Panama Birds and Coral Reefs

And Harpy Eagle Tour Extension!

A Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Custom Raptour

Adult female Harpy Eagle flying — The **Harpy Eagle** is the most powerful raptor on Earth. We will visit active breeding sites of this species on the optional Tour Extension.

Few places in the world are so privileged a raptor destination as this relatively small country. Just a tad smaller than North Carolina, Panama boasts an impressive 55 species of diurnal birds of prey, and about 90% of them can be observed within a couple of hours' drive from Panama City!

We will visit birding areas in Central and Western Panama in the main tour, and we'll bird the exotic destinations in Eastern Panama during the tour Extension. Covering both the Pacific and Caribbean slopes, this is the most comprehensive Panama birding tour we have offered so far! Combining raptor-watching with regular birding and snorkeling, we expect to see 35 species of diurnal raptors, some 350 species of birds in total, and over 40 species of colorful tropical fish!

A Strategic Location

Sitting between two major land mases—North, and South America—Panama receives faunal influences from both. Northern Harriers and Sharp-shinned Hawks from North America regularly reach central Panama on their yearly southward migration; and both Gray-bellied Goshawk and Long-winged Harrier, formerly thought to occur only in South America, have been recently reported in the country.

Packed with Raptor Specialties

Panama's raptorial highlights include sought-after Neotropical specialties such as Gray-headed, Hook-billed, Plumbeous, Swallow-tailed, and Pearl Kites; Tiny, Plumbeous, Semiplumbeous, Zone-tailed, Gray-lined, and Barred Hawks; King, and Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures; plus near-threatened Crested, and Harpy Eagles. Charismatic species such as Black, and Ornate Hawk-Eagles and are also regularly observed soaring over the forest. Lucky birders may get good looks at most secretive Slaty-backed Forest Falcon.

Hilly areas in Western Panama are among the most reliable places to see **Barred Hawk,** a taxonomic oddity that belongs in its own genus! It hunts from low perches, but also soars over the forest in good weather.

A World-Significant Migration Corridor

The Isthmus of Panama is the narrowest point of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, a natural land bridge for migratory species on their yearly roundtrip journey between North, and South America. Raptor migration through Panama is one of the greatest wildlife spectacles of the Americas. Every year, millions of Turkey Vultures, Swainson's Hawks, and Broad-winged Hawks are funneled into this narrow pass on their intercontinental migration. Fairly large numbers of Mississippi Kites are also seen.

Migrating raptors over Panama City — Panama is the narrowest point in the land bridge between North and South America. Millions of raptors migrate through the area every year. This kettle over Panama City is dominated by **Broad-winged Hawks,** there are two **Turkey Vultures,** and one **Swainson's Hawk!** Do you see it?

Raptor Migration, Quetzals, and Coral Reefs in the NW!

On this comprehensive tour we will visit the far western birding areas of Panama including Bocas del Toro and the Highlands of Chiriqui. Bocas is one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the Caribbean. Not only it boasts healthy coral reefs home to a myriad sea creatures, but it also lies right underneath a major raptor migration flyway! We will target non-migratory raptor specialty, and taxonomic odd-ball Barred Hawk in the mainland. We will combine raptor migration watching, mostly in the mornings, with kayaking, and snorkeling outings in the afternoons to experience Bocas like never before! Crossing the continental divide to the Pacific side we will target highland specialties such as Resplendent Quetzal!

Up to 30 species of colorful tropical fish—such as this beautiful Queen Angelfish—can be seen in a single snorkeling session in the coral reefs of Bocas del Toro.

Great General Birding

In addition to being one of the finest hawk-watching destinations on Earth, Panama also features great general birding. Therefore, a dedicated and experienced local birding guide will be with us at all times to help us find and identify non-raptorial birds as well. When raptors are not being watched we may also enjoy a variety of tropical birds including tinamous; ducks; guans and chachalacas; herons and egrets; wood-rails; jacanas; doves, ground-doves, and pigeons; parrots and parakeets; cuckoos and anis; owls; hermits, sicklebills, jacobins, mangos, plumeteers, and hummingbirds; trogons; motmots; kingfishers; puffbirds; jacamars; barbets, aracaris, toucanets, and toucans; woodpeckers; spinetails and woodcreepers; antshrikes, antvireos, and antbirds; tyrant flycatchers of various sorts, habits and sizes; becards and tityras; colorful cotingas; manakins; vireos, greenlets, shrike-vireos, and peppershrikes; swallows; wrens; thrushes; warblers; stunning tanagers and allies; seedeaters and finches; grosbeaks and ant-tanagers; icterids large and small; and euphonias, of course. See individual days in the itinerary below for more details on where to expect what and when.

