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Panama

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Broad-billed Motmot Electron platyrhynchum © John Afdem http://www.johnafdem.com

Birding in Panama is hot stuff... its one of the hottest places in Central America to go birding in. Panama is a tropical rain forest with a huge flora and fauna including a surprisingly long bird list of nearly 950 species for you to see! There are specialist (bilingual) guides and comfortable lodges all very short distances from bird watching sites - just what a birder loves, besides the terrific hospitality, good accommodation and typically tasty Panamanian cuisine. Birding abounds both in the National Parks and in many other localities. A few of the best places are: Parque Metropolitano, Parque Soberanía, Parque Chagres, Pipe Line Rd, Piña Rd, Water Tank Rd, Achiote Rd, Escobal , Sierra Llorona etc. Panama is a veritable paradise. Come and check for yourself.

Birding abounds both in the National Parks and in many other localities. A few of the best places are: Parque Metropolitano, Parque Soberanía, Parque Chagres, Pipe Line Rd, Piña Rd, Water Tank Rd, Achiote Rd, Escobal , Sierra Llorona etc. Panama is a veritable paradise. Come and check for yourself.

Most birders come in December, January , February, March. In the Chiriqui highlands, Boquete and its surroundings have at least 6 micro climates and so you can always find a dry area to see the birds. December and January can be very wet in the cloud forest, with misty rains called Bajareque. Despite the popularity of these months the best time for birding is the last 2 weeks of April and first two weeks of May when migrants are singing and are in breeding plumage; the birds which stay are singing and nesting and easy to see. Everywhere is green and we have a lot of berries and flowers. Every afternoon there is some rain in some areas. Every month has its attractions though with January being the time for hummingbirds nesting in the highlands and the best time to see Quetzales and other Trogons being from January until May.

Panama is a country rich in Historical, Cultural and Social activities. If you want to take a rest from birding you can visit Spanish Forts like San Lorenzo, Sherman, Portobello and discover history full of galleons, cannons, pirates, slaves and gold! Also you can see one of the modern wonders of the world, The Panama Canal, which joins the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. A journey across Panama takes 60 minutes by car, or eight hours on a ship. No wonder we are called Bridge of the world; heart of the universe.

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Canopy Tower

Top Sites

Chiriqui Highlands

Satellite View
Los Quetzales Trail - The best area is around the ranger station on the Boquete site untill the trout farm, on the dirt road; even for Quetzales - best from May to July. Following landslides the trail was closed for three years but now is open for a small part. Care must be taken even in this part and the ranger should be consulted. A good wattled Bellbird spot is the open grassy area near the ranger station towards the trout farm. (Bellbirds are easy to see there from January until mid June) On the los Quetzales trail in the area where you have the little trail to "las Rocas", just sit and wait for the birds to come to you! Most of the time you see Quetzales there and a lot of mixed flocks. On the other side of the trail near the ranger station in Guadelupe, you have an open grassy area with a lot of flowers, here you can see there Firey-throated Hummingbird (December & January) and Wren-thrush (Zeledonia).

Sheep farm on the road up the volcano which is drivable with an entrance fee of $5 - good for those who have trouble walking. Good for Black-capped Flycatcher and Large-footed Finch and Quetzals. - after passing the ranger station, a 2 hours steep hike (bad road), there is a good chance to see Quetzales any time of year.

Wetland before you enter the hotel Las Olas - half an hour drive from David, great for waterbirds from June through to November.

Buena Vista on the road to Cerra punta - just go down the dirt road down and you will be amazed at the birds; Rufous tailed Jacamar, Buff-rumped Warbler, Green Honeycreepers, Purple-crowned Fairy and many more.

Continental divide trail and surroundings - on the trail, with a lot of luck, you could see Umbrella bird and Green Thorntail Hummingbirds. There is a trail after the continental divide crossing, up to the road with the "palo seco sign". A great place to go birding is the ANAM office little bit further along from the continental divide sign (in the province of Bocas del Toro), drive a little bit further and on the left is the house of the late Willy Mazu, nice area to see birds behind the house (the front washed away).

