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4
days
all inclusive birding tour
Central Panama
and Canal
Metropolitan Nature Park
-
Achiote Road
-
Old Gamboa Rd.
-Pipeline Road
-
Rain Forest Discovery Center
Note: This
tour can be taken alone or as an extension after or before The
Darien Lowland
and The
Chiriqui Highland
Panama birding tours.
Itinerary
Go Back
Arrival Day - Lodging in Panama City the day before the tour start in Day 1.
Day 1 - Parque Metropolitano.
Our first birding day will start at 6:00 am You will be picked up at the hotel in Panama City and drive to the Metropolitan Nature Park (470 acres of dry second and youngest growth forest with patches of grassy areas ) giving us the opportunity to beginning with the search of the Lance-tailed Manakin, the endemic Yellow-green Tyrannulet, Rosy Thrush-Tanager (uncommon), Orange-chinned Parakeets, Pheasant Cuckoo (rare) and more; after lunch birding will continue until around 3:00pm when we will start our ride back to your hotel. The Park has several trails that we may walk like the Mono Titi Trail (named after the tamarins an easy place to spot Geoffrey’s Tamarins and other wildlife) and La Cieneguita trail. Other posible sightings on the way includes Blue-crowned Motmot, Cocoa and Olivaceous woodcreepers, Slaty-tailed Trogon, Northern Waterthrush, Great Kiskadee, Thick-billed Euphonia, Snowy-bellied Hummingbird, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Southern Beardless- and (H) Yellow-crowned tyrannulets, Plain-colored Tanager and a diurnal Central American Agouti. Well also see a Variegated Squirrel, a Coatimundi, a Three-Toed Sloth, Panama Hat Palms, a "Beer Belly" Tree, an example of a Cuipo which Harpy Eagles use as nest trees, butterflies and several kinds of clear-winged helicopter damselflies. Lodging in PanamaCity. Day 2 - Achiote Road.
The early birding day starts driving to Achiote Road and surrounding areas. On the way looking for species that favor humid condition (wet lowlands). On the way we’ll stop for birds along the road and at well known spots like at Gatun Lock and at the Chagres River (Gatun Dam spillway) in search of Road-site Hawk, American Kestrel, Cocoi Heron, Tricolored Heron, Kill-billed and Chessnut-mandible Tucan, Yellow-headed Caracara. We will be on the search of the Spot-crowned Barbet, White-headed Wren, Long-tailed Tyrant, Blue Cotinga, White Hawk, Flame-rumped Tanager, Montezuma Oropendola and many other species that can be found here. At 8:30am a well deserved breakfast with binoculars at hand to catch a gleans of a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird, a probable Barred and Fasciated Antshrike and others. After breakfast the birding-fiesta will continue at trails and in shaded coffee plantation. After lunch and time permitting we’ll be in route to Fort Sherman (wet lowland tropical forest with also areas of grass, scrubs, mangroves , marshes and coastline). We will look for the Straight-billed Woodcreeper, Golden-collared Manakin, Rufous Motmot, Checker-throated Antwren, Black-throated Trogon, Piratic Flycatcher birding along the way and later on the afternoon back to your hotel on Panama city. Lodging in Panama City.
Black-throated Trogon © Will Cook Go Back
Day 3 - Plantation Trail and Old Gamboa Road.
Early birding start Plantation Trail, named for a long overgrown cacao plantation and just on the north side of the Continental Divide with species typical of the Atlantic slope well give us the opportunity to listen to the call and look for the Slaty-tailed Trogon; Golden-crowned Spadebill, Southern Bentbill, Blue-crowned Manakin and other great forest and stream birds like the Buff-rumped Warbler. Later in the afternoon well go to the Old Gamboa Rd. also known as the Summit Pond area. A traverses areas of dry forest, scrub, grassland and natural ponds. A walk down the road will allow a great views of many species including Great Antshrike, Pale-vented Pigeons, Blue Ground-Doves, Orange Chinned Parakeets, Jet Antbird, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Lesser and Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed Heron, Streak Saltator, Ringed, Amazon and Green Kingfishers are possible and more. Later on the afternoon back to your hotel. Lodging in Panama City.
Day 4 - Pipeline Road.
Early morning we’ll visit the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center (PRDC) in Pipeline rd which is a most. We’ll search for canopy specialties like Green Shrike-Vireo, Forest Elaenia, Blue Cotinga, Collared Arasari, Chesnut-mandible and Keel-billed Tucan and looking also for flying raptors and many other birds that favors the canopy. Later on the day we’ll work surrounding trails and the Pipeline Road (a secondary forest with some scrubbier areas, with many streams crossing it) will follow all day. We will heard and look for the Southern Bentbill, Pheasant Cuckoo, Green Shrike-Vireo, Grey Elaenia, Streak-chested Antpitta, Spotted Antbird, Long-billed Gnatwren, Great Jacamar and, before heading for lunch a visit to the Ammunition Ponds (marshy area), very productive during any hour of the day, we will search for the Snail Kite, White-throated Crakes, Ruddy-breasted Seedeaters, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Variable Seedeater, Smooth-billed Ani and more. In the afternoon we will visit The Summit Gardens for Oropendolas, Caciques and Hummingbirds and time permitting visit the El Charco Trail to see the Black-breasted Jay, Collared Arasari, White-wiskered Puffbird and more. Lodging in Panama City.
Day 5 - Departure day.
After breakfast you will be assisted throughout the final procedure for departure to your next destination.
Note:
The above birding itineraries are based on what are essentially popular routes for birders. It can be shortened or extended.
Tour available year round.
4 days all inclusive tour price is:
1277
USD per person in double occupancy minimum 2 persons
Single
accomodation available for an extra charge of 247 USD
Included in price: English/Spanish bird guide with field scope and the latest anama field guide, pickup and drop off Tocumen Airport/Panama City hotel, all road transportation, all lodging (from ARRIVAL DAY - the day before the tour start in Day 1- to DAY 4 inclusive), and park entrance fees.
Excluded: Gratuities, meals, tickets to Metropolitan (5usd pp) and the Rainforest Discovery Center (25usd pp), alcoholic beverages, items of personal nature, airport departure tax, or inernational airfare.
Deposit: 100 USD deposit is required upon booking a trip. Balance due 30 days prior to Arrival Day.
Snail Kite
© Rene Schafer
Optional:
The Birding by Boat Tour is a day tour to cover fresh water river-lake, swamps and savanna birds, and can be done before Day 1or After Day 4.
Fitness - Easy to moderate hiking is require. For birders with moderate limitations we are able to make a special itinerary. Either way, birders will have a fantastic opportunity to views an impressive number of bird species, and the experience will be an enjoyable one.
Clothing - Dress for hot and humid tropical weather and be prepare for rain. Light clothing is recommended: cotton shirts and t-shirts (earth colors preferable), long and short pants, poncho, hiking shoes, an extra pair or sandals, hat, insect repellent and sun block.
Gear - Binoculars, scope (optional), field guide, notebook and camera.
American Pygmy-kingfisher
© Thor Mason
· - Areas to visit during the tour: We will visit the most and the least frequented birding hotspots in Central Panama, including the world-renowned Pipeline Road, The Rain Forest Discovery Center, Achiote Road, Old Gamboa Road (Summit Ponds), Plantation Trail, Fort Sherman, San Lorenzo Road and more. - Expect to see: As a conservative estimate between 160+ species during this trip (a much higher number is possible). Please note that the species mentioned in the list below are merely representative of the birds that might reasonably be expected in the areas involved.
- Birding Group Size: 1 – 4 persons maximum We keep our group size “petite”. This way everyone gets a personalized attention especially when seen a bird at its maximum detail. Note: for an extra fee we can provide transportation during the tour and do all the lodging and meal arrangements. CCheck our Term & Conditions, and Price for Day Trips available upon request. Last up date:
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