Day 1: ARRIVE PANAMA
On arrival to Tocumen International Airport, a Naturalist Guide will meet you. Transfer to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort near Soberania National Park. Welcome cocktail and briefing.
Night at GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT VILLAS Day 2: PIPELINE ROAD - SUMMIT PONDS - PLANTATION LOOP
This morning, drive to the nearby Pipeline Road within Soberania National Park. Soberania is home to some 525 species of birds. Before entering the road, you 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 rainforests 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 you will look for the Boat-billed Heron, Rosy Thrush-Tanager and other Pacific woodland species. At Plantation Loop, walk along a low ridge where you find 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. 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.
Late afternoon birding around the hotel grounds back in Gamboa.
Night at GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT VILLAS (B/L/D) Day 4: METROPOLITAN NATURE PARK - CHIRIQUI CLOUDFOREST
Today, drive to Metropolitan Nature Park (the only protected rainforest 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. You will also look for the Red-napped Tamarin on the trail named after them.
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, proceed to a coffee farm that 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. 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, drive to Baru Volcano National Park located along the Talamanca mountain range and also being 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 you will search for Buffy Tuftedcheek, Resplendent Quetzal, Ochraceous Pewee, Silvery-throated Jay, different hummingbirds and other highland species.
Night at HOTEL DOS RIOS (B/L/D) Day 6: TAPIR’S CANYON - QUEREVALO ROAD - BOQUETE
This morning, 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, descend back to the lowlands and drive through some rice, corn and sugar cane fields where you keep an eye out for Brown-throated Parakeets, Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Dickcissels, and other grassland birds.
Continue your 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.
Afternoon birding around the hotel grounds and main road.
Night at HOTEL PANAMONTE (B/L/D) Day 7: FINCA LERIDA CLOUD FOREST
Explore Finca Lerida, a privately owned preserve, just outside Baru Volcano National Park. At an elevation of 2,286 meters above sea level, you 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, continue birding before returning to your hotel to get ready for the transfer to David for a 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, proceed to Albrook domestic airport where you board a chartered plane to Santa Cruz de Cana, in Darien National Park and World Biosphere Reserve, where Ancon Expeditions manages a field station. As you fly in, 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, 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, begin a slow-paced five-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, 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 (Screened Tents with Sleeping Mats) (B/L/D) Day 12: CANA FIELD STATION
After breakfast, start the descent to the field station. This 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
This morning a charter flight takes you back to Panama City. Upon arrival, tide level permitting, 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.
Continue to bird at Juan Diaz scrub and mangrove area where you 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. You 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, you are picked up at the lobby of the hotel 2.5 hours prior to your scheduled departure flight and transferred to Tocumen International Airport. Fly home. (B)
Optional post trip extension to Darien’s Punta Patiño Nature Reserve, the Realm of the Harpy Eagle. |
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