Contributor

Terry van der Vooren
[Top Spots]
(Boquete Chiriqui)
info@coffeeadventures.nethttp://www.coffeeadventures.net

Gonzalo Horna
gonzalohorna@hotmail.comhttp://www.panamabirdguide.com/

Number of Species

Number of bird species: 976
National Bird: Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja

Endemics

Number of endemics: 12
Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker Piculus callopterus Veraguan Mango Anthracothorax veraguensis Glow-throated Hummingbird Selasphorus ardens Escudo Hummingbird Amazilia handleyi Azuero Parakeet Pyrrhura eisenmanni Brown-backed Dove Leptotila battyi Yellow-green Tyrannulet Phylloscartes flavovirens Coiba Spinetail Cranioleuca dissita Beautiful Treerunner Margarornis bellulus Yellow-green Finch Pselliophorus luteoviridis Pirre Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus inornatus Green-naped Tanager Tangara fucosa

Useful Reading

A Guide to the Birds of Panama

Robert S. Ridgely, John A. Gwynne Jr Paperback - 550 pages (31 August, 1992) Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691025126
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Panama

by George R. Angehr - Panama Audubon Society (Jan 2006)
ISBN: 9962884764
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Directory of Important Bird Areas in Panama

George R Angehr - 342 pages, tabs, maps. - Sociedad Audubon de Panama 2003
ISBN: 9962884713
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Panama Wildlife Guide: Birds

(Panama Field Guides Series) by R Dean - Rainforest Publications (1 Jan 2008)
ISBN: 188853835X
Buy this book from NHBS.com

The Birds of Panama: A Field Guide

by George R Angehr & Robert Dean - 455 pages, 908 col illus, 911 maps - Cornell University Press 2011
See Fatbirder Review
ISBN: 9780801476747
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Where to find birds in Panama

by George R. Angehr and Dodge & Lorna Engleman - Panama Audubon Society, Panama (2006) 391 pages - paperback
ISBN: 9962884756
Buy this book from NHBS.com

Useful Information

List of birds of Panama

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_birds_of_Panama
This is a list of the bird species recorded in Panama. The avifauna of Panama includes a total of 972 species, of which 12 are endemic, 6 have been introduced by humans, and 120 are rare or accidental. 20 species are globally threatened...

Organisations

Asociacion Nacional para la Conservacion de la Naturaleza

Website

La misión de ANCON es conservar la biodiversidad y los recursos naturales de Panamá para beneficio de las presentes y futuras generaciones... ANCON Apartado Postal 1387, Panamá 1 República de Panamá Tel.: (507) 314-0050, 314-0060 Fax: (507) 314-0061, 314-0062 E-mail: ancon@ancon.org

Fundación Natura

Website

The objective of the national fund is to serve as a permanent source of funding for environmental initiatives, with an emphasis on initiatives within the Panama Canal Watershed.

Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation

Website

As in many areas of tropical America, the Bocas del Toro region suffers some environmental problems. In cooperation with national, regional and local conservation organizations, ITEC works to maintain the environmental health of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago through several initiatives...

Panama Audubon

Website

Panama Audubon Society, Box 2026, Balboa, Republic of Panama. audupan@pananet.com Phone (507) 224-9371 Fax (507) 224-4740. The Panama Audubon Society was established more than 30 years ago. It is a conservationist, non-profit society whose purpose is supporting and promoting the conservation of the natural heritage of Panama by encouraging an interest in and promulgating a better understanding of wildlife using birds as a focal group. The society has distinguished itself among other conservationist associations because of the expertise of many of its members in the observation and study of birds. The Panama Audubon Society is affiliated with the National Audubon Society (USA). PAS is the partner-designate for BirdLife International (UK).

Sociedad Audubon de Panamá

Website

La Sociedad Audubon de Panamá ha estado promoviendo aves en Panamá por más de 45 años. Durante los 10 últimos años, Audubon Panamá ha trabajado directamente en conservación y educación acerca de las aves y de sus hábitat, a través del programa de Áreas Importantes para Aves. Entre nuestras áreas de interés están la parte alta de la Bahía de Panamá y el bosque primario de El Chorogo, en Chiriquí...

Observatories

The Canopy Tower

Observatory
Panama has some of the most easily accessed forests anywhere in the tropics. The Canopy Tower is located on top of Semaphore Hill, in a well preserved semideciduous tall forest in the heart of Soberanía National Park. It is at an altitude of 900 feet above sea level, and from its roof you can see the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal and the skyline of Panama City, just 30 minutes away...

