Panama: Birds and Butterflies from the Cloud Forest to the Darien

The Trip

Deep in the tropical forest of Central America, just as the tail of the isthmus connects to the massive South America continent, the pinching of the mountains between the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans produced a compressed confluence of ecological zones. For the intrepid birder and butterflier, this is paradise.

Panama produces the greatest biodiversity of any country its size in Central America. Over 40% of the country retains original forest, and approximately 34% (2.5 million hectares) of the country’s natural areas are protected. Panama contains 53 Important Bird Areas, three Ramsar wetland sites, three UNESCO World Heritage sites, and two Biosphere Reserves. Although our focus will be on birds and butterflies, we will look for monkeys, bats, cats, and critters that crawl on the forest floor. Panama boasts over 1,000 species of birds (16 globally threatened birds and 8 country endemics), 2,000 species of butterflies (or more!), 218 species of mammals, 242 known reptiles, 182 species of amphibians, and around 9,915 species of higher plants.

Our expert Panamanian guides will accompany all of our outings as we walk cleared forest trails or roads at a relaxed ‘birding pace’ of 2-4 miles with occasional periods of standing.

We will have coffee or tea at 6:30 a.m. above the forest canopy for the dawn song at the Canopy Tower, or under the veranda at the camp before breakfast, or riverside at the mountain lodge. As the morning birds become quiet, butterflies will catch our attention. A night cloth will keep those with extra energy engaged! Each day will have a morning and afternoon outing, or if you chose, a luxuriously lazy day observing birds or critters that come to you at the lodge.

Our first night will be at a Panama City hotel, followed by an early morning departure to the Darien Provence and our camp. The camp is immersed in forest, with safari-style tents tucked into natural settings, each with a private bathroom and shower attached.

The Canopy Tower perches on top of a hill and is surrounded by forest. Large open windows at all three levels and 360-degree views from the spectacular roof keep nature close by. The mountain lodge rooms face toward the adjacent flowing stream, and the dining and lounge areas are al fresco and surrounded by feeders. While this is not a photography tour, we will have ample opportunities for photos. Our goals on this trip: following birding etiquette, using quiet voice during birding, observing trail safety, and expressing concern for the enjoyment of the whole group.

We will have a nightly bird checklist and do our best to identify butterflies and moths. A cloth will be set out on most nights, weather permitting, to observe these fantastical creatures. If you wish to photograph moths please bring a soft flash. 

Wi-Fi is available in the lounge area at all sites.

The season changes in May with the beginning of the green or wet season. This trip is timed to catch the flush of floral growth with the breeding season for birds and butterflies. On our outings we can expect sunny mornings, followed by mid-day rain clearing in the afternoon. Temperatures range from the mid 70s to high 80s in the Darien and Canal Zones, and slightly lower temperatures with cooler evenings in the mountains.

Day 1: Our first night is at the Riande Airport Hotel in Panama City. The hotel is five minutes from the Tocumen International Airport (PTY) and has a free shuttle running every 30 minutes. Dinner is not included this night.

Day 2: After our early rise for breakfast (included) and orientation, we have a full day traveling the Pan-American Highway in our air-conditioned van with birding stops and lunch along the way. Be sure to have your binoculars, water bottle, camera gear, batteries/chargers, and any personal items in your daypack to have handy in the van. Near the terminus of the highway we turn onto a canopied road, which takes us to the protected jungle of our camp. The property is adjacent to 65,000 acres of a protected hydrological reserve. Upon our afternoon arrival, our gracious hosts – human, feathered, and scaled -- will greet us. Our immediate attention will be captured by brilliant hummingbirds, raucous oropendolas, or a rainbow whiptail tucked under the flowers. The camp’s feeders, native vegetation, and gardens, supply a never-ending opportunity to spot new birds. After settling in, we will explore the grounds and forested trails.

