14 days/13 nights
This is an in-depth exploration of avian diversity across the isthmus.
Bird watching in Panama can be very easy and rewarding. Its geographical
position allows contact with two great mother lodes of avian diversity.
You can see Resplendent Quetzals and Umbrella birds in the West as
well as four types of Macaws and Harpy Eagles in the East.
In the central part the rainforests of the Panama Canal watershed
are within a 45-minute drive from Panama City and harbor more than
400 bird species. In total the country of Panama boasts an impressive
list of over 960 species.
Day 1 ARRIVE PANAMA
On arrival to Tocumen International Airport you will be met by a
representative of Panama Boutique™ and transferred to the
Gamboa Rainforest Resort, near Soberanía National Park.
There will be a welcome cocktail and briefing and the chance to
meet any other participants.
Night at GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT VILLAS
Day 2 PIPELINE ROAD - SUMMIT PONDS - PLANTATION LOOP
Birding in Panama must include a day at Pipeline Road, located in the nearby Soberanía National Park. The spring 2006 issue of Birding, the magazine for the Cornell School of ornithology, calls Pipeline Road ‘the best birding in Central America.’ Soberanía is home to some 525 species of birds. Before entering the road you'll stop at the scrub habitat near the ponds looking for Crimson-backed Tanager, Rufescent Tiger Heron, White-throated Crake as well as several Tyrannulets and Greenlets. Pipeline Road is where Panama Audubon Society held its world Christmas bird count record for 19 years straight, with 357 species of birds identified in a period of 24 hours.
As one of the most accessible
rain forests in the world, Pipeline Road is a great place to look
for birds like Slaty-tailed and Black-throated Trogons, Golden-collared
Manakin, White-bellied Antbird, Semiplumbeous Hawk, Black-breasted
Puffbird, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Blue Cotinga, Pheasant Cuckoo
and army ant swarm followers. A picnic lunch will be served at
Summit Ponds where you might see Boat-billed Heron, Rosy Thrush-Tanager
and other Pacific woodland species around the ponds. At Plantation
Loop you can walk along a low ridge and look for some of the humid
forest birds such as Royal Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Spadebill,
Blue-crowned Manakin and others.
Night at GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT VILLAS (B, L, D)
Day 3 ESCOBAL / ACHIOTE
ROAD
An early morning drive will take you to the areas of Escobal and
Achiote roads on the Caribbean side of Panama. This spot is probably
one of the best places to search for diurnal raptors as well as specialties
like Spot-crowned Barbet, Black Hawk-Eagle, Rufous-crested Coquette,
Montezuma Oropendola, Brown-hooded Parrot, Black-bellied Wren, Pied
Puffbird and rarities like Gray-cheeked Nunlet and White-headed Wren.
Late afternoon birding will be around the hotel grounds back in Gamboa.
Night at GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT VILLAS (B, L, D)
Day 4 METROPOLITAN NATURE PARK - CHIRIQUI CLOUDFOREST
This day starts at Metropolitan Nature Park (the only protected rain
forest within capital city limits in Latin America). With an impressive
list of 260 species the possibilities are great. Specialties include
Lance-tailed Manakin, Orange-billed Sparrow, Green Honeycreeper,
Rufous and White Wren, as well as Red-napped Tamarin on the trail
named after them.
A
mid-morning flight takes you to David, capital of the Chiriqui
province. Chiriqui is known as “Panama’s breadbasket” due
to the rich soil and excellent climate and has some of the most
breathtaking highland scenery in Central America. Transfer is by
van to the western side of the Baru Volcano to the town of Volcan.
After lunch you will visit a coffee farm which offers great birding
such as Rufous-browed Peppershrike, White-winged Tanager, Fiery-billed
Aracari in a transitional area between the highlands and lower
foothills of the western mountain range.
Night at HOTEL DOS RIOS (B, L, D)
Day 5 LA AMISTAD INTERNATIONAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE
Shared with neighboring Costa Rica and recognized in 1982 as a Biosphere
Reserve and UNESCO World Heritage Site, La Amistad is located at
a point on the Central American land bridge where flora and fauna
from North and South America reach their maximum species mix, with
great ranges in altitude, precipitation, soils and temperature.
