Panama Birding
Harpy eagle © Donna Hollinger
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March 2017
Bill Gette led a group of travelers on a great Panama adventure. They saw a total of 263 species of birds and 14 species of mammals.
Top Ten Birds
Participants voted for the following bird species.
- Sunbittern
- Rufous nightjar
- Blue dacnis
- Crimson-crested woodpecker
- Spectacled owl
- Southern lapwing
- Collared aracari
- Keel-billed toucan
- Squirrel cuckoo
- Swallow-tailed kite
Trip Highlights
Participants provided the following trip highlights.
- Visiting the Miraflores Locks;
- experiencing the wild ride along Pipeline Road;
- being on top of Canopy Tower watching the tropical dawn – hearing, and then seeing, so many birds;
- seeing the Eyelash Viper with its distended body on the tree limb (Cerro Gaital area);
- going to sleep at Canopy Lodge with all of the animal sounds;
- being with a very friendly group;
- watching the Geoffroy’s Tamarins feeding on the banana (Canopy Tower);
- seeing the Rufous Nightjar so well camouflaged in the leaf litter (Summit Ponds area);
- having the Sunbittern fly up the stream near us and seeing its beautiful wings;
- taking the night ride from Canopy Tower – seeing the Rothschild’s Porcupine and Common Pauraque;
- enjoying so much delicious food;
- walking the beautiful grounds at Canopy Lodge;
- having such a well-organized itinerary;
- seeing large kettles of migrating hawks and vultures from the roof of Canopy Tower;
- being surprised by my 50th birthday party at Canopy Tower;
- watching and hearing all of the activity around the Chestnut-headed Oropendola nest trees;
- finding a large green lizard during our last afternoon’s walk;
- seeing the Northern Tamandua along the Canopy Tower road;
- finding both the Great Potoo and Common Potoo (Pipeline Road);
- sleeping in the warm breezes at Canopy Tower;
- watching the Swallow-tailed Kites circling overhead in the Las Minas area above Canopy Lodge;
- being so close to the Southern Lapwings – seeing the iridescence on the wings;
- hearing the discussion of the Owl Butterfly at Canopy Tower;
- watching all of the birds bathing in the stream at Canopy Lodge – Clay-colored Thrushes, Lesser Goldfinches, Tennessee Warblers, and a Gray-cowled Wood-Rail;
- enjoying the five-minute stop in the Miraflores parking lot – seeing American Crocodiles, White Ibises, Ringed Kingfisher, and Whimbrel;
- seeing an amazing variety of butterflies and moths;
- enjoying the facilities at both Canopy Tower and Canopy Lodge;
- having three extraordinary local naturalist guides;
- having so many hummingbirds flying around us at the Canopy Tower feeders;
- seeing the Green Shrike-Vireo ;
- having Palm Tanagers within five feet;
- watching the leaf-cutter ants;
- seeing the bats roosting in the abandoned termite nest (Cara Iguana Trail);
- hearing the Mantled Howler Monkeys – especially at night;
- watching the pair of Thick-billed Euphonias building a nest (La Mesa);
- sitting on the veranda of Canopy Lodge and having the birds come to us – how great is that;
- watching the Squirrel Cuckoo run through the branches – a well named bird;
- watching the Rufous Motmot swing its tail back and forth;
- seeing so many species of tanagers – each one so beautiful; and
- seeing the family of Hoffman’s Two-toed Sloths in the tree during our night ride.