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One of our favorites, this species was always known as Orange-bellied Trogon until it was recently lumped with Collared Trogon. We found this one along the Las Minas Trail above the Canopy Lodge. Photo by guide John Coons.

Our week at the Canopy Tower and three nights at the Canopy Lodge was a great time. We enjoyed good weather with warm but not overly hot temps, and a rain one evening that got bird activity going the next morning. The Tower and adjacent forest is a great place to get lowland tropical birding off to a start. Our first morning found us on top of the Tower where we scoped toucans and parrots perched in tree top and had close views of Green Shrike-Vireo, and both Red-capped and Blue-crowned manakins. We walked down the road after breakfast, encountering our first of several trogons, puffbirds, antbirds, flycatchers and a couple of really cool mammals, a Rothschild's Porcupine and a pair of Gray-bellied Night Monkeys peering out of a tree cavity. Over the next several days we visited tropical rainforest, drier scrub forest and wetland marshes, where we found a myriad of birds. We birded various parts of famed Pipeline Road on two mornings and a full day where we went further out the track. Highlights here included a handful of sightings of Great Tinamou, a fantastic Pheasant Cuckoo blasting out its song just above us, a Great Potoo that we found at night and a Common Potoo that Alexis located at Metro Park during the day, many hummingbirds, a pair of White-throated Crakes showing well, stalking Rufescent Tiger-Herons, a beautiful Gray-headed Kite over the clearing at Metro Park, a Crested Owl and Black-and-white Owl near to the Tower, a few Whooping Motmots, an American Pygmy Kingfisher that Alexis spotted across the marsh, a well camouflaged White-whiskered Puffbird, a wonderful Great Jacamar showing off to us, Bicolored and Spotted antbirds waiting for ants to begin raiding, a perched and singing Streak-chested Antpitta, a scoped male Lance-tailed Manakin, a very blue Blue Cotinga, a bunch of tanagers, brilliant honeycreepers, and the quite uncommon Slate-colored Seedeaters. Both Three-toed and Two-toed sloths were encountered, as well as near daily sightings of Mantled Howler Monkeys and Red-naped Tamarins. A Northern Tamandua was the star of an afternoon for some, and we saw a few of the little known Rufous Tree Rats looking out of holes in trees.

After a final morning at the Tower, we headed to the Canopy Lodge in the foothills a couple of hours west, just outside of the town of El Valle, at a comfortable elevation of 2000 feet temperature-wise. Our birding started with our arrival as a few birds were visiting the feeders during lunch. After getting settled into the pleasant rooms, we did a very rewarding walk up the road and onto a trail. A tiny but spectacular male Rufous-crested Coquette perched nicely for us, as did a pair of Mottled Owls that Eliecer found in a thicket. Another great sighting was an uncommon Tody Motmot that perched low on the hillside for a scope view. A mixed-species flock with Checker-throated Stipplethroat, Dot-winged Antwren, and a Golden-winged Warbler kept us busy for awhile. The next morning we birded on La Mesa where Emerald, Silver-throated, and Bay-headed tanagers were feeding in a fruiting tree along with Tawny-capped Euphonias. An orange-bellied Collared Trogon, Brown-hooded Parrots, Spot-crowned Antvireo, and Spotted Woodcreeper were seen along the short trail we walked. A mixed-flock along the Candalario Trail yielded a pair of Plain Antvireos, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher, and a Chestnut-backed Antbird. That afternoon we found two Spectacled Owls on a day roost on the outskirts of El Valle. The next day was mostly spent in the higher elevations of Altos del Maria, which got us into the habitat of a number of new birds. One of the first was a beautiful Northern Emerald Toucanet right over the road where we later had a Broad-billed Motmot. A male Snowcap on a perch was a highlight of the trip, as was a Dull-mantled Antbird. Red-faced Spinetail, White-ruffed Manakin, White-throated Spadebill, Tufted Flycatchers, Black-and-yellow Tanager and a Scarlet-thighed Dacnis were also of note.

Our final day was spent birding our way to the coastal lowlands of the Pacific. We spend some time birding near a nesting colony of Crested Oropendolas where three Lesson's Motmots showed well as Yellow-green Vireos sang around us. Savanna Hawks were seen mating, an Aplomado Falcon gave us a fly-by, Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant, Northern Scrub-Flycatcher, the endemic to Panama Veraguan Mango, and Mouse-colored Tyrannulet all showed well. We saw some of the first Swainson's Hawks on their way north before scoping a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl just before lunch at the beach house. We made our way back to Panama City in the afternoon before heading home the next day.

It was a real treat to be with Alexis at the Tower and Eliecer at the Lodge. Both are amazing spotters and are a lot of fun to bird with. The staff was great at both lodges with wonderful meals and attention to detail. It was great fun birding with all of you and I hope to see you again soon.

John

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

Pied Puffbird was one of four species of puffbirds that we saw well during our time at the Canopy Tower. Nearly all of the puffbirds are sit and wait predators on large insects or lizards and they fill the role of a terrestrial kingfisher. Photo by guide John Coons.

We had wonderful views of a calling Great Jacamar along Pipeline Road, but why do they always turn around when they see the scope and camera? Photo by guide John Coons.

Alexis has just rung the dinner bell for lunch along the further stretches of Pipeline Road. Photo by guide John Coons.

Most Southern Beardless-Tyrannulets don’t sit out on open cables to be seen this well. Photo by guide John Coons.

Although Roadside Hawk is a familiar and widespread raptor in the tropics, we had an interesting view of this one. Photo by guide John Coons.

Our first of a handful of Squirrel Cuckoos gave us close views as we birded the edge of Ammo Pond near the Panama Canal. Photo by guide John Coons.

On our second try we found an obliging Black-and-white Owl perched right next to the road below the Canopy Tower. Photo by guide John Coons.

Yellow-belllied Elaenias are rather common flycatchers of open second growth forest in central Panama. Photo by guide John Coons.

We saw three different Rufous Tree Rats, a little known tropical arboreal rodent, that Alexis spotted while scanning tree cavities in the forest. Photo by guide John Coons.

It was great birding with Alexis, our guide at the Canopy Tower. Photo by guide John Coons.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Totals for the tour: 318 bird taxa and 19 mammal taxa