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PANAMA! Canopy Tower & Lodge
August 1 - 9, 2025
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Experience the avian gems of Panama during our green season special at the world-famous Canopy Tower and the lovely Canopy Lodge. Our tour spends four nights in the unique accommodations at Canopy Tower and four nights at the award-winning Canopy Lodge.
We’ll begin by experiencing the Observation Deck at the top of the Tower and the buzzing hummingbird feeders by the front entrance. We'll also visit Panama’s premier birding site, the Pipeline Road, as well as Summit Ponds and Old Gamboa Road, the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center and its remarkable observation tower, the marshy Ammo Dump Ponds, and Summit Gardens.
Then we'll move to the foothills and cloud forests of El Valle de Anton — the home of motmots, tanagers, hummingbirds, antpittas and the mythical Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo and the award-winning Canopy Lodge for four nights. Our days will feature exciting bird-filled trips to the best birding sites all designed to find as many of the area’s specialties as possible!
What about the weather in August?
Summer is the "green season" in Panama. Temperatures are not much different from the rest of the year, typically the same as you'd find in northern summer climes in the summer. In August, Panama's Forests are at their most lush, there is plenty of food available, and young birds being fed by their parents. There can be a tropical shower in the early afternoon, which is “siesta” time anyway. After a shower the sun comes out, and bird activity increases again. The nights are clear and cool. For more on Panama's weather, go here>
Join us to experience tropical birding at two world renowned lodges in an incredible country rich in biodiversity!
Trip Cost> Registration Form> Go here for past trip reports>
ITINERARY:
Please note that the itinerary is flexible and may change without prior notice due to weather, alterations in habitat, birds, or other conditions.
Day 1: ARRIVAL and CANOPY TOWER OBSERVATION DECK
Upon arrival in Panama City (Airport code: PTY), our group will transfer you to the highly-acclaimed Canopy Tower at the top of Semaphore Hill in the rainforests of Soberanía National Park, our home for four nights. As your luggage is being ferried to your room, you may visit the dining/bar area and enjoy a refreshing drink. Then we will meet on the Tower’s famous Observation Deck to begin our birding adventure. The view from the platform on the top of the tower is incredible and offers a unique eye-level perspective of the rainforest canopy. Many birds, including toucans, parrots, tanagers, and hawks, plus sloths, monkeys, large basking Green Iguanas and other animals are commonly seen.
From this vantage point you can also see ships transiting the Panama Canal, the majestic Centennial Bridge and miles of rainforest! We will also visit the hummingbird feeders at the base of the Tower to look for Long-billed Hermit, White-necked Jacobin, Violet-bellied and Blue-chested Hummingbirds, White-vented Plumeleteer, and if we are luck, a Snowy-bellied Hummingbird! In the evening we will enjoy our first official dinner of the tour. Dinner at CANOPY TOWER.
Day 2:
CANOPY TOWER OBSERVATION DECK / SEMAPHORE HILL / AMMO DUMP
This morning we will meet up on the Observation Deck where we can can enjoy hot coffee, tea and orange juice while birding. Some of the bird species we hope to see from the deck include Green and Red-legged Honeycreepers, Green Shrike-Vireo, Blue Cotinga, Scaled Pigeon, Mealy and Red-lored Parrots, Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Araçari, and many different flycatchers and tanagers. Resident raptors to look out for include Short-tailed and Zone-tailed Hawks, Plumbeous and Gray-headed Kites, and even King Vulture and Black Hawk-Eagle!
After a delicious breakfast we will reconvene outside of the Tower to check the hummingbird feeders and then bird Semaphore Hill, the winding access road to the Canopy Tower. We'll descend on foot or in one of the Tower's open top transports to enjoy what the road has to offer. The bird list of Semaphore Hill Road is extensive and includes birds from the forest interior, as well as edge dwellers. Olivaceous Flatbill and White-whiskered Puffbird are common, and Slate-colored Grosbeak and Gray-headed Tanager are seen frequently. Great Tinamou is heard often, but to see one takes a little work. This road is also great for raptors: White, Tiny and Semiplumbeous hawks have been seen.
