This past summer I seized the opportunity to head to Panama for a week of birding and exploring.  I stayed at the Canopy Tower thanks to a wonderful “green season” package.  That term is just a clever way of disguising their wet season, but that generally only consists of a brief shower in the afternoon.  We ended up lucking out and only having one day where it rained non-stop, so the trip was more or less bird, bird, bird (and that’s the way I like it)!

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Collared Aracari seen outside the dining room of the Canopy Tower

View from the observation deck.

Keel-Billed Toucan seen from the observation deck.

The Tower is located on the top of a large hill inside Soberanía National Park.  Panama City is a mere 30-40 minutes away, but you could not be further removed from the hustle and bustle of the urban jungle.  All around the resort is tropical rain forest, and the birds and wildlife that come along with it.  Each morning we would head to the roof (aka the observation deck) at 6am for freshly brewed coffee and a dawn chorus like no other.  The symphony would often start before sunrise, as howler monkeys began their eerily beautiful calls.  As the orange glow of the sun peeked over the mountains, it brought with it the sounds of Red-Lored Parrots, Keel-Billed Toucans, and Blue-Crowned Motmots.  Geoffrey’s Tamarin monkeys would gather in the Cecropia trees around the tower and feast 20 feet from another group of hungry primates (ahem, us).  Green Honeycreepers, Blue Dacnis, and Blue-Gray Tanagers were joined by Collared Aracaris, Tropical Gnatcatchers, and a wide variety of other species.

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Violaceous Trogon near the entrance to Pipeline Road.

Purple Gallinule on the edge of the Chagres River.

Great Potoo roosting near the entrance to the Tower's property.

The Tower was only the tip of the ornithological iceberg.  Some of the best birding spots in all of central America are within a 20-minute drive of the tower, and we visited them all.  Old Gamboa Road, Plantation Road, and the Ammo Ponds (where we got unheard of views of White-Throated Crake) were all spectacular – but the real gem of this area is Pipeline Road, one of the most well-known birding hotspots in the entire world.  The now abandoned road was built as a maintenance road during WWII along with a pipeline that went clear across the country of Panama.  If the canal were to be attacked, the pipeline would be used by the Allies to transfer fuel and other materials.  Luckily it was never used, but thank goodness it was built!  It offers a secluded journey through secondary and old growth forest, affording travelers glimpses into the deep jungle that few other places can.

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Taking in sunrise from the observation deck.

An immature Rufescent Tiger Heron near the Ammo Ponds.

Lesser Seed-Finch near the Ammo Ponds.

Howler Monkey over Pipeline Road.

Finding an army ant swarm is a can’t-miss experience while birding in Panama.  These are such reliable bird magnets that entire taxa of birds are named after the ants.  Antshrikes, antwrens, antvireos, antthrushes, and antpittas are among the more well-known.  Mixed-species flocks will follow around this mobile buffet, and where the ants march across a road or path is where you should stop (not on the ants, mind you) and look for birds.

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One of many hummingbirds at the Rainforest Discovery Center.

Three-Toed Sloth seen from the observation deck.

Male Blue Dacnis seen from the observation deck.

Bad-ass Arachnid

Birds are certainly the main attraction for most visitors to the area, but there is plenty to see outside of our feathered friends.  Tropical flowers, giant fig trees, leaf-cutter ants, and the comical speed of the three-toed sloth are all note-worthy.  During one of the weekly night tours, you may be lucky enough to see two-toed sloth or one of the other nocturnal mammals that roam the area after the sun sets.  And of course owls and potoos are always a special treat!

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Common Potoo during a night ride down Semaphore Hill.

Yellow-Tailed Oriole eyeing up some Cecropia fruit (or snake fingers).

Violet-Bellied Hummingbird outside the Rainforest Discovery Center.

The entire experience was such a pleasure – delicious food, knowledgeable guides, and an astonishing array of interesting and beautiful wildlife.  Definitely add this place to your list of “must go to” locations!

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Female Green Honeycreeper seen from the observation deck.

Male Fasciated Antshrike near the entrance to Pipeline Road.

Collared Aracari seen from the dining room.

Please visit my Flickr page to view the Panama set which includes all the photos from my trip! Hope you enjoyed reading/viewing!

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Howler Monkey with an attitude.