Days 3-4: The next two days will be determined based on recent field observations as to which will be the most productive for us. Of special interest will be looking for crested eagle, known to have nested along the El Salto Road. Two range restricted species -- the black oropendola and dusky-backed jacamar -- are found here, along with the majestic harpy eagle. Our options include: 

• El Salto Road to Rio Chucunaque: We will walk down El Salto Road, a wide dirt road bordered by grassy edges and forest just off the Pan-American Highway, keeping an eye out for a large variety of birds and butterflies. As we work our way along the road we will scan ahead for wet areas as they often attract some interesting species, and always upwards to the pair of crested eagles who have previously nested in this area! Other birds include blue and gold macaw, king vulture, black oropendola, three species of becards, the streak-headed woodcreeper, and great curassow.
• Las Lagunas Road and Aruza Lagoons: Small streams and ponds will find us searching for rufescent tiger-heron, southern lapwing, striped cuckoo, ringed and Amazon kingfishers, fork-tailed flycatcher, laughing and aplomado falcons, little cuckoo and, if lucky, chestnut-fronted macaws. Among butterflies we might see capped heron, yellow-hooded blackbird, and black-capped donacobius.
• Nuevo Vigia Embera Village: If weather conditions permit, we will spend most of a day at this small Embera community. We will take a boat trip up the Chucuaque and Tuques Rivers in handmade dugout canoes called piragua, then make a riverbank landing and head into the village. We will spend time in a large grassy/weedy field as it usually holds numerous species of skippers, crescents, and longwings, among others. There we will also keep a sharp eye out for red peacock! At the back of the field there is a forested trail we will also explore. We will enjoy a picnic lunch under the community’s thatched roof common area. Birds of the village area include common black hawk, black-collared hawk, green ibis, and green-and-rufus kingfisher, among many others. During lunch the Embera women will display baskets, plates, and masks they have woven by hand, some of which can take several months to complete. Save some room in your daypack. This is an excellent opportunity to purchase a keepsake of your time in the Darién and to support the local Embera community.
• New sites: New locations or sightings, unknown or inaccessible as of this writing might be available to us. The Darien is a newly developed birding and butterfly hotspot and there is much to explore and learn in this rich biodiverse area.

Day 5: After breakfast we leave the Darien and travel back up the Pan-American Highway. If time permits, we will stop at the San Francisco Reserve for its grassy meadow, forest edges, and trails. We will search for skippers, jacamars, and other sulking delights. We'll eat lunch back at the best hummingbird café in Central America. We plan to arrive at our next lodge, the Tower around 5 p.m. for dinner.

Day 6: Our first morning at the Tower! Coffee and tea will be up on the observation deck at 6:00 a.m. where we might see our first keel-billed toucan, parrots, honeycreepers, tiny flycatchers, crane hawk, or search in the canopy for the Tower’s frequently heard and seldom seen green shrike-vireo. We may be able to see ships passing through the Panama Canal in the distance. It will be difficult to leave this remarkable place but Pipeline awaits! After breakfast, the specially modified open BirdMobile will take us to the Pipeline Road, a birder’s dream and not bad for butterflies either. Here’s what we will look for: five species of trogon, three motmots, eight wrens, four puffbirds, three forest falcons, three manakins, two tityras, woodcreepers, woodpeckers, tanagers, and interesting flycatchers (you know what that means). We’ll keep a keen eye out for ant swarms with its attendant antwrens, antshrikes, antpitta, antvireo, and other professional ant followers. Magically named birds -- like cacique, mourner, bacard, jacamar, twistwing -- and of course the jewels of the forest, hummingbirds, will tease us along the road. There will be other forest critters to keep an eye out for as well. Perhaps we will see a family of night monkeys in a tree cavity, frogs among the leaf litters, a horned beetle, or miniature forest of mushrooms on a downed log. The forest understory hosts incredible biodiversity and we will find many butterflies -- possibilities are pale owl-butterfly, common and all-blue morphos, hairstreaks, metalmarks, crescents, eighty-eights, skippers, and longwings.