You will spend the morning hiking and exploring La Amistad in the
area of El Retoño in search of Silvery-fronted Tapaculo,
Andean Pygmy-Owl, Barred Becard and many other western highland
species.
After lunch at a local restaurant the drive to Baru Volcano National
Park takes you along the Talamanca mountain range and also the highest
point of the country at 3,475 meters. The Baru Volcano and La Amistad
Park are part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor. Here you will
search for Buffy Tuftedcheek, Resplendent Quetzal, Ochraceous Pewee,
Silvery-throated Jay, as well as different hummingbirds and other
highland species.
Night at HOTEL DOS RIOS (B, L, D)
Day 6 TAPIR’S
CANYON - QUEREVALO ROAD - BOQUETE
This morning begins with a stop at Tapir’s Canyon in search
of Lesser Elaenia, Bay-headed Tanager, Crested Oropendola, American
Dipper, and a myriad other species. En route to Boquete the road
descends to the lowlands and through some rice, corn and sugarcane
fields, where you should keep an eye out for Brown-throated Parakeets,
Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Dickcissels, and other grassland birds.
The hunt continues on the Eastern side of Baru Volcano to Boquete,
a countryside town dotted with flower, fruit and vegetable farms,
coffee plantations and also lush tropical cloud forests. Afternoon
birding will be around the hotel grounds and main road.
Night at HOTEL PANAMONTE (B, L, D)
Day 7 FINCA LERIDA CLOUD FOREST
The opportunity to visit
a privately owned preserve in Boquete, in the buffer zone of Baru
Volcano National Park, Finca Lerida is a special treat. At an elevation
of 2,286 meters you might be fortunate enough to see some of the
great cloud forest birds such as the elusive Resplendent Quetzal,
Three-wattled Bellbird, Black-faced Solitaire, Volcano Hummingbird,
Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher and Prong-billed Barbet, in their
cool habitat of orchids, bromeliads and wild avocados.
After a picnic in the cloud forest, continue birding before returning
to the hotel to get ready for the transfer to David for our flight
back to Panama City.
Night at HOTEL EXECUTIVE (B, L, D)
Day 8 DARIEN
NATIONAL PARK – SANTA CRUZ DE CANA
This morning after breakfast the group will catch a chartered flight
from Albrook domestic airport, headed to Santa Cruz de Cana, in
Darien National Park and World Biosphere Reserve. From the flight
you can see the vast forest cover of Panama’s largest park
(1.3 million acres) and possibly even sight King Vulture and Macaw.
Cana is located at the foothills of Pirre Mountain, which stand
like an island in the most remote area of Panama. Very few places
in the world rival Cana in birding potential.
After getting settled at the Field Station you will explore the Boca
de Cupe Trail and surrounding area, looking for specialties like
Blue and Gold, Red and Green, Great Green and Chestnut-fronted macaws,
Black tipped Cotinga, Swallow Tanager, Red-throated Caracara, Streaked
Antwren, Dusky-backed Jacamar, Ornate Hawk-Eagle and others.
Night at CANA FIELD STATION (B, L, D)
Day 9 CANA FIELD STATION
Today is a good day to explore the Mine Trail where rusting machinery
was left to be overtaken by the jungle after British Gold Mine
ventures collapsed at the beginning of the last century. Specialties
of this area include Great Curassow, Crested Guan, Dusky-faced
Tanager, Olivaceous Piculet. Also the Seteganti Trail with open
scrub areas and mature forests is good for various woodpeckers
such as Crimson-bellied and Red-rumped, Red-billed Scythebill,
Brown Violetear.
Night at CANA FIELD STATION (B, L, D)
Day 10 PIRRE CLOUD FOREST CAMP
Today starts the slow-paced, 5-hour hike to the Pirre Cloud Forest.
At 1,200 meters above sea level, the Pirre Cloud Forest is a good
place to look for specialties such as Beautiful Treerunner, Tooth-billed
Hummingbird, Slaty Antwren, Tody Motmot, Yellow-eared Toucanet, Rufous-breasted
Ant Thrush, Immaculate Antbird, Rufous-vented Ground Cuckoo, Pirre
Warbler, Pirre Hummingbird, Pirre Bush Tanager, Greenish Puffleg,
and Orange-bellied Euphonia.
