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 Panama
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Birding Information
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"Where Do You Want to Go Birding Today"
Tina MacDonald's excellent site contains links to Panama birding hotspots, checklist and maps, information on endemic and endangered birds, links to rare bird information local events and festivals, and information on tours/guides and accommodations
Birding Spots on the Caribbean-side near Colon
Directions to 5 birding spots are given.
Birdlife International Bird Links to the World
Their site provides a map, covers number of bird species and endemics plus a checklist, general country information, general web pages, bird pictures, and birding and individual trip reports.
Conservation Groups
Panama has two conservation groups focusing on bird conservation. ANCON seeks to protect the biodiversity of Panama. Their site is in Spanish. The Panama Audubon Society of Panama is a non-governmental organization that directs its energy towards the study of birds and the conservation of their habitat through scientific study, environmental education and ecotourism. You can down load a Bird Checklist pdf file from their site and find out their field trip schedule.
Where to Watch Birds
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| Lodging |
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Canopy Tower Ecolodge and Nature Observatory
Your bedroom is at treetop level, no more than 40 feet from the birds. The Canopy Tower, a former radar station, is located on top of Semaphore Hill, in a well preserved semideciduous tall forest in the heart of Soberan?a National Park. It is at an altitude of 900 feet above sea level, and from its roof you can see the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal and the skyline of Panama City, just 30 minutes away. The Towers bird list totals 283 species!
Finca Hartmann
A small family farm situated in the western highlands of Panama on the border with Costa Rica . The land use is predominantly shade-grown coffee, under towering remnant rainforest trees, and intact pre-montane highland forest that serves as a buffer zone to Parque Internacional La Amistad. At elevations between 4000-6000ft there are a number of accessible dirt roads that pass through many habitat types that are excellent for birding, hiking, and exploring. They are interested in attracting more birders and nature enthusiasts such as environmental tourism which will help protect their magnificent surroundings.
Hostal Casa de Campo Country Inn & Spa
In the midst of the cloudy rain forest of Cerro Azul, Hostal Casa de Campo offers tired and hungry birders a Jacuzzi and pool in the open air, comfortable and beautifully decorated rooms with fans, private baths with hot water, and delicious home cooking with daily specials for lunch and dinner. They also offer bird walks.
Los Quetzales, A Cloudforest Retreat
Tucked away in a highland cloud forest, Los Quetzales Preserve is at 6800 feet above sea level (over 2,060 meters), the Preserve lies inside the primary rainforests of Volcan Baru National Park, which is adjacent to the one million acre Parque Internacional La Amistad, which straddles Costa Rica and Panama. The Retreat is the only eco-vacation compound in Panama or Costa Rica with overnight accommodations inside a national park. Los Quetzales is renowned for its world-class birding. Resplendent quetzals are frequently spotted from the chalet balconies during nesting season, January-May, with multiple daily sightings the norm. During the rest of the year, quetzals are observed an average of every two to four days. Click here for February bird checklist.
Sierra Llorona Lodge
Sierra Llorona Panama Lodge is a family-operated lodge located on a private reserve of 200 hectares of rainforest on the Caribbean slope of the Panama Canal Area. It's a great place for birdwatchers (click here for checklist). A series of observation platforms surround the Lodge, and these are prime locations to observe birds on the canopy of the forest.
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| Tours and Guides |
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ANCON Expeditions of Panama
They offer nature and culture oriented tours, as well as adventure and academic programs. Their fully bilingual guides are top-notch natural history experts. Bird watching, geography, history, marine environments, conservation, native cultures are among their specialties. Also, manages its own eco-lodges in the most extraordinary destinations of Panama. Affiliated with one of Latin America's most prestigious conservation organizations, Panama's National Association for the Conservation of Nature (ANCON).
Bird Treks
A Pennsylvania company runs tours to various birding spots in Panama.
Borderland Tours
Borderland Tours was founded in 1980 to provide well-organized tours to premier birding and natural history destinations, primarily in North and South America
Ecocircuitos
Based in Panama, they offer birding watching tours among their other offerings. They are members of the American Birding Association and the Panama Audubon Society.
Exotic Birding
They offer guided 11-day summer birding tours to Panama Canopy Tower and nearby highlands led by resident expert guides. Experience some of the best rainforest birding available. They provide fine accommodations and welcome all skill levels, including novices. Tours limited to 8 participants.
Field Guides
Field Guides has been operating high-quality birding tours since 1985 from its headquarters in Austin, Texas.
Free Living
A list of British birding tour companies and the time of year of their Panama bird tours.
Victor Emanuel Nature Tours (VENT)
Founded in 1974, it is now the largest company in the world specializing in birding tours.
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| Country Information |
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Panama Travel Experts
Their site provides general information, hotel and restaurant suggestions, and things to do or attractions. Under Attractions they list birdwatching under which you will find links to birding by helicopter and ecolodges.
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please submit broken or outdated links by clicking here
Updated 03/08/05
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