The afternoon will find us at the Miraflores Locks located on the Pacific side of the Canal. They are a two-chambered set, with an elevation of 54 feet. We will keep our binoculars handy for the frigate birds, gulls, raptors and any other interesting sights along the way. The visitor’s center had been closed during COVID and the opening date is not yet determined. Our visit here includes the observation deck, but the museum tour fee (if open) is not included.

Nighttime is exciting at the Tower! Depending on how our day flows, we will have a night drive down Semaphore Hill, searching for monkeys, sloth, roosting birds, bats, or owls. Back at the Tower a moth cloth will be set up for drawing in the fantastical tropical moths and their predators – hooded mantis anyone?

Day 7: After breakfast, while enjoying the birdsong on the observation deck and checking windows for butterflies, we visit the Metropolitan Park where we search for new species of butterflies and birds. This drier forest park, with its good open areas, is the largest neotropical urban park in Latin America, hosting a bird list of 267 species. Sightings of motmots, trogons, flycatchers, becards, and tanagers are all possible, and if we’re lucky, we might get good looks at rufus-naped tamarin monkeys and sloths. The park is known for its satyrs, longwings, metalmarks, swallowtails, and more.

In the afternoon we will have a picnic lunch at the BioMuseo’s gardens along the Amador Causeway, south of the Pacific entrance to the Canal. The gardens host a great array of butterflies for easy, closer study and photography.

We'll enjoy nighttime back at the moth cloth again. If possible, our guide puts bananas out of the Tower’s window onto a nearby tree branch to see if night monkeys will come in for a treat.

Day 8: Sadly this is our last morning at the Tower. We will watch around the Tower’s windows for butterflies and the observatory deck for birds, enjoy the feeders at the base of the canopy, and perhaps take those last-minute photos of the lovely white-necked jacobin. If will be hard to leave this bird and butterfly paradise and our wonderful lodge hosts. A two-hour air-conditioned van will deliver us at lunchtime to our lodge for the next four nights in El Valle de Anton. The elevation is higher here, at 2,400 feet, with temperatures ranging from 68 degrees at night and early morning to the high 80s at midday. The lodge’s many feeders will host some similar, but also many different, species. Outside your room bubbles a mountain stream and beyond it is the protected area of Cerro Gaital National Monument. The grounds are lush with verbena, lantana, and fishbush, which attract dozens of butterflies, including radiant skippers and golden-headed bollas.

In the afternoon we will explore the roads and trails right from the lodge. Hummers may include bronze-tailed plumeleteer, green thorntail, the sulking white-tipped sicklebill, or the tiny but exquisite male rufus-crowned coquette. We can choose to relax and explore the lodge grounds, do a hummingbird study at the feeders, or watch the tanagers fly from feeder to feeder, the shy rufus motmot sneak in for a bite, or the oropendolas swoop in to bully off the smaller birds. After dark a black light will be set up to draw in moths and we’ll check the hummingbird feeders for night-feeding sugar bats.

Day 9: Our mountain lodge gives us our first real opportunities for colorful tanagers! This morning will take us to Las Minas for birds and, as the day warms, more butterflies! This area of mixed scrubland, low canopy forest, and open fields is a haven for butterflies such as sapho, longwings, satyrs, and several skippers. This rich area boasts sweeping views at the ridgeline to both the Pacific and Atlantic oceans (on clear days) and might bring us a mix of raptors like bat balcon, barred hawk, ornate hawk-eagle, and swallow-tailed kite. Hummingbirds, tanagers, euphonias, manakins, and flycatchers will keep us highly entertained.

We return to the lodge for lunch and a rest, and then head back onto La Mesa’s unpaved roads for an afternoon's search for fluttering jewels with names like crescents and daggerwings.

After eating lunch and exploring the lodge grounds, we drive to Valle Chiquoto’s broadleaf forest and ferns. This down slope of an ancient volcano holds new species of butterfly for us, with different skippers, hairstreaks, and satyrs. Back at the lodge we’ll look for crepuscular owl-butterflies around the gardens.