After what is sure to be an exciting morning, we'll enjoy lunch at the Canopy Tower and then head to the famous Ammo Dump Ponds just north of Gamboa on the way to Pipeline Road. This is the best place to see the elusive White-throated Crake, as well as a host of other waterbirds. Least Grebes, Common and Purple Gallinules are common. This is the best spot for Rufescent Tiger-Heron, and American Pygmy-Kingfishers are also resident. Limpkin, Least Bittern, Snail Kite, a number of hawks and even Blue Cotinga have been seen here. The forest bordering the pond is excellent for woodcreepers and woodpeckers, as well as many other forest edge species.
After a bird-filled afternoon, we will return to Canopy Tower to freshen up, review our list of sightings for the day, and enjoy a lovely dinner. Dinner at CANOPY TOWER.
Day 3:
WORLD-FAMOUS PIPELINE ROAD/SUMMIT GARDENS
After breakfast we board the Birdmobile or El Tinamu, both open-air vehicles, to take us to the Pipeline Road, the best place in central Panama to find forest birds, and one of the premier birding spots in the world! Eight species of wren, five trogons, four puffbirds, three motmots, several tanagers, Great Jacamar, Common Potoo, Pheasant Cuckoo, Greater Ani, Gray-cowled Wood-Rail, Gray-headed Chachalaca, Forest Elaenia, Blue Ground Dove, 
Great and Little Tinamous and many other birds have been recorded here, even including the elusive Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo and the majestic Harpy Eagle! And if the road is not enough, there are plenty of side trails, plus 11 creeks and rivers that can be followed into the forest. Here will search for Streak-chested Antpitta and Black-faced Antthrush and other forest specialties. Army ant swarms are found frequently, attended by a host of birds including Bicolored, Ocellated and Spotted Antbirds. Plus, we will look for Golden-collared, Red-capped and Blue-crowned Manakins, always crowd favorites!
Later in the day, we will visit Summit Gardens, a nearby park managed by the Office of the Mayor of Panama City. With it's open gardens and nearby forests, this spot is a magnet for birds. Pale-vented Pigeons are common and we can look for Fork-tailed and Piratic Flycatchers as we enter. Further on into the park, we'll look for Crested Caracara, Red-crowned Woodpecker, Yellow-rumped Cacique, Masked Tityra, Orange-chinned Parakeets, and Red-lored Parrots. If we are lucky, perhaps a band of Collared Aracaris will make an appearance or a brilliant Blue Cotinga perched will grace us from a tree top!
This will surely be a birding day to remember. Later in the afternoon we will return to the CANOPY TOWER for dinner.
Day 4: SUMMIT PONDS / OLD GAMBOA ROAD / RAINFOREST DISCOVERY CENTER
Today, we’ll bird Old Gamboa Road and the associated ponds at Summit, great places to find a wide variety of Canal Area birds. At Summit Ponds, we will scan for Green, Striated, Capped and Boat-billed Herons as well as Green, Ringed, Amazon, Green-and-rufous (rare) and American Pygmy Kingfishers, which are all resident here! We also seek out Rusty-margined and Streaked Flycatchers, Lesser and Great Kiskadees, Greater Ani, Mangrove Swallow, Bat Falcon, Cocoa Woodcreeper and Lineated Woodpecker. Going straight past the two ponds we’ll be on Old Gamboa Road, one of the birdiest spots around.
This road passes through a variety of habitats and has plenty of specialties, including Blue Ground Dove, Great Antshrike, Jet Antbird, Black-tailed, Bran-colored and Royal Flycatchers, Lance-tailed and Golden-collared Manakins and the delightful Rosy Thrush-Tanager! We also hope to find species like White-bellied Antbird, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Yellow-backed Oriole, Boat-billed and Fork-tailed Flycatchers, Yellow-headed Caracara, Crane Hawk, Black-chested Jay and more. Spectacled Owl is a real possibility too, as the guides know where they often roost.
Later we will visit the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center. This facility owned by the Avifauna Foundation is a fantastic place to see a wide variety of forest birds. We will explore its well-maintained trails and climb the well-constructed spiral metal tower, which takes you above the rainforest canopy. From the top of the tower, there are plenty of opportunities to see some different canopy species including Pied and White-necked Puffbirds, Blue Cotinga, Yellow-throated Toucan, and multiple species of trogons, pigeons and parrots. Resident raptors are commonly seen up here, including Gray-headed and Double-toothed Kites and Semiplumbeous and White Hawks. Dinner at CANOPY TOWER.
Day 5 – TRAVEL TO CANOPY LODGE
This morning we will travel to the world-famous Canopy Lodge, located in the mountains of El Valle de Antón, nestled in the cloud forests of Cerro Gaital Natural Monument. At 2,400-feet in elevation, you will immediately appreciate the noticeably cooler temperatures here! As your luggage is being ferried to your room, or after you get settled in, you may visit the dining area and enjoy a refreshing drink and snack. You will immediately want to scan the fruit feeders and grounds for birding opportunities! Crimson-backed, Blue-gray, White-lined, Flame-rumped, Dusky-faced and Plain-colored Tanagers are about, as are Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, Thick-billed Euphonia, Chestnut-headed Oropendola, Streaked and Buff-throated Saltators, Lineated and Red-crowned Woodpeckers, Red-legged Honeycreepers, Yellow-faced Grassquit, Social Flycatcher, Ruddy Ground Dove, Barred Antshrike, Clay-colored Thrush, Rufous Motmot, Rufous-tailed, Snowy-bellied and Violet-headed Hummingbirds, White-vented Plumeleteer, and Garden Emerald! Dinner at CANOPY LODGE.
Day 6 – LAS MINAS & CARA IGUANA TRAILS
After breakfast (during which we watch for Orange-billed Sparrow and Bay Wren calling just around the dining area), we head to Las Minas, an excellent trail for Panamanian bird watching. The road follows the ridge line, with sweeping vistas of forested mountains, speckled with grasslands and small fincas. The views from here are fantastic, as on a clear day near the summit both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans can be seen! Specialties of the region include Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, Black-and-yellow, Bay-headed and Emerald Tanagers, Tawny-capped Euphonia, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, Spot-crowned Antvireo, Gray-headed Kite, Barred Hawk, Bat Falcon, Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Swallow-tailed Kite, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, White-tipped Sicklebill, Green Thorntail, Orange-bellied 
(Collared) and Black-throated Trogons, Tawny-faced Gnatwren, Plain Antvireo, the endemic Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker, Spotted Woodcreeper, Red-capped and White-ruffed Manakins, Band-rumped Swift, and Black Guan. A forested slope here is also our best chance for Black-crowned Antpitta and Black-headed Antthrush! After this birding excursion, we get back in time for lunch at the CANOPY LODGE.
After lunch and some rest (if you can resist the local birds), we head to Cara Iguana Trail, where we enjoy outstanding foothill birding in some of the last remaining stands of quality Pacific dry forest. Exclusive Panamanian birding opportunities in this area include Lesser Elaenia, Yellow-olive and Panama Flycatchers, Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant, Yellow-bellied Elaenia, Lance-tailed Manakin, Rufous-breasted and Rufous-and-white Wrens, Rosy Thrush-Tanager, Tody and Lesson’s Motmots, and Long-billed Gnatwren. Also resident are Striped Cuckoo, Little Tinamou, Common Potoo, Dusky and White-bellied Antbirds, Barred Antshrike, White-winged Becard, Tropical Screech-Owl and Bat Falcon. Hummers to watch for in particular are Garden Emerald, Long-billed Starthroat and White-vented Plumeleteer. During migration we look for Bay-breasted, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Green and Worm-eating Warblers. Dinner at CANOPY LODGE.
