Welcome to Panama! After arriving at Tocumen International Airport you will transfer to the hotel. This afternoon we can enjoy some birding around the hotel grounds – Red-crowned Woodpecker, Roadside Hawk, Clay-colored Thrush, Crimson-backed and Blue-gray tanagers, and Thick-billed Euphonia, among many others, can be seen here. This evening we will enjoy dinner as a group and prepare for the upcoming days of birding in eastern Panama. Overnight at Riande Aeropuerto Hotel.

After an early breakfast at the hotel, we will begin our journey towards Darien, one of the most biodiverse areas of Panama. Our first stop will be in the Bayano Lake and Rio Mono area of eastern Panama Province, where we will look for Black Antshrike, Jet Antbird, Orange-crowned Oriole, One-colored Becard, Rusty-winged Antwren, Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, Barred Puffbird, Pied Water-Tyrant, Whooping Motmot,and other eastern Panama species. We will carry on to the town of Torti for lunch, where we will watch the hummingbird feeders as we enjoy a local meal. This afternoon we will carry on to Meteti. After a short break we will head out further along the Pan-America Highway, where we hope to see Striped Cuckoo, Pearl Kite, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Spot-crowned Barbet, and Spectacled Parrotlet, among many others. Overnight at Bellagio Hotel or similar (Meteti).

We will get an early start and today’s journey will include driving, riding in a dug-out canoe on one of Darien’s many rivers, and a hike through the lowland forest of Darien to a Harpy Eagle nest. Please keep in mind that even though the nest will be active, we cannot guarantee that the eagles will be in sight. During our hike several other birds can be observed including Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Choco Sirystes, Black Oropendola, Golden-headed Manakin, Pied Puffbird, and White-headed Wren among others. After our time at the nest, we will retrace our steps back to our hotel, birding in strategic spots along the way, as time allows. Overnight at Bellagio Hotel or similar (Meteti).

Darien is the home of the Embera-Wounaan people. Today, we will visit one of their villages, Nuevo Vigia Embera. This community is surrounded by excellent bird habitat and home to many regional specialties. We’ll start our day on in a dugout canoe on the Chucunaque River where we’ll watch for Capped and Cocoi herons, Green Ibis, Black-collared Hawk, Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Yellow-backed Oriole, Gray-lined Hawk, Mangrove Swallow and roosting Great Potoo along the water’s edge. Along the shaded trails at the village we will look for Red-billed Scythebill, Agami Heron, Bare-crowned Antbird, Gray-cheeked Nunlet, OIivaceous Piculet, and Little Cuckoo. Also, in the open areas we hope to see the very range-restricted Dusky-backed Jacamar, Barred Puffbird and Spectacled Parrotlet. The community has been involved in ecotourism and nature tourism for several years now, and the members of the village offer beautiful hand-made woven plates, bowls, carved cocobolo wood and other colorful artisan handicrafts for sale. In the evening, we can head out along the main highway and seek out nocturnal wildlife including Common and Great potoos, Striped Owl, and Crab-eating Fox along the roadsides. Overnight in Bellagio Hotel Meteti.

We will get an early start and today’s journey will take us to the end of the Pan-American highway in Central America through the fabled Darien province. We will spend the day birding along the far reaches of the highway. El Salto Road is a particularly great spot to find Blue Cotinga, White-necked Puffbird, Red-throated Caracara, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, Bare-crowned Antbird, Black Antshrike, Red-throated Caracara, Ochre-lored Flatbill and many others. We’ll visit trails to seek out Golden-headed Manakin, Pied Puffbird, and Golden-green Woodpecker. At roadside wetlands, we’ll scan the open marshes for Black-capped Donacobius, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, raptors and waterbirds. In the afternoon, we will work our way back to Torti, and explore the banks of the Torti River to seek out Little Cuckoo, Red-billed Scythebill, Double-banded Graytail, White-eared Conebill, Pacific Antwren, Carib Grackle, Green Ibis, among many others. Overnight at Avicar Hotel (Torti).

San Francisco Reserve near Torti offers a wide variety of habitats from open savanna to mature rainforest and is home to a great variety of key species. San Francisco is a great place to find the endemic Yellow-green Tyrannulet, Royal Flycatcher, Barred Puffbird, Golden-collared Manakin, Sulphur-rumped Tanager, Rusty- winged Antwren, Great Jacamar, Central American Pygmy-Owl, and even the rare Wing-banded Antbird. This is a great spot to search the skies for soaring raptors: Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle and King Vulture can be spotted soaring overhead. Even Harpy Eagle has been seen on occasion! After lunch in Torti, we will drive back to Panama