Day 10: Today we have new habitats to explore up to the misty mountain forests of Cerro Gaital with possible sightings of the giant forest owl-butterfly, among others. The Cerrro Gaital, at 3,500 feet, is the mountain backdrop of our valley and namesake of the preserve surrounding our lodge. Birds we will look for are the black guan, thrush-like shiffonis, orange-bellied trogon, spotted barbtail, white hawk, and new hummers like the white-tailed emerald, green-crowned brilliant, and violet-crowned woodnymph. New butterflies are firetips, euselasias, eurybias; new metalmarks, skippers, and hairstreaks are especially sought after.

The afternoon will find us in Cara Iguana, a little traveled, weedy forest edge. Our targets here includes crackers, daggerwings, and a special owl family known to nest in the high canopy.

Day 11: Our last day of the trip comes too quickly! We have two options depending on the weather. First is a full day out to the coastal Pacific lowlands with many stops along the way at bird and butterfly hotspots. Eventually we end up at the Beach House for lunch -- yay, shorebirds, terns, pelicans, and a barefoot walk in the sandy turf! The second is a full day up into the cloud forest of Altos del Maria. This road requires 4x4 vehicles and can be difficult if very muddy. The remoteness makes for a unique experience, but safety will be the determining factor.

Day 12: After breakfast and last looks around the garden’s flowers and feeders, we head back to Panama City for flights home or on to further adventures. The drive takes about 2.5 hours and the trip ends with our transfer to Panama City. The trip ends with drop offs at PTY or the Riande Hotel. Please plan your return flights with careful consideration of the return time to Panama City and possible road delays. 

Please be aware that the itinerary is based on best possible sightings and may be altered due to road, weather, or safety conditions.

Getting There

As of 2022, a visa is not required to enter Panama. However, depending on the COVID situation, vaccinations and a certified health affidavit may be required, or testing reinstituted. Your trip leader will keep you informed of any pandemic entry requirements.

Arrange your flight to the Tocumen International Airport (PTY), Panama City, Panama by day one (Sunday). Our first night is at the Riande Airport Hotel and is included with your trip fees, but dinner is on your own. The Riande has a free shuttle every 30 minutes that you will find just outside the exit doors, or if they have installed wait stations for hotels, look for the Riande Airport Shuttle sign. The hotel is about 5 minutes away. Breakfast is included and starts at 5:30 a.m. Plan to meet at 6:00 a.m. for a brief orientation and be ready to go at 7:00 a.m. to the Darien. Have your binoculars, camera gear, and water bottle readily available for birding stops along the way. 

Please pay special attention while booking your flight home. We return from the mountain lodge after breakfast and should be back in Panama City by noon. The airport recommends a three-hour arrival before your departure for the two security checks (one for PTY, one for U.S. airlines) and whatever delays could happen on the drive in.

Do not purchase your flights until you have the official ‘go’ from your trip leader!

Accommodations and Food

The trip is planned for double-room accommodations (two people per room). If you are traveling solo, a suitable same-sex roommate will be arranged.

Please bring a personal water bottle. Fresh, purified water will be available at the lodges and in the van along with trail snacks and juice. We will attempt to use as little plastic as possible. 

Late April/May begins the wet or green season with sunny mornings, mid-day rains, and clearing late afternoon for our outings. A lightweight rain jacket, umbrella, waterproof boots (for the field), and rain protection for your camera gear are recommended. You will still need sun protection – hats and sunscreen.

The camp is located in lowland forest near the end of the Panamanian Highway not far from Yaviza. Each safari-style tent is on raised platforms with an attached private bathroom/shower. Dining is in an open-air veranda with views of the forest and feeders. The temperatures range from highs in the mid 70s to mid 80s. And yes, it is humid but we will seek shade in the field and drive in air-conditioned vans. The outdoor showers will be delightful. 

