This trip is an in-depth exploration of avian diversity across Panama’s isthmus. Bird watching in Panama is 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 of the country, 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, Panama boasts an impressive list of over 960 species.

Day 1 – Arrival in Panama
We’ll pick you on arrival to Tocumen International Airport and transferred to your hotel in Panama City. This evening you will enjoy a welcome cocktail and briefing with a naturalist guide. You’ll stay at Gamboa Rainforest Resort Villas.

Day 2- Pipeline Road-Summit Ponds- Plantation Loop

This morning we drive to the nearby Pipeline Road within Soberania National Park.  Soberania Park is home to some 525 species of birds.  Before entering the road we 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. Here we will look for the Boat-billed Heron, Rosy Thrush-Tanager and other Pacific woodland species. At Plantation Loop we will walk along a low ridge where we find some of the humid forest birds such as Royal Flycatcher, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Blue-crowned Manakin and others. You’ll stay at Gamboa Rainforest Resort Villas. (B,L,D)

Day 3- Escobal/Achiote Road
An early morning drive will take us 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. Also an excellent place to look for 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.  In the late afternoon there is time for birding around the hotel grounds back in Gamboa. You’ll stay at Gamboa Rainforest Resort Villas (B,L,D).

Day 4 - Metropolitan Nature Park - Chiriqui Cloudforest
Today we drive to 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 and many more.  We will also look for the Red-napped Tamarin on the trail named after them.

We will take a mid-morning flight to David, capital of the Chiriqui province.  Chiriqui province is known as “Panama’s breadbasket” having some of the most breathtaking highland scenery in Central America.  Transfer by van to the western side of the Baru Volcano to the town of Volcan.  Lunch will be at the hotel’s restaurant.  In the afternoon we proceed to 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.  Stay at Hotel Dos Rios (B,L,D).

Day 5- La Amistad International Park and 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.  We 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 we’ll drive to Baru Volcano National Park located along the Talamanca mountain range. This is also the highest point of the country (3,475 meters above sea level). The Baru Volcano and La Amistad parks are part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor.  Here we will search for Buffy Tuftedcheek, Resplendent Quetzal, Ochraceous Pewee, Silvery-throated Jay, different hummingbirds and other highland species. Stay at Hotel Dos Rios (B,L,D).

Day 6 Tapir’s Canyon- Querevalo Road- Boquete       
This morning we will stop at Tapir’s Canyon in search of Lesser Elaenia, Bay-headed Tanager, Crested Oropendola, American Dipper, and a myriad other species. In route to Boquete we will descend back to the lowlands and drive through some rice, corn and sugar cane fields where we keep an eye out for Brown-throated Parakeets, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Dickcissels, and other grassland birds.  We continue our exploration 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.  This afternoon we’ll go birding around the hotel grounds and main road. Night at Hotel Panamonte (B,L,D).

Day 7- Finca Lerida Cloud Forest
Today we’ll explore Finca Lerida, a privately owned preserve, just outside Baru Volcano National Park.  At an elevation of 2,286 meters above sea level, we’ll have an opportunity to see 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 we continue birding before returning to our hotel to get ready for our transfer to David for our flight back to Panama City. Night at Hotel Executive (B,L,D).

Day 8- Darien Nacional Park – Santa Cruz De Cana
This morning after breakfast we will proceed to Albrook domestic airport where we will board our chartered plane to Santa Cruz de Cana, in Darien National Park and World Biosphere Reserve, where Ancon Expeditions manages a field station.  As we fly in we can admire the vast forest cover of Panama’s largest park (1.3 million acres).  Cana is located at the foothills of Pirre Mountain, which stands like an island in the most remote area of Panama.  Very few places in the world rival Cana in birding potential.  From the plane be on the lookout for King Vultures and Macaws.

After getting settled at the Field Station we’ll go explore the Boca de Cupe Trail and surrounding area.  Specialties here include 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 the 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 are 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 we begin our 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, Orange-bellied Euphonia. Night at Pirre Camp (Screened tents with sleeping mats) (B,L,D).

Day 11- Pirre Cloud Forest Camp 
This morning we hike to the top of Pirre Mountain in search of the Golden-headed Quetzal, Gray and gold Tanager, Sharpbill, Chlorophonia and several Tanagers among other highland species.  Late afternoon birding around the Pirre Tent Camp.
Night at Pirre Camp (B,L,D).

Day 12- Cana Field Station
After breakfast we will start our descent to the field station.  This afternoon wil be 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
This morning our charter flight will take us back to Panama City.  Upon arrival, tide level permitting, we will visit the Old Panama Mudflats for a chance to see Collared Plovers, Short-billed Dowitchers, Marbled Godwit, Whimbrel and others.  Lunch will be at a local restaurant. 

We’ll continue to bird at Juan Diaz scrub and mangrove area. We will look 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. We will also stop at Costa del Este in search of Black-necked Stilt, Least Sandpiper, Cocoi Heron, Yellowlegs, Night-Herons.  Farewell dinner at a Panamanian cuisine restaurant. Night at Hotel Executive (B,L,D).

Day 14- Depart Panama
Today we will be picked up at the lobby of the hotel 2.5 hours prior to our scheduled departure flight and transferred to Tocumen International Airport.  Fly home with a fantastic bird list (B).

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.