HIGHLIGHTS

 

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.  This comprehensive tour covers all major birding sites, and is guided by some of the best bird guides in the country.  In total the country of Panama boasts an impressive list of over 960 species.

You'll bird the Canal Zone, including famed Pipeline Road, Summit Ponds in Soberiana Park, and further afield, Achiote Road near the Caribbean. 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. The Darien, Panama's largest park is home to four types of Macaws and King Vultures.  Both lowland and cloud forest habitats are accessable from your rustic field station and camping site.  In the Highlands around Boquete, expert bird guides will search for the Resplendent Quetzals.  Even within cosmopolitan Panama, birds abound in Metropolitan Park and on the mud-flats of old Panama.

 

Dates

 
February 14 - 27
March 8 - 21

2010 Price

 

Price per person in double occupancy:
$2,497.00
Single Supplement:
$677.00

To above prices, add 5% government tax

 

Minimum 2 persons

 

Included

• Lodging - 13 Nights
• All land, air and water transportation within Panama
• All airport/hotel transfers on scheduled arrival and departure dates
• 37 meals as specified in the itinerary (B - breakfast; L - lunch; D - dinner)
• Entrance fees
• Guides’ services

Not Included 

• International airfare
• Ttourist 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.)
• Gratuities                                                                                                    

Birding in Panama - Full Itinerary

 

Day 1  ARRIVAL

On arrival to Tocumen International Airport you will be met by a representative of JB Journeys™ and transferred to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, near Soberanía National Park.

Night at GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT

 

Day 2 PIPELINE ROAD - SUMMIT PONDS - PLANTATION LOOP

Early morning breakfast and orientation with other trip participants and your Birds of Panama guide. This morning you drive to the nearby Pipeline Road within Soberania National Park. Soberania is home to some 525 species of birds. Before entering the road you will bird the scrub habitat near the ponds looking for Crimson-backed Tanager, Rufescent Tiger Heron, White-throated Crake as well as several Tyrannulets and Greenlets. Located within this protected area Pipeline Rd. is the site where 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 antswarm followers. A picnic lunch will be served at Summit Ponds. There you will look for the Boat-billed Heron, Rosy Thrush-Tanager and other Pacific woodland species. At Plantation Loop you will walk along a low ridge where you will find some of the humid forest birds such as Royal Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Blue-crowned Manakin and others.

Night at GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT (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(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 PARK & WORLD 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.       top  

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.

Night at FINCA LERIDA LODGE (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 HOLIDAY INN PANAMA CANAL (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.                                                            top

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 – COSTA DEL ESTE

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 Costa del Este mangroves looking for Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Northern Scrub-Flycatcher, Mangrove Black-Hawk, Mangrove Warbler, Sapphire-throated and Scaly-breasted Hummingbirds, Rufous-browed Peppershrike among others. You will also stop at Costa del Este in search of Black-necked Stilt, Least Sandpiper, Cocoi Heron, Yellowlegs and Night-Herons. A farewell dinner will take place at a Panamanian restaurant tonight.                      top

Night at HOLIDAY INN PANAMA CANAL (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?

 

Click here to request reservation

 

LOGISTICS 

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.

 

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: 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.                    top