The Tower is 768 feet above sea level and the observation deck extends 100 feet to just above the canopy. The structure is a restored U.S. Air Force radar station and sound travels easily around the structure, especially at night. The lodge provides earplugs, but light sleepers should bring their own. Please do not bring a ‘white noise’ device. The lodge does not have air conditioning, and a light sweater might be needed for the evening. Each room has a window and ceiling fan. Double rooms have twin beds and a private bath.

At the mountain lodge, all rooms have a large opening door facing the Rio Guayabo, a small tropical creek. Numerous hummingbird and other feeders surround the rooms. Dining is under a patio adjacent to the river. At 2,400 feet, it can be cool and a light jacket/sweater will be appreciated. 

Transportation will be in a comfortable air-conditioned van or in the lodge’s open-air BirdMobile in the nearby Canal Zone’s preserves.

Panamanian cuisine is a delightful mix of Spanish, African, and regional foods, served with fresh fruit, vegetables, and salads. Vegetarians and those with allergies or other restrictions can be accommodated, but please let the trip leader know in advance.

Trip Difficulty

You should be in good physical health, be able and eager to rise early, be comfortable walking "birding" pace for several miles with frequent stops, and be able to stand for prolonged periods. Most trails are graded tracks or well-maintained trails that have occasional muddy or washed out parts, or roadsides. We have a few trails with mild elevation gains. The highest elevation we could be hiking at is around 3,200 feet.

We will be in Panama during the beginning of the wet season, which means that we should be prepared for daily rain, usually mid-day, and our outings will be in the early mornings and mid-afternoons. Temperatures around the Darien camp and Canal Zone will be in the mid 80s to low 70s at night, and temperatures in the mountains will be slightly lower.

Equipment and Clothing

You'll want to bring good-quality waterproof binoculars with a close focus range for the butterflies, and a bird guidebook or e-guide (see References). If you bring a scope, you must be willing to carry it. Our guide will carry a high-quality spotting scope and one will be available at the lodges.

There will be many opportunities for excellent photography as we walk the trails and enjoy the feeders; however, super-telephotos (400-500 mm) that require a tripod are not appropriate for this active type of trip.

Rain is possible at any time. The lowlands will be warm to hot and definitely humid. Layers of quick-drying clothes, waterproof footwear, lightweight fleece, rain gear, sunscreen protection for skin/lips, and hats are essential. Bring rain gear for your camera or waterproof daypack. Wear footgear that's solid enough to provide daylong support, with non-slip soles adequate for forest hiking, and also bring a pair of sandals to change into in the evening. You may wish to bring mud boots, or they can be inexpensively purchased along the way. To ward off insects, bring your preferred bug spray, but please avoid strongly scented or citronella types.

As always, consult your physician for any health concerns and recommended vaccinations/inoculations or emergency travel medicine for gastro-intestinal, respiratory, or allergy events. It is strongly recommended that you purchase medical, travel cancellation and interruption insurance. The Sierra Club covers you for emergency medical evacuation and limited medical expenses. Details will be provided upon sign-up.

More facts: electrical adaptors are not needed (all current is the same as in the U.S.). There will be Wi-Fi in the lounge area. It is strongly recommended that you purchase, or switch, to an international phone service. The lodges are non-smoking. A travel visa is not necessary for Panama, but your passport must be valid for six months after leaving the U.S.

A detailed equipment list, packing suggestions, and a checklist for study will be mailed to registered participants.

References

Books:

• Angehr, George R. and Robert Dean, The Birds of Panama. This is the most up-to-date and useable field guide.
• Angehr, George, Dodge Engleman and Lorna Engleman, A Bird-Finding Guide to Panama. Describes the regions and birds likely to be seen in them.
• McCullough, David G., The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914. History of the canal’s early years.
• Keller, Ulrich, The Building of the Panama Canal in Historic Photography.
• Forsyth, Adrian, Ken Miyata and Thomas Lovejoy, Tropical Nature: Life and Death in the Rain Forests of Central and South America.
• Kricher, John, and Mark Plotkin, The New Neotropical Companion (2017. Replaces and updates the classic A Neotropical Companion Second Edition (1997) or An Introduction to the Animals, Plants and Ecosystems of the New World Tropics. This book is a treasure trove of fascinating facts and information that will greatly enhance both a deeper understanding and appreciation of tropical ecology.
• The Rainforest Publications has quick foldout guides to mammals, amphibians, and flora.

