Panama: Canal Zone & the Darien

• Diverse and rich wildlife; some of the finest birding locations in the Neotropics, in the Canal Zone and in the Darien
• Spectacular scenery, excellent lodge in the Canal Zone, and unique history surrounding the Panama Canal

Tour Overview

Panama, with its very rich avifauna, has quickly emerged as a top birding destination. Panama is the transition zone between Central and South America. It feels more “tropical” even than adjacent Costa Rica, with many representatives of typical Neotropical families – woodcreepers, toucans, jacamars, motmots, manakins, antbirds, cotingas, tinamous, plus a plethora of tanagers, flycatchers, honeycreepers and parrots and much more, and with always the chance of a mega-bird such as Harpy Eagle and scarce mammal such as Ocelot or Tapir.

Our Panama birding tour focuses on two main areas – the Canal zone, and east into the Darien at Torti. The hotel in Torti is in a world-class birding zone and many endemic species occur here. This is followed by several days investigating the superb and rich birdlife of the Canal Zone forests, including marvelous Pipeline Road which runs through wet forests in Soberanía National Park. The hummingbird feeders at Cerro Azul are often very productive, and Panama City’s Metropolitan Park supports Lance-tailed Manakin, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, even Red-naped Tamarin monkeys. With its short distances, excellent infrastructure and outstanding wildlife, Panama is superb, and our visit will be a truly unforgettable experience.