Day 7 – ALTOS DEL MARIA
After breakfast we are off for a full day at Altos del Maria to look for an exciting variety of highland forest birds. Some of the characteristic species include Black-crowned Antpitta, Black-headed Saltator, White Hawk, Barred Forest-Falcon, Orange-bellied Trogon, Spotted Woodcreeper, Red-faced Spinetail and many others. The bizarre Brown-billed Scythebill is seen here regularly!
Hummeringbirds include Band-tailed Barbthroat, the exquisite Snowcap, Purple-throated Mountain-Gem, White-tipped Sicklebill, Crowned Woodnymph, and Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer. We enjoy a picnic lunch in the field!
Dinner at CANOPY LODGE.
Day 8 – LA MESA ROAD & MATA AHOGADO ROAD
After breakfast, we continue our quest for more lifers with a trip to La Mesa Road. This area, which is a visually pleasing blend of secondary forest, scrubby pastures, overgrown fincas and grassy borders, is home to many of the area’s specialties. Here we look for such great birds as Spot-crowned Barbet, Cinnamon Becard, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, Silver-throated, Golden-hooded, Tawny-crested and Bay-headed Tanagers, Spot-crowned Antvireo, and Spotted Woodcreeper. Hummingbirds include White-tipped Sicklebill, Rufous-crested Coquette, Crowned Woodnymph, and Black-throated Mango. Also resident are Northern Emerald-Toucanet, Bran-colored Flycatcher, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, and Orange-bellied (Collared) Trogon. Lunch at CANOPY LODGE.
After lunch we are off on an excursion to Mata Ahogado. Along the way, watch the skies and trees for White Hawk and Roadside Hawk. Depending on activity we will walk sections of road to look for Crested and Chestnut-headed Oropendolas, Thick-billed Euphonia, Red-legged Honeycreeper, Tennessee Warbler (if they are in), Lesson’s Motmot. Black-headed Saltator, Buff-throated Saltator, Flame-rumped Tanager, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Black-striped Sparrow, White-lined Tanager, Crimson-backed Tanager, and perhaps a Panama Flycatcher.
Later on we will return to the wonderful Canopy Lodge for dinner and to review our birds of the day. Dinner at CANOPY LODGE.
Day 10 – DEPARTURES FROM PANAMA
Today is sure to be the most difficult day of the trip – saying goodbye! After a leisurely breakfast, if time permits, we can do some last-minute Panamanian bird watching in the gardens surrounding the lodge. Then, we will drive back to Panamá City (3 hours or so) to catch our return flights home!
Contact [email protected] to reserve your space!
 PANAMA! Canopy Tower & Lodge August 1 - 9, 2025 REGISTRATION FORM (pdf)> Contact [email protected] to reserve your space!
Once
the tour is confirmed
to go
ahead, we will send
you information
about booking your
flights.
Please
do not book flights until
you receive this information
from us and are notified that
the trip has sufficient numbers
to run. **Please note: Tour prices are based on quoted costs from ground operators (in their local currency), estimated fuel costs, and the rate of exchange the time of itinerary publication. The erratic nature to global financial markets makes it difficult to predict changes in costs and foreign currency exchange rates over the long term. Since tours are priced well in advance of the actual operation of the tour, tour costs, fuel costs and exchange rates can change, sometimes drastically. Depending on the extent of such changes, it may be necessary to implement a surcharge on this tour. If a surcharge is necessary, every effort will be made to minimize the amount. Cancellations
and
Refunds:
TRIP INSURANCE: PLEASE NOTE
Questions? Contact Gina Nichol at gina@sunrisebirding.com
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