Maps:

• Panama 'Adventure Map' by National Geographic
• Gaia GPS app-Premium membership package for Panama

Websites:

• Neotropical Butterflies: http://www.neotropicalbutterflies.com
• https://ebird.org/region/PA-8
• Merlin-Panama for Android or iOS –check for updates: https://ebird.org/camerica/news/merlin-nicaragua-and-panama-packs-are-out
• Panama bird songs may be downloaded from Xeno Canto: http://www.xeno-canto.org
• E-field guide app to the birds of Panama: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/panama-birds-field-guide-basic/id1073470994

Conservation

The meeting of two continents on this narrow isthmus weds North and South America, resulting in the highest biodiversity of any country its size. Panama has two oceans, 50 rivers, volcanic highlands, and the largest rainforest reserve outside the Amazon Basin. Over 40% of the country retains original forest, and approximately 34% (2.5 million hectares) of the country’s natural areas are protected. Panama contains 53 Important Bird Areas, three Ramsar wetland sites, three UNESCO World Heritage sites, and two Biosphere Reserves. It has a country list of 972 species, 16 globally threatened birds, and eight country endemics. The Canal is one of the world’s most remarkable engineering feats, completed in 1914 by the U.S., but many do not realize that Panama offers easy exploration of unique ecosystems and exceptional Neotropical birding trails, un-crowded even along the famous Canal Zone.

Each ship passing through the Canal requires 52 million gallons of water. To supply the Canal’s water source, vast regions of the majestic Chagres River watershed are protected.

The new locks (Cocoli and Agua Clara Locks) -- opened in 2016 and built to accommodate the Neopanamax cargo ships -- are 70 feet wider and 18 feet deeper. They save water via holding basins that recycle 60% of the water per transit. However, the 2015-16 El Nino and the associated drought affected ship transit, costing a loss of approximately 40 million USD in revenue. 2019 brought another intense drought, forcing the Canal Authority to limit the draft of ships (and hence the weight of the cargo) in the new locks. Although Panama has the highest rainfall in tropical countries, extreme weather and unpredictable climate patterns could have significant impacts on transits. It’s not only revenue for the government, but the small indigenous communities lying along the canal’s lakes and tributaries that relied on tourist business have been hard hit. Low water levels prevent boats from reaching their docks.

The 1977 Panama Canal Treaty obligated Panama to provide water for the canal and local communities, create national parks, conduct water resource studies, and promote sustainable communities. Strong national and international interests coalesce to protect the hydrology of the Canal, resulting in benefits not only in the Canal Zone, but also throughout Panama’s natural areas. Conservation challenges will always be present with the ever-increasing population and its attendant demands on land and resources. Chief among threats are inadequate enforcement protecting against illegal clearing, poaching, timber logging in and adjacent to protected areas, road construction, extraction operations, illegal trafficking for the pet trade and hunting for food, pesticides and other chemicals in agriculture, conversion of coastal mangrove forest for shrimp farming, invasive elephant grass along the Canal Zone, and the ever-present development pressure for housing and leisure activities, including tourism. The Panama Audubon Society has had phenomenal success working with its NGO and governmental partners to document important bird areas, inform resource managers, and implement conservation action. They have been working tirelessly to protect the recent development threats to the Bay of Panama, an important over-wintering site for millions of shorebirds.

During our visit to Panama we have the opportunity to observe conservation successes and challenges while supporting sustainable tourism. In alignment with the Sierra Club’s mission to explore, enjoy, and protect wild places, our tour also provides immersion in priority goals of resilient habitats and complex water conservation issues.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.