Night at PIRRE CAMP (Screened tents with sleeping mats) (B, L, D)
Day 11 PIRRE CLOUD FOREST CAMP
This morning you will hike to the top of Pirre Mountain in search
of the Golden-headed Quetzal, Gray and gold Tanager, Sharpbill,
Chlorophonia and other tanagers among other highland species. Late
afternoon birding will be back near camp.
Night at PIRRE CAMP (Screened tents with sleeping mats) (B, L, D)
Day 12 CANA FIELD STATION
After breakfast you'll
start the descent to the field station. The afternoon is spent
looking for birds around the main camp - possibilities include
Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Spotted Barbtail, Barred Puffbird, Yellow-green
Tyrannulet, Jet Antibird, Black-crowned, Fulvous-bellied, Ochre-breasted
and Scaled Antpittas, White-fronted Nunbird, Cinereous Becard,
Golden-headed Manakin.
Night at CANA FIELD STATION (B, L, D)
Day 13 DARIEN – PANAMA CITY – OLD PANAMA MUDFLATS – JUAN
DIAZ MANGROVES
A charter flight takes you back to Panama City this morning. Upon
arrival, tide level permitting, you will have an opportunity to visit
the Mudflats at Panama la Vieja for a chance to see Collared Plovers,
Short-billed Dowitchers, Marbled Godwit, Whimbrel and others. After
lunch at a local restaurant, you continue to bird at Juan Diaz scrub
and mangrove area to look for Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Ruddy-breasted
Seedeater, Northern Scrub-Flycatcher, Mangrove Black-Hawk, Mangrove
Warbler, Sapphire-throated and Scaly-breasted Hummingbirds, and Rufous-browed
Peppershrike, among others. After one final birding stop at Costa
del Este in search of Black-necked Stilt, Least Sandpiper, Cocoi
Heron, Yellowlegs, Night-Herons, you will dine on Panamanian cuisine
at a local restaurant.
Night at HOTEL EXECUTIVE (B, L, D)
Day 14 DEPART PANAMA
Today you will be picked up at the lobby of the hotel 2-3 hours prior
to scheduled departure flight and transferred to Tocumen International
Airport. (B)
Why not consider a Panama
Canal Transit before or after the tour? Or maybe a visit to the
Land of the Harpy Eagle at the Punta Patiño
Reserve?
DEPARTURE DATES
2009
January 12 - 25
February 24 - March 9
March 25 - April 7
Price per person in double occupancy:
$2,500.00
Single Supplement:
$680.00
To above prices, add 5% government tax
Minimum 2 persons
LOGISTICS
for BIRDING PANAMA
TRIP CLASSIFICATION: Moderate/long hiking 3-5 hours per day over
variable terrain, slippery, muddy. Accommodations vary from hotel,
comfortable lodges, field stations and tent camps.
INCLUDED: Lodging, all land, air and water transportation within
Panama. All airport/hotel transfers on scheduled arrival and departure
dates, meals as specified in the itinerary (B - breakfast; L - lunch;
D - dinner), entrance fees, guides’ services and services of
an in-bound land operator for airline re-confirmations and tour operations.
NOT INCLUDED: International airfare, tourist card ($5 per person),
international departure tax ($20 as of printing), meals not specified
in the itinerary, alcoholic beverages, personal equipment, extras
in hotels (laundry, telephone calls, room service, etc.) or gratuities.
NOTE: Weight restrictions apply to luggage in both commercial and
chartered flights within Panama. A maximum of 25 lbs. of checked
luggage per person is allowed. Arrangements can be made to store
luggage that will not be needed on a particular leg of the trip.
Excess baggage charges assessed by commercial carriers are the responsibility
of the passenger.
EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST: Binoculars (preferably 7x35 or larger), Birds
of Panama book, camera with extra batteries & film, flashlight
with extra bulb & batteries, bathing suit, insect repellant,
sunscreen, hat, day pack, water bottle, lightweight/quick dry cotton
clothes, windbreaker, hiking boots, sandals, sneakers, rain gear,
money in small denominations, toiletries & personal medications.
The naturalist guide carries a spotting scope.
Note regarding camping:
