Long famous as the pathway between two oceans, the Isthmus of Panama is ecologically more important as the pathway between two vast continents. With forested mountains in east and west separated by the central lowlands, Panama constitutes both a land bridge for many species and a biogeographic barrier for others. Consequently, it is a rich mixing ground for various elements of the avifaunas of North and South America.. Panama hosts more than 970 species of birds, and this birding tour to the Canopy Tower and the Canopy Lodge is designed as your pathway to one-third of them.
One of the highlights of this tour, even for veteran Neotropical birders, is as likely to be the reward of becoming a canopy-dweller. Atop the tower, intimate views may be obtained of a becoming assortment of feathered canopy-dwellers--from electric Blue Cotingas and Green Shrike-Vireos to splendid Black-headed Tody-Flycatchers, Brown-capped Tyrannulets, Fasciated Antshrikes, and perhaps a Lesser Greenlet. Our exhilarating site for the first four nights will be the remarkable, award-winning Canopy Tower, a former radar installation located at the top of Semaphore Hill that has been transformed into a marvelous birding facility. We encourage you to visit the virtual canopy before visiting the actual canopy.
One of the wonderful things about staying at the Canopy Tower is the access it affords to one of the best birding locales in the world, the Pipeline Road. The road is chock full of birds and winds through such high-quality forest that it is here that the Peregrine Fund and other biologists worked on a reintroduction program for the Harpy Eagle. It is also a good place to see several species of antbirds--little is quite as exciting as coming upon your first army ant swarm, attended, sometimes feverishly, by Ocellated, Bicolored, and Spotted antbirds, Plain-brown, Northern Barred-, Cocoa, and Black-striped woodcreepers, and Gray-headed Tanager. Neither is it uncommon to encounter a Cecropia tree full of frugivorous birds like Keel-billed and Yellow-throated (formerly Chestnut-mandibled) toucans or Red-capped and Velvety (Blue-crowned) manakins; and lethargic species like trogons, puffbirds, and motmots that sit almost motionless, seemingly content to watch forest life go by.
The Canopy Lodge is located in the beautiful town of El Valle. This town, nestled in the crater of an old volcano, is home not only to some lovely little markets full of artisan crafts but also to some gorgeous montane cloudforest. At the Canopy Lodge, each day is pleasantly cool early and late, and pleasantly warm mid-day. The habitats are varied, the birds diverse and numerous, the accommodations splendid and tastefully appointed, the food tasty and creative, and the pace moderate. The stream there draws numerous species within a few feet of the dining area, including Sunbittern, Green Kingfisher, Northern Waterthrush, and possibly Neotropical River Otter (which caught a fish as we watched it race down the stream on a recent tour). Hummingbird feeders and banana feeders positioned in places where one can relax in hammocks or chairs while enjoying the birds and obtaining excellent photographs make for another carefully planned feature of the grounds. It's a superb birding spot and an exciting place for birders who have birded some in Middle America but are still looking for their first Tody Motmot or Rosy Thrush-Tanager, and for those who have birded widely but who are still looking for their first White-tipped Sicklebill or Black-crowned Antpitta while at the same time looking to relax a bit.
At both the Tower and at the Canopy Lodge in El Valle our host will be Raul Arias de Para, the Panamanian conservationist who conceived the felicitous transformation of the Tower and subsequently built the beautiful lodge in El Valle. The hospitality and food at both spots are wonderful, and the libraries are notably replete with natural history volumes. All you will need to bring along is your copy of The Birds of Panama by Angehr and Dean, an excellent field guide that makes preparing for your trip all the more pleasurable. We will spend four nights at the Tower, and then three nights in the peaceful climes of El Valle at the Canopy Lodge
Special Note: We have opted to limit our Field Guides Panama tours to just 8 participants. In addition to the Field Guides staff leader, we will have a local Panamanian guide. We feel this provides the best overall experience, as some trails are narrow and a larger group will make it difficult for everyone to get good, satisfying looks at the birds. This has an impact on the tour fee, but we believe this intimacy and expertise are well worth a slight premium.
Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.