White-necked Jacobin, Panama, by Sergio Seipke — Expect to encounter a fair share of colorful birds such as this **White-necked Jacobin.**

Make A Difference!

Raptours®, L.L.C. makes a financial contribution to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary for every member that signs up for this tour. Join us on this tour and make a lasting contribution to raptor conservation!

Main Tour Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival at Tocumen International Airport (IATA code PTY) in the afternoon, where you will be met by a Raptours representative, and transfer to the Riande Airport Hotel nearby either individually or in small groups, depending on arrival times. Plan to arrive before 3 pm. 5:30 pm, icebreaker cocktails at the hotel bar and introductions. 6:30 pm, dinner. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2

Breakfast and check-out. Bird the Metropolitan Natural Park or an alternative area nearby. 12:00 pm, lunch. Then head to the domestic airport to catch a flight to Bocas del Toro (2:00 pm – 3:10 pm). Transfer to Tranquilo Bay, our base for the next few days on the Bastimentos island. Snorkel the reefs in the afternoon. Up to 35 species of fish are possible in a single 1-h dip! Dinner and overnight at Tranquilo Bay.

Keel-billed Toucan in Panama city — Urban birding in Panama City is not too shabby, you know? (Keel-billed toucan at the Panama Canal Administration Building.)

Day 3

Early start today. All-day excursion to Los Naranjos for Resplendent Quetzal, looking for Barred Hawk and other birds as well. Lunch near noon. Then, drive back to Tranquilo Bay, making stops to bird along the way. Dinner and overnight at Tranquilo Bay.

Day 4

Breakfast at Tranquilo, then head to the mainland to bird the Tierra Oscura Rd. Back at the lodge we'll get up on the observation tower to enjoy the birds from above and perhaps some raptor migration. Lunch at Tranquilo. In the afternoon we will explore the gardens and trails of Tranquilo, and take a second dip in the coral reefs! Dinner and overnight at Tranquilo Bay.

Day 5

Breakfast at Tranquilo. Explore the local trails or check-out and head back to the mainland to watch the raptor migration (depending on the flight). Catch our flight back to Panama City (2:30 pm – 3:30 pm). Shuttle to the Canopy Lodge in Valle Antón (2 hs). Check-in and relax for a bit. 6:30 pm, dinner. Overnight at the Canopy Lodge.

Day 6

6:00 am, meet to bird the garden. 6:30 am, breakfast. 7:30 am-12:00 pm, road to Altos del María and Cerro Gaital to target Swallow-tailed Kite, White Hawk, Barred Hawk, and Bat Falcon. Watch migrants from Cerro Gaital. 1:00 pm, back at the lodge for lunch. Relax in the afternoon or visit the handicraft market in El Valle. 6:30 pm, dinner. 7:30-8:00 pm, optional owling on the lodge trails. Overnight at the Canopy Lodge.

Hotel room at the Canopy Lodge, Panama — Rooms at the Canopy Lodge are comfortable and most have a view to the garden, where many birds can be seen.

Other bird highlights in this area include Black Guan; White-tipped Sicklebill, Rufous-crested Coquette, Crowned Woodnymph, and Black-throated Mango, White-tailed Emerald, Green-crowned Brilliant, Violet-headed Hummingbird; Orange-bellied Trogon; Spot-crowned Barbet, and Blue-throated Toucanet; Spotted Barbtail, and Spotted Woodcreeper; Spot-crowned Antvireo, and Slaty Antwren; Black-headed Antthrush; Bran-colored Flycatcher, and Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant; Cinnamon Becard; Pale-vented Thrush; Rufous-capped Warbler; Common Bush-Tanager, plus Silver-throated, Golden-hooded, Tawny-crested, and Bay-headed Tanagers; and Scarlet-thighed Dacnis; Blue Seedeater; Black-faced Grosbeak; and Tawny-capped Euphonia.