Museums & Universities

Conservation through Research Education and Action

http://www.crea-panama.org/

Conservation through Research Education and Action [CREA] is a UK registered charity organisation dedicated to the conservation of tropical environments that offers short field courses in several disciplines of Tropical Biology in Panama. One such course is Ornithology. Panama, a country smaller than the UK contains over1000 species of birds and straddles two of the worlds 25 biodiversity hotspots. We run separate courses for gap year, undergraduates and naturalists at our field station in the hilly forested region of centralPanama. Courses are given by university lecturers and participants take part in research being conducted at the station. All proceeds from our courses gotowards conserving forests and undertaking research.

Liquid Jungle Lab

http://www.liquidjunglelab.com

Located on a remote island in Pacific Panama, the LIQUID JUNGLE LAB (LJL) seeks to merge traditional scientific research with state-of-the-art technology to improve the understanding of ocean and terrestrial sciences and advance conservation ecology for the future benefit of the planet. An international group of scientists and students from around the world use the marine lab facilities and experimental farm to conduct their multidisciplinary research...

Reserves

Chiriqui Highlands

Website
Satellite View
Primeval rainforests bedecked with clouds, noisy, chattering birds flash brilliant iridescent colors as they dart about their daily chores, flowering epiphytes bloom en masse high above the forest floor while gurgling streams glisten and tumble hurriedly over great boulders in their dance towards the sea. This enchanted land is the Chiriqui Highlands, the part of the Cordillera Central that defines the northern border of the province of Chiriqui...

Darién National Park

Website
Satellite View
The park contains the most extensive lowland tropical forest on the Pacific coast of Central America. Darien harbours a variety of habitats ranging from sandy beaches, rocky coasts, mangroves, swamps and lowland and upland tropical forests containing several endemic faunal species...

Gamboa Tropical Rainforest Resort

Website
Satellite View
The resort is located on the banks of the Chagres River where it intersects the Panama Canal, adjacent to the Soberania National Park. The Soberania Park is a large tract of protected tropical rainforest located within the Panama Canal watershed. Thousands of different species of birds, mammals, insect, trees, reptiles and flora co-exist in the national parks adjacent to the resort.

Los Katíos National Park

Website
Satellite View
Los Katíos supports a number of species which are characteristic of Central America and are only found in this part of South America such as the mouse Heteromys desmarestianus and grey-headed chachalaca Ortalis cinereiceps. The Serranía del Darién is home to many endemic species such as the rufous-cheeked hummingbird Geothalsia bella and violet-capped hummingbird Goldmania violiceps and the frog Rhamphophyrne acrolopha. More than 450 species of bird (representing respectively 25% and 50% of the avifauna of Colombia and Panama) have been recorded within the park...

Panama's Protected Areas

Website
In a country where the sun rises over the Pacific and sets in the Caribbean you should have unusual expectations: well, you are unlikely to be disappointed: Panama has some of the most accessible rainforests and high altitude cloud forest on earth. In Panama, even the most experienced travelers can discover wonders of creation that open eyes and minds to a deeper understanding of our planet's incredible richness and infinite variety...

San Lorenzo Project

Website
Located on the Atlantic side of Panama, along the western bank of the Panama Canal, the San Lorenzo Project is working for the effective protection of a Protected Area of 9,653 hectares (about 23,852 acres) of forests and wetlands, coast and rivers, with participation from the surrounding rural communities...

Wetlands of International Importance

Website
Panama presently has 3 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance, with a surface area of 110,984 hectares.

Trip Reports

This section sponsored by:

2000 [July] - Bill Porteus - Cerro Azul

Report

Following my quick trip to western Panama a couple of weeks ago I have just spent two days on Cerro Azul about 20Kms northeast of Panama City. The birds are still busy with their own stuff, and the birding is still slow, but the contrast with the western highlands was impressive.

2000 [September] - Daniel Brooks

Report

Site List

2001 [July] - Bill Porteous - Western Highlands

Report

June is not the best month to go birding in the highlands of western Panama. For one thing, finding a dry day is not easy, and, for another, the birds are mostly busy with their own affairs, with either active nests or recently fledged young. Flocking activity is therefore at a minimum, and, when you can see them through the ground-level cloud and rain, birds are few and far between.

