Panama – The Birds of the Isthmus

You will be welcomed at the Panama City airport by your bilingual local guide and transferred to the hotel, located in the former canal zone. The place is in a beautiful area surrounded by nature and offers easy access to the main birdwatching sites of the Panama Canal rainforest. Depending on arrival times, we will have the opportunity to begin our first observations around the hotel with some typical species of the area. Before dinner, the guide will give an orientation presentation about the upcoming trip. Overnight in Panama City.

We will start the trip with a bang. After an early breakfast, our specialised guide will pick us up at the hotel to guide us through the famous Pipeline Road. Located about 45 minutes west of the capital, just past the village of Gamboa, Pipeline Road begins at the edge of Soberanía National Park, which preserves about 22,000 hectares of tropical forest. Pipeline Road is a world-renowned observation site. It is among the best birdwatching sites in the Neotropics, and daily counts can be impressive: manakins, tanagers, trogons, woodcreepers, toucans, etc. With a list exceeding 400 species, it will probably be one of the best places during our stay to observe the birds of Central American rainforests. The lower part of Pipeline Road starts in a well-regenerated secondary humid forest, within which many patches of primary forest host rarer species. We will focus on these challenging species, and with a bit of luck, we might find two species of Tacro. By following the swarms of army ants, we will attempt to spot the numerous species of antbirds, which our guide will help us identify. In the afternoon, we will explore several complementary aquatic habitats around Gamboa, in search of the Oriole Blackbird. Return to our hotel at the end of the day. Overnight near the Panama Canal.

This morning, we will explore another hotspot in the Panama Canal ‘corridor’ in search of additional species, among the highland forests, water points, and edges of secondary forests. During this new birdwatching walk along the old Gamboa road, we will effortlessly explore the old Gamboa road, which passes through shrub habitats and secondary forest as well as pastures and other open areas. Plantation Road is located about 8 km south of Gamboa and begins along the main road. The evergreen forests in this area are even more beautiful than those of Pipeline Road. Here too, we will look for columns of army ants followed by many antbirds and leaftossers. Plantation Road has an open shrub layer with easy viewing, especially for mixed flocks on the forest edge. The trail sometimes runs alongside a pretty stream where we will look for additional species. Thanks to some openings in the forest, we will be able to scan the canopy free of vegetation to try to spot some other typical birds of this open shrub layer. Unlike Pipeline Road, no vehicle traffic is allowed, which will make photography easier for us. Scanning the ponds at the top of the road can be productive for searching for kingfishers, crakes, and herons. Return to our hotel near the canal at the end of the day.

Today, we will leave early for a new destination: Cerro Azul (750 metres altitude). Located an hour northeast of the capital on the foothills of Chagres National Park, this region of elfin cloud forests features many observation sites that complement and differ from those visited on previous days. We will start our day with several stops along the road ascending towards the higher areas of Cerro Azul. We will explore several viewpoints and lagoon edges to diversify the species observed. We will then continue the visit with a photo session at the hummingbird gardens, where the feeders are often very productive and can include some rare species such as the Violet-capped Hummingbird, as well as many other opportunistic species, warblers, woodpeckers, tanagers, and euphonias. We will spend the rest of the day exploring the cloud forests adjacent to the village of Cerro Azul and then part of Chagres National Park (1000 metres altitude). The elevation of this area will allow us to add several highland species to our list. In the late afternoon, we will return to our hotel near Panama City airport.

Early morning departure from our hotel to take National Route #1, a section of the famous Pan-American Highway, towards the province of Darién, one of the most enigmatic and inaccessible neotropical bio-regions. Our first stop will be along the Llano-Cartí road, offering excellent birdwatching opportunities, including several rare tanager species, taking advantage of the first light of day. We will also take time to look for wrens, flycatchers, puffbirds, woodcreepers, antbirds, and manakins. We will have a picnic along the road before continuing to the small rural town of Tortí, where we will first visit the riverbanks. The hotel in Tortí is located in a world-class birdwatching area, and we will complete our observations depending on the arrival time. We will also visit a hummingbird garden where the feeders are very productive and attract species not found elsewhere on this route. Overnight in Tortí in a standard hotel.