Day 7

6:00 am, breakfast. Then checkout and morning excursion to coastal Pacific dry forest and rice fields to target Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture, Pearl Kite, White-tailed Kite, Roadside Hawk, Gray-lined Hawk, Savanna Hawk, Common Black Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, and with a bit of luck, Aplomado, and Peregrine Falcons. Also, to watch the raptor migration. Picnic lunch at Santa Clara. Then head to the Canopy Tower. Check-in and relax. 6:30 pm, dinner. Overnight at the Canopy Tower.

Other birds we may see today include Crested Bobwhite; Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, and Black-crowned Night-Heron; Glossy Ibis; Gray-necked Wood-Rail; Southern Lapwing; Blue, and Plain-breasted Ground-Doves; Brown-throated Parakeet; Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl; Common Potoo; near-endemic Veraguan Mango, and Sapphire-throated Hummingbird; Pale-breasted Spinetail, and Straight-billed Woodcreeper; Mouse-colored Tyrannulet, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Northern Scrub-Flycatcher, and Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant; Golden-fronted Greenlet, and Rufous-browed Peppershrike; Grassland Yellow-Finch; and Red-breasted Blackbird, and Crested Oropendola.

Day 8

5:00 am, breakfast. 6:00-9:30 am, Quebrada Juan Grande and Pipeline Road to target Semiplumbeous Hawk, Tiny Hawk, and (early in the morning) Slaty-backed Forest Falcon. Other raptors likely to be seen here include Double-toothed Kite, and with a bit of luck, Gray-headed Kite and Crane Hawk. Agami Heron, Sunbittern, Dull-mantled Antbird, and Sapayoa are sometimes seen along the streams intersected along the road. 10:00 am through noon, watch the migration and resident raptors from the tower at the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center where Tiny and Semiplumbeous Hawks are sometimes seen. 12:30 pm, box lunch at the Visitor Center where we can probably see Golden-collared Manakin, Long-billed Hermit, White-necked Jacobin, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, and up to ten species of hummers. 4:00-6:00 pm, visit Summit Ponds. 6:30 pm, dinner at the Canopy Tower.

At Pipeline Road we'll get close and personal with forest-interior raptors such as this **Gray-headed Kite.**

Other highlights today may include Slaty-tailed Trogon, and Cocoa Woodcreeper. Little Tinamou; Gray-headed Chachalaca; Gray-necked Wood-Rail; Blue Ground-Dove; Greater Ani, and Squirrel Cuckoo; Purple-crowned Fairy; Gartered, Slaty-tailed, Black-throated, White-tailed, and Black-tailed Trogons; White-necked Puffbird; Fasciated, and Black-crowned Antshrikes, plus White-bellied, and Dusky Antbirds; Yellow Tyrannulet, Forest Elaenia, Southern Bentbill, plus Panama, and Streaked Flycatchers; Masked Tityra; Blue Cotinga; Golden-collared Manakin; Green Shrike-Vireo; Plain, Black-bellied, and Buff-breasted Wrens; Rosy Thrush-Tanager; Red-throated Ant-Tanager; and Yellow-tailed Oriole.

Day 9

5:30 am, meet at the parking lot deck and target Barred, and Collared Forest Falcons. 6:30 am, breakfast. 7:00-9:00 am, look for perched raptors including Double-toothed Kite, Gray-headed Kite, Gray-lined Hawk, Crane Hawk, or Semiplumbeous Hawk from tower observation deck. Non-raptorial highlights at the tower include Blue Cotinga, and Green Shrike-Vireo, toucans, and a wide array of tanagers, and mammals like three-toed sloth, Geoffroy's tamarins, Black Howler Monkeys, and Coatimundi. Later in the morning, the migration will pick up (weather conditions permitting), and we may also see some resident soaring species such as White Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, or Black Hawk-Eagle. 1:00 pm, lunch and checkout. Shuttle to the airport where the tour ends… or stay another night at the Canopy Tower if you choose to join the Harpy Eagle Tour Extension!

Harpy Eagle Extension

The main goals of this extension are to watch Harpy, and Crested Eagles, and target Plumbeous, and Semiplumbeous Hawk, plus Red-throated Caracara. Success with the first two will largely depend on the status of known nesting sites at the time the tour is conducted. Please note that predation or other disruptive events can happen suddenly and without warning, causing nest failure, and sometimes, desertion of territories by breeding adults. Only participants of the main tour can signup for the extension.

The **Harpy Eagle** is the most powerful raptor on the planet, and to see it in the wild is every birder's dream!