2001 [July] - Bill Porteous - Western Wet Forest

Report

There are two paved roads that cross Panama from the Pacific to the Caribbean. One is the road from Panama City to Colon which more or less follows the Canal; the other runs from the village of Chiriquí on the Panamerican Highway about 15Km east of the town of David to Chiriquí Grande on the Caribbean coast in the Province of Bocas del Toro...

2001 [March] - Mark Lockwood

Report

Cindy and I recently returned from a very enjoyable trip to Panama. We spent the entire trip in central Panama, mostly within the former Canal Zone. We stayed at the Canopy Tower for this trip and were very happy with the decision (for more information see http://www.canopytower.com

2002 [April] - Dave Klauber

Report

From March 2 through April 12 I was in Panama. Some of this time, especially initially, was spent visiting, with intermittent birding. Most birding was solo, but I did do two trips with the Panama Audubon Society, who do some interesting and relatively inexpensive field trips on a regular basis. I had worked in Panama in 1997-98, and spent 5 days in Chiriqui with Dennis Rogers, so I had some prior experience with Panama`s birds and the Canal Zone areas. In the trip report I will omit most of the non-birding days...

2003 [July] Jim Holmes

Report

Cindy and I spent 10 days in Panama in July 2003. It was a combined birding/relaxation trip. We scheduled three full days of birding in the canal area and then two half days in the foothills (El Valle, El Cope) west of Panama City. The rest of our time was spent lounging at a resort on the Pacific Coast...

2003 [March] - Dick Payne and Paul Green

Report

...You probably chose to come on the American Birding Association`s trip for donors to Panama because you had heard of the 929 species of bird that you could see in the country, and because the Canopy Tower gives a magical focal point for birding in Panama. The extensive tracts of tropical rain forest result in large numbers of species, and the network of roads in these forest areas offer great opportunities for seeing birds...

2004 [February] - Helen Baines

Report

Part of a longer cruise...

2005 [March] - Blake Maybank

Report

In March 2005 the Maritimes Nature Travel Club undertook its third excursion, this time to Panama. We were a group of 19; 18 Canadians (all but two from Nova Scotia), and one American. I organised the tour, using other trip reports as a template, and benefitting enormously from suggestions made by Raul Arias of the Canopy Tower in Panama...

2008 [December] - Jos Stratford & Lynn Ferguson-Weinert

Report

I have tried to do this report more as a daily recap of the highlights from each day, areas visited, species seen, etc. In order to keep this somewhat short (it will still be huge) I have only listed the first time we saw a species in the highlights for each day. We saw many species several times such as the Violaceous Trogon, White-necked Jacobin, etc...

2008 [March] - Barry McLaughlin & Lois Goldfrank

Report

here were essentially three legs of the trip: (1) Finca Lérida, at about 6000 feet in the Chiriqui Highlands of western Panama but with access to the foothills; (2) Los Quetzales Lodge, also in the highlands at 6200 feet but on the western side of Volcan Baru; and (3) Burbayar Lodge, at 1275 feet in the eastern foothills of the Nusagandi region...

2008 [September] - David Shackleford

Report

...Feverish tapping on the plane window by some of us as we arrived in the imposingly developed Panama City had us alerted to our first Neotropical denizens of the tour, before we found our way out of the international business hub of downtown towards the quaint settlement of Gamboa where restless Central American Agouti, Collared Aracari, and an infusion of colorful tanagers greeted us practically at our doorstep...

2009 [August] - David Bell

Report

There were lots of good birds, but nothing that was truly rare. Cana: Green Manikin. Boquete: Sepia-capped Flycatcher...

2009 [December] - Mark & Sandra Dennis

Report

Most trip reports on the web are from birders based in one of the birder specific lodges, especially the Canopy Tower which has a justifiably excellent reputation. This report however is heavily biased towards birding based at the Gamboa Rainforest Lodge an upscale hotel which, for the average birder and especially one that has a family to take on vacation, is a pretty good choice...

2009 [February] - Matt Denton

Report

Panama offers some of Central America’s best wilderness birding, and this year’s tour excelled in many ways. We visit the western, central and eastern parts of this narrow republic, making for a single comprehensive tour unequalled by other companies...