The forest around the Tortí area offers us numerous alternatives to explore its avian richness, particularly the endemics of the lower Darién. San Francisco is a private reserve that protects one of the few remaining lowland forests in the eastern province of Panama, outside the Bayano region, and it is connected to the forests of the Maje range, visible from the main trail. It is home to many bird species of the Darién, which will be our targets today. We will look for manakin leks along the trail and take time to patiently wait for certain forest hummingbirds to arrive at the heliconia flowers, which are very common along the route. The trail crosses several streams where we will look for the curious Long-tailed Hermit, one of the most aesthetically pleasing tyrants of the Neotropics. We will search for certain fruiting trees that can attract an interesting variety of frugivores such as toucans, cotingas, flycatchers, euphonias, tanagers, dacnis, and honeycreepers. We will return to our hotel at the end of the day for a well-deserved night of rest. Evening meal and dinner at the same hotel in Tortí.

During our stay in the Metetí region, we hope to see many rare and highly isolated species. This area is perfect for those seeking South American species not found in the rest of Central America. Over the years, this region has become one of the best places in the world to find both the impressive Harpy Eagle and the Crested Eagle, two of the most astonishing raptors in the world. Our chances will of course be determined by the activity of the nests, which is not guaranteed. If the status of a Harpy Eagle nest is active, we will take an hour-long boat ride deeper into the Darién to admire this majestic bird. Metetí is also one of the best places to search for many near-endemic species. We will also explore several areas around the village in search of some Darién specialities. The savannah areas and riparian wetlands also host several additional species. After dinner, a night outing will allow us to search for several species of nightjars along the roads, as well as owls and great horned owls. Evening meal and overnight stay in a hotel in Metetí.

Last morning of birdwatching around the Metetí area to complete our list. Depending on the missing species, the guide will offer us different visit options. The biological corridor of this geographical sector functions as an altitudinal and latitudinal crossroads, linking ecosystems from east to west, from the Pacific to the Caribbean, and connecting lowland and foothill areas. It is an important area for birds, hosting many endemic species of the low and highlands of Darién. We will thus explore the outer surroundings of the Metetí area, from the high parts to the village environs, before heading back to the Panamanian capital where we will spend our last night.

Our last day of birdwatching in Panama will begin with a boat excursion on the famous Panama Canal. The brief passage alongside the ships and cargo vessels transiting through this narrowest point of the isthmus will be an opportunity to talk a little about what has become one of the most iconic constructions in Central America. After this short historical pause, our boat will allow us to explore a part of this unique watershed, offering a new perspective of the canal area and the possibility of adding a few different species to our list, while discovering the various ecosystems: mangroves, forests and riparian vegetation, small islands, and vegetated coves. In addition to the many aquatic and marine birds, different species of monkeys may be observed in the treetops. At the end of the day, our transport will take us to our accommodation in Panama.

The day will begin with a visit to the ruins of Panama Viejo, the old Panama, northeast of the city, where the remains of the first city founded by the Spanish on the Pacific coast of the American continent are located. We will then head to Casco Viejo, with its Spanish colonial architecture, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1980. The old town offers numerous colonial traces that testify to Panama’s preeminent position as the nerve centre of the Pacific coast during the Spanish colonial era. It was also the neighbourhood where the French workers hired by Ferdinand de Lesseps to build the Panama Canal lived. Through its colourful cobbled streets, squares, and public parks, Panama’s history is still preserved: France Square, which offers a magnificent view of the modern city, the Las Bovedas promenade, the San José Church with its beautiful Golden Altar, and the "Arco Chato" are part of Panama's historical heritage. Today, many artists have made it their home, gradually replacing the working-class families. For lunch, there is an option to enjoy delicious ceviche at the fish market, accompanied by a natural fruit juice. At the end of the day, our transport will take us to Tocumen International Airport, where the journey will end.