounds were TROPICAL MOCKINGBIRD, GREAT_TAILED GRACKLE, RUDDY GROUND-DOVE, RED-CROWNED WOODPECKER, YELLOW-HEADED CARACARA, VARIABLE SEEDEATER, BLUE-GRAY TANAGER, and THICK-BILLED EUPHONIA.
With the help of a confused taxi driver, we next found ourselves at a place called Mi Pueblito, near Ancon Hill, which is a very tall hill within the city. Here we found BOAT-BILLED FLYCATCHER, SOCIAL FLYCATCHER, and CRIMSON-BACKED TANAGER. We had breakfast nearby in Casco Antiguo, (and who was there? Why ROCK PIGEONS of course!) which is a very old district with buildings dating back to the time of the first Spanish settlement. By the time we got to our original destination, the Parque Nacional Metropolitano, it was about 11 AM.
This park (with an entrance fee of a couple dollars) has many trails and we found the birds to be very localized, with long stretches producing nary a peep, but other areas teeming. We saw YELLOW_RUMPED CACIQUE, YELLOW-BACKED ORIOLE, WHITE-SHOULDERED TANAGER, CRIMSON-CRESTED WOODPECKER, PALM TANAGER, TROPICAL KINGBIRD, WHITE-TIPPED DOVE, HOUSE WREN (yes, the same ones – there were extremely common everywhere we went), and RUFOUS-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD in the course of a couple mid-day hours.
That was all for birding as we had to get ready to go to Canopy Tower. We had a slight problem doing so, as a mistake was made by the Tower management in terms of the transportation, in that nobody came to pick us up. We had to hire a cab to get there. We arrived after dark.
April 2, Canopy Tower.
Early AM: Atop the tower, on the viewing platform at dawn, we saw CHESTNUT-HEADED OROPENDULA, KEEL-BILLED TOUCAN, COLLARED ARACARI, SCALED PIGEON, many PALM TANAGER, GREEN HONEYCREEPER, BLUE DACNIS, GREY-HEADED KITE, TROPICAL GNATCATCHER, GREEN SHRIKE-VIREO (very hard to see! They really blend in, and their three-note song is easily remembered as “can't see me!”), CRIMSON-CRESTED WOODPECKER, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, SUMMER TANAGER, and SCARLET TANAGER. Below, at ground level, were nesting SCARLET-RUMPED CACIQUE and many WHITE-NECKED JACOBIN (notably several males fighting at the feeders).
Our guide, Domi, then led a group of four of us down Semaphore Road, where we identified BLACK-BREASTED PUFFBIRD, BLUE COTINGA, DUSKY-CAPPED FLYCATCHER, SOUTHERN BENTBILL, LESSER GREENLET, DOT_WINGED ANTWREN, BROAD-BILLED MOTMOT, FULVOUS-VENTED EUPHONIA, OLIVACEOUS FLATBILL, WHITE-BREASTED WOOD-WREN, LONG-BILLED GNATWREN, FASCIATED ANTSHRIKE, WESTERN SLATY-ANTSHRIKE, DUSKY-ANTBIRD, RED-THROATED ANT-TANAGER, and ORANGE-BILLED SPARROW. (The guide saw a PLAIN XENOPS that we did not get looks at.)
After going back to the Tower for lunch, we found LONG-BILLED HERMIT, VIOLET-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD, BLACK VULTURE, and RED-LEGGED HONEYCREEPER. We then went back out for an afternoon trip to the Summit Ponds area (about a 10-minute drive), where we found PANAMA FLYCATCHER, SOUTHERN BEARDLESS-TYRANNULET, RUDDY-BREASTED SEEDEATER, SCRUB GREENLET, PLAIN-COLORED TANAGER, MOURNING WARBLER, AMAZON KINGFISHER, GREEN KINGFISHER, JET ANTBIRD, SPECTACLED OWL, GREATER ANI, BOAT-BILLED HERON, SOUTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW, MANGROVE SWALLOW, WATTLED JACANA, YELLOW-GREEN VIREO, SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, LESSER KISKADEE, SLATY-TAILED TROGON, GREEN HERON, GRAY-NECKED WOOD-RAIL, and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. Then went back to the Tower for dinner.
April 3 Early AM: Pipeline Road/Gamboa Area:
We left the Tower early (6:15ish) in order to get here (20 min drive) with good light, and we did really well with Domi again as our guide, (together with another guide-in-training Alejandro). We identified both VIOLACEOUS and BLACK-TAILED TROGON, GOLDEN-COLLARED MANNAKIN, BLACK-CAPPED PYGMY TYRANT, GREY-HEADED CHACHALACA, and, upon coming across a forest floor covered in army ants (do not let them get on you), we were able to watch the feeding behaviors of BICOLORED ANTBIRD, OCELLATED ANTBIRD, and, amazingly, the uncommon and extremely shy RUFOUS-VENTED GROUND-CUCKOO. Other species included PHEASANT CUCKOO, SONG WREN, PURPLE-THROATED FRUITCROW, GREY-HEADED TANAGER, RED-EYED VIREO, BROWNISH TWISTWING, STREAKED FLYCATCHER, SPOTTED ANTBIRD, PLAIN BROWN WOODCREEPER, NORTHERN BARRED WOODCREEPER, and WHOOPING MOTMOT. We went back to the Tower for lunch, and then we driven on a two hour trip to El Valle de Antón, where the Canopy Lodge is located.
In the afternoon, about the grounds of the Lodge, we recorded GREY-HEADED CHACHALACAS, BUFF_THROATED SALTATOR, FLAME-RUMPED TANAGER, CRIMSON-BACKED TANAGER, BLUE-GREY TANAGER, GARDEN EMERALD, SNOWY-BELLIED HUMMINGBIRD, RUFOUS MOTMOT, THICK-BILLED EUPHONIA, and RED-CROWNED ANT-TANAGER, as well as the ubiquitous CLAY-COLORED THRUSH and RED-LEGGED HONEYCREEPER.
April 4 Early AM:
At the Lodge grounds, we were treated to a SUNBITTERN fishing in the stream, as well as WHITE-LINED and DUSKY-FACED TANAGER, BLACK-CHESTED JAY, and BANANAQUIT. Our Lodge guide, Eliecer, took us up to an area called La Mesa, where we saw RUFOUS-AND-WHITE WREN, WHITE-BREASTED WOOD WREN, GOLDEN-HEADED TANAGER, GREEN HERMIT, YELLOW-FACED GRASSQUIT, WHITE-WINGED BECARD, BLACK-STRIPED SPARROW, YELLOW-MARGINED FLYCATCHER, SILVER THROATED TANAGER, LINNEATED WOODPECKER, SOUTHERN LAPWING, CATTLE EGRET, TAWNY-CRESTED TANAGER, SWALLOW-TAILED KITE, THRUSH-LIKE SCHIFFORNIS, THICK-BILLED SEEDEATER, WHITE-VENTED PLUMELETEER, and nesting OLIVE-STRIPED FLYCATCHER.
We returned to the same area in the afternoon and found MASKED TITYRA, STRIPE-THRAOTED HERMIT, ORANGE-BELLIED TROGON, BLACK-FACED ANTTHRUSH, VIOLET-CROWNED WOODNYMPH, and a RUFOUS-CRESTED COQUETTE. The Black-faced Antthrush viewing was especially nice: these are robin-sized, but almost chicken-like forest-floor dwellers that cock their tails up high and call loudly. In the low-light of the deep forest on a cloudy afternoon, they were basically impossible to see. However, our guide was eventually able to call one down the trail as we hid behind some tangles, and we were treated to a good two minutes of viewing it as it strutted about looking for the source of the calls, which were coming from our expert guide whistling the Antthrush's call perfectly.
April 5. Canopy Lodge:
Early AM The following morning was our last at the Lodge, and we birded the environs, finding BAY WREN and BUFF-RUMPED WARBLER in addition to many holdovers from the previous day.
Later in the morning we moved on to our next hotel, The Golden Frog Inn, on the other side of the valley. We birded the nice, manicured grounds there, as well as the smaller streets in the town, for the rest of April 5 as well as April 6, finding STREAKED SALTATOR, GRAY-BREASTED MARTIN, male and female BARRED ANTSHRIKE, YELLOW-CROWNED EUPHONIA, YELLOW-FRONTED PARROT, RUFOUS-CAPPED WARBLER, PLAIN WREN, ORANGE-CHINNED PARAKEET, LONG-BILLED STARTHROAT, YELLOW-BELLIED and (nesting) LESSER ELAENIA, YELLOW-GREEN and YELLOW-THROATED VIREO, INDIGO BUNTING, SQUIRREL CUCKOO, and BALTIMORE ORIOLE.
Because the Golden Frog Hotel was a bit far from town, we ended up doing a lot of walking to and fro, and taxis were hard to find (possibly because it was a holiday week). We ended up spending a bit of time shopping and also got caught in a downpour that lasted a good hour, so we didn't really bird all that much the last days in El Valle. On April 7, we left El Valle around 10AM using one the the common public buses (they leave every 15 min, going to Panama City, and cost only $4) and got to our hotel, the Hotel Milan, located not too far from El Parque Nacional Metropolitano. But because of the holiday weekend, we did not return to Parque as we expected it would be closed.
We decided to try an area adjacent to the ocean, at a newish park called Cinta Costero. In the grass we found SAFFRON FINCH as well as many GREAT-TAILED GRACKLES and RUDDY GROUND-DOVES. Docks in the marina yielded LAUGHING GULL, LITTLE BLUE HERON, SNOWY EGRET, GREAT EGRET, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, NEOTROPIC CORMORANT, while MAGNIFCENT FRIGATEBIRD, BROWN PELICAN, and TURKEY VULTURE were all seen in the air.