2010 [May] - Andy Bissitt

Report

After arriving around midnight to a little light rain and distant dramatic lightning, the stage was set for our first dawn and the much anticipated view over the rainforest from the Canopy Tower....

2012 [November] - Barry Zimmer - Fall at El Valle's Canopy Lodge

Report

Picking a favorite bird on a Canopy Lodge tour is a difficult task indeed. Our recent Fall at Panama's Canopy Lodge trip was so full of highlights that it was hard to whittle it down to a few dozen most memorable moments. The dizzying array of colors at the lodge feeders is an excellent starting point: Blood-red Crimson-backed Tanagers; velvety-black Flame-rumped Tanagers with glowing yellow rumps; stunning Rufous Motmots clad in green, blue, and rusty-orange with ridiculous racketed tails; gemlike Thick-billed Euphonias darting from feeder to feeder; powder-blue Blue-gray Tanagers too numerous to count; and wild Chestnut-headed Oropendolas looking like reincarnations of Heckle & Jeckle. The lodge feeder display is indeed a sight to behold...

2012 [October] - David Ascanio - Fall at Panama's Canopy Tower

Report

Panama is one of my favorite birding destinations. Imagine this small country as if it were a jigsaw puzzle; it would have a blue corner, some green pieces, some gold pieces, and other sections that would be remarkably rufous and brown...

2012 [October] - William Young

PDF Report

Richard Rowlett - Recommendations

Report

I highly recommend Robert Ridgely's Birds of Panama. There is an excellent section in the back on where to find birds in Panama, including Panama City, and lists everything you need to know, including telephone numbers, addresses, where to get maps, and much more...

Guides & Tour Operators

This section sponsored by:

Amazilia

Tour Operator

Panama (77000 km2), one of the most popular birding destinations in Latin America, like Costa Rica offers a great diversity of habitats (from tropical rain forest to high altitude paramo).Due to its geographic location, this country is at the union of Central and South America, and thus contains the distribution limits of many different species...

Ancon Expeditions of Panama

Tour Operator

Ancon Expeditions of Panama welcomes you to enjoy an experience of a lifetime, offering you the best nature and culture oriented tours, as well as adventure and academic programs. Our expertise and the friendly, enthusiastic, nature of the people of Panama will ensure that your vacation is educational, comfortable and hassle-free.

Ariel Birding

Tour Operator

Panama Birding Outfitter, run by Panamanian Leader: Ariel Aguirre. It offers private journeys for 2 up to 4 persons...

Birding in Panama

Tour Operator

With more than 970 species of birds (including 12 endemic and 122 migratory species) and with 45% of the country covered with tropical rainforest with easy access and few visitors, Panama is the new choice for your tropical vacation...

Birding Pal

Information

Local birders willing to show visiting birders around their area...

Birding Panama

Tour Operator

Birding Panama is a group of Panama bird guides specialists in birdwatching and natural history. We provide guide services for birders and nature lovers around the best natural areas of the Isthmus. We do private trips and bird photography tours to the best places of Panama...

Caligo Ventures

Tour Operator

...This forest is considered one of the most accessible tropical forests in the world, with close to 400 species having been recorded; it has been the site of world record Christmas Bird Counts. You will look for Great Curassow, Barred Forest Falcon, Tiny Hawk, Broad-billed and Rufous Motmots, Purple-throated Fruitcrow, Black-tailed Trogon, Rufous-crested Coquette, Cinnamon Woodpecker, Long-tailed Woodcreeper, Royal Flycatcher, as well as Gray-headed, Sulphur-rumped and Dusky-faced Tanagers...

Checklist - Birds of Puerto Rico

Checklist

Coffee Adventures

Tour Operator

Terry & Hans offer professional half day or full day birding tours in Boquete and the Chiriqui highlands...

E Bird Phototours

Tour Operator

Our bird photo tours are designed to photograph a wide variety of tropical birds. We visit many of the same places as traditional birding tours, but we take as much time as we need to make photographs instead of trying to see as many species as possible…

Eco-Circuitos

Tour Operator

This great adventure will take you birding across Panama. The great biodiversity of the Isthmus will allow participants to see many specialties as the Resplendent Quetzal, Crimson- backed Tanager, Montezuma Oropendola, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Sapayoa, Speckled Antshrike among others...

Exotic Birding

Tour Operator

Our tour of the Isthmus Panama offers a unique mix of Central and South American bird species commingling in the area surrounding the Panama Canal. We`ll be staying at a lodge whose restaurant and veranda offer great looks at normally difficult to see upper-canopy birds...

Focus on Nature

Tour Operator

A week with some fine birding, with visits to bird-rich locales in the Canal Basin in the area of Gamboa, including Pipeline Road & Barro Colorado Island, and some fine forested areas near the Caribbean...

Gamboa Ecotours

Tour Operator

Custom birding tours guided by expert birder Kenneth Allaire will be available effective Mar 22, 2009...

Gonzalo Horna - Panama Bird Guide

Guide

Panama Bird Guide Co. Is a leading birding company dedicated to promote guided birding tours within the country of Panama. Since 2007 specializes in the area of Central Panama (Soberania National Park -Pacific side) and Achiote Road (San Lorenzo National Park -Caribbean side...

Lost World Adventures

Tour Operator

A number of different trips every year...

Nattur Panama

Tour Operator

With a rising interest in natural and cultural experiences on the part today's travelers, Nattur Panama presents a unique combination of tour packages within Panama's national parks and indigenous communities. Panama's extraordinary biological diversity makes it a magnificent playground for birdwatchers, explorers, natural history buffs and nature lovers...

Panama Eco Tourism

Tour Operator

Ecotourism Panama! If you're looking for Panama eco tours or ecotourism vacations in Panama, you've come to the right place! Experience eco tours and cultural tours alongside knowledgeable guides with years of ecotourism experience. The following is a list of eco tourism companies that operate eco tours and cultural tours in Panama...

Rockjumper Birding Tours

Tour Operator

Panamá is a superb Neotropical birding destination, and our tour allows us to explore some of the most accessible rainforests and high-altitude cloud forests on Earth. The native flora is simply stunning, and with roughly 29% of its territory protected within 15 nature reserves, Panamá is fast becoming a must-see destination for nature travelers the world over.

Safari Expeditions Panama

Tour Operator

Bocas del Toro Archipelago in the Caribbean Sea are within the protection of the Bastimentos Marine National Park. The park is also an excellent place for birdwatching, especially sea birds, such as the Red-billed Tropic Bird Phaeton aethereus, that nests in the Swan Cay, the only known place in the Caribbean...

Sendero Panama

Tour Operator

Upon arrival to Panama you will be met in the Tocumen International airport by a bilingual, interpretive, and birding expert and escorted to your accommodations. From your lodging, guests can wander the tree-lined streets of this former Canal Zone neighborhood. Frequent evening and morning visitors to this area include a variety of tanagers, toucans, thrushes, flycatchers, and more. This evening we will host a “Get Acquainted” event with cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and a tour briefing…

Victor Emanuael

Tour Operator

Our base of operations will be the exciting Canopy Tower, a former United States radar station elegantly converted into one of the most unique and enjoyable ecotourist lodges anywhere. Perched above Soberania National Park, the tower offers great birding literally right out your window, including the chance to view gems like Blue Cotinga and Green Shrike-Vireo, both of which can be quite difficult to see from ground level...

Wade Holidays International

Tour Operator

Join Wade Holidays International For A Spectacular And Unforgettable Tropical Birding Experience. Departures Are Available On A Monthly Basis...

Places To Stay

Al Natural Resort - Old Point, Bocas del Toro

Accommodation

Between jungle and sea, Al Natural Resort has created for you a comfortable and private retreat, perfectly integrated into the lush tropical environment...

Balboa Inn

Accommodation

The Balboa Inn is a small Bed & Breakfast at the foot of Panama's main landmark, Ancon Hill (Cerro Ancón) in Balboa. Conveniently located between the downtown area, Amador Causeway and just minutes away from the domestic airport and the Panama Canal you are away from the city noise yet have access to all its services. All rooms have air conditioning, ceiling fans, private bathrooms, room safes and Wifi. The helpful expat staff will assist you in making the most out of your stay in Panama...

Canopy Lodge

Accommodation

Inches from your bedroom window, the cloud forest canopy is riotous with early morning bird life... Fatbirder Recommended

Canopy Tower

Accommodation

Your bedroom is at treetop level, no more than 40 feet from the birds. In the cool Panamanian dawn you can feel Panamá's great rainforest awakening around you. Blue Cotingas and Green Shrike-Vireos, birds normally glimpsed high in the tops of trees, perch right outside your Canopy Tower room. Fatbirder Recommended

Cielito Sur B&B - Chiriqui

Accommodation

Run away to Cerro Punta, a scenic and tranquil agricultural community surrounded by a beautiful tropical cloud forest, in the province of Chiriqui, Panama. The estate is a natural bird sanctuary nestled in the rustic landscape of the Chiriqui highlands...

Coffee Adventures B&B - Boquete

Accommodation

We have three cottages B&B and organize Birding and Nature tours here in Boquete Panama. We have been doing this for 11 years and have built up a good reputation among birders...

Finca Hartmann

Accommodation

FINCA HARTMANN is a small family farm owned and operated by Ratibor Hartmann and his sons and daughter. The land use is predominantly shade-grown coffee, under towering remnant rainforest trees, and intact pre-montane highland forest that serves as a buffer zone to Parque Internacional La Amistad. At elevations between 4000-6000ft there are a number of accessible dirt roads that pass through many habitat types that are excellent for birding.

Finca Lerida, Boquete

Accommodation

Located on the majestic Baru Volcano in Alto Quiel in the highlands of Panama, 5000 feet asl 10 minutes from Boquete. A B&B in a 800 acre reserve with 8 new birding trails...

Gamboa Tropical Rainforest Resort

Accommodation

The resort is located on the banks of the Chagres River where it intersects the Panama Canal, adjacent to the Soberania National Park. The Soberania Park is a large tract of protected tropical rainforest located within the Panama Canal watershed. Thousands of different species of birds, mammals, insect, trees, reptiles and flora co-exist in the national parks adjacent to the resort.

Ginger House

Accommodation

Ginger House is a quaint guest house surrounded by the Chagres National Park, in the pleasantly cool mountain community of Los Altos de Cerro Azul near Panama City, Panama. From one of the many lounge area’s of the house, you can watch local wildlife such as monkeys, sloth's and toucans play and forage during the day. The property features an abundance of wild gingers, a variety of fruit trees - oranges, limes, bananas, a vegetable garden, many bougainvillea and other tropical foliage which is a big draw for the hummingbirds...

Hostal Cielito Sur

Accommodation

Hostal Cielito Sur Bed & Breakfast is a quiet, private, country estate inn on 2½ hectares at an altitude of 1,600 mts. Surrounded by trees, gardens, fruit & coffee orchards, the estate is a natural bird sanctuary nestled in the rustic landscape of the Chiriqui highlands. It`s conveniently located between the towns of Cerro Punta and Volcan, offering easy access to both the Volcan Baru National Park & the International Friendship Park... Some of the Chiriqui highlands birding locations include: The Volcan Baru National Park and the International Friendship Park where you can find the Resplendent Quetzal, Red-headed Barbet, Collared Redstart, Ruddy Treerunner, Large-footed Finch, Black-capped Flycatcher, Buff-fronted Quail Dove, Yellow-winged Vireo, Silvery-throated Jay, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Prong-billed Barbet, Barred Becard, Black and Yellow Silky Flycatcher, Slaty Finch, Black Guan, Prong-billed Barbet and other highland specialties. The Volcan Lagoons is one of the best birding area. Here you can find the Collared Trogon, Orange-bellied Trogon, Smoky-brown Woodpecker, Rose-throated Becard, Little Tinamou, Sunbittern, Northern Jacamar, Wattled Jacamar, Common Moorhen, Osprey, Purple Gallinule, Least Grebe, Masked Duck.

Hotel Campestre

Accommodation

...meandering through the interpretative path La Zamia, a very interesting place due to the variety of species and because of the beautiful water and mountain views...

Ivan's B&B - Gamboa

Accommodation

At just 20 minutes from the cosmopolitan city of Panama, an incredible beautiful rainforest is the natural habitat of winged miracles that will thrill you with the adventure of your life... ...he accomodations are confortable, the food is outstanding, the location is superb, the price reasonable, and the company invigorating, you cannot find a better value in Central Panama...

La Montaña y el Valle - The Coffee Estate Inn - Boquete

Accommodation

Our native forest and citrus grove provide excellent habitat for traditional coffee, butterflies, insects and over 100 species of birds. Some of the most vividly colored and most commonly seen birds are Red-legged Honeycreepers, Bay-headed, Blue-gray and Flame-colored Tanagers, Thick-billed Euphonias, Emerald Toucanets, Violet Sabrewing Hummingbirds and Blue-crowned Motmots. Based on multiple sightings by ourselves and hotel guests, we have compiled a comprehensive bird list...

Los Capitanes Hotel

Accommodation

Los Capitanes sits back off the main road on beautifully landscaped grounds. It is bordered by a lovely fresh water stream and brightly colored Koi swim in a small pond...

Los Quetzales

Accommodation

Tucked away in the highland cloud forest, Los Quetzales Lodge & Spa is ideal for those longing to retreat from the hustle and bustle of modern living. At 7260 feet above sea level (2,200 meters), the reserve has the highest lodging facilities in the country, and lies inside the primary cloud forest of Volcan Baru National Park, which was established in 1976. The Volcan is adjacent to the 407,000 acre Parque Internacional La Amistad, which straddles Costa Rica and Panama. Our 400 hectare reserve has been protected by the private efforts of its founders in 1970...

Mangrove Inn Eco Resort - Bocas del Toro

Accommodation

Built in the vicinity of a mangrove forest and a coral reef, over a shallow marine plain, 5 minutes from Bocas del Toro City by boat, MANGROVE INN ECO RESORT offers the visitor a style of vacation that transforms their stay into a special adventure. The resort comprises of wooden cabins, built on the old caribbean architecture, on concrete stilts over the water, accessed by wooden walk ways. The cabins accomodates up to four or six people, each with bathroom and a balcony facing the sea, from where you can relax and enjoy the beauty of a caribbean sunset...

Panama Canal Lodge

Accommodation

Davis Suites offers lodging in a quiet and peaceful setting for tourists, business travelers, birdwatchers and anyone that needs to remain in the Province of Colon...

Park Eden Country Retreat

Accommodation

Located but 75 miles from the city capital of Panama, is El Valle de Antón, which undoubtedly ranks among the top list of Panamas best relaxing refuge sites in the country.

Sierra Llorona Lodge

Accommodation

Sierra Llorona Panama Lodge is a family-operated lodge located on a private reserve of 200 hectares of rainforest on the Caribbean slope of the Panama Canal Area. It`s a great place for birdwatchers, but also to anyone interested in tropical nature...

Villa Marita

Accommodation

Nestled on El Santuario`s plateau in Boquete, Panama`s mountain paradise, Villa Marita offers seven impeccable cottages with hardwood finishings and country decor. Enjoy breathtaking panoramic views of the 10,000 ft. Volcano Baru, surrounding mountains and coffee farms from large bay windows in your cottage...

Forums & Mailing Lists

Xenornis

Mailing List
Latest sightings... feeds, emails and active website

Blogs

Jan Axel's Blog

Blog

I'm a birdwatcher since the age of fourteen. With my beloved wife, I travel all around Panamá, enjoying everything this diverse country has to offer...

John Afdem

Blog

Superb photoblog of this American's three month sojourn in Panama just taking pictures of the wildlife!

Terry's Boquete Bird Stories - Terry van Niekerk

Blog

Terry van Niekerk of the tour company Coffee Adventures Boquete - follow her birding tales...

Aves de Panama - Birds of Panama

Website

Very nice 'flash' site

Birds of Panama

Website

The Republic of Panama, a tropical country with a large variety of easily accessible habitats, is a great place not only for an introduction to the birds of the American tropics, but is also one of the best birding place in the world...

Birdwatching In Panama

Website

Bird photos and a few hiking tips from Panama...

Checklist - Birds of Panama

Checklist

Cinnamon Becard

Website

Cinnamon Becard footage taken behind Gamboa resort December 2009...

Fatbirder Watching Hummers

Website

Cooled by the wings of angels!

Los Quetzales, Birding

Website

Los Quetzales is renowned for its world-class birding. In the vicinity of our chalets, well over 100 species have been sighted by experts. Many of these birders include members of Panama`s Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute and Audubon Society, both of whose ornithologists, biologists, and zoologists regularly come to spend precious vacation time to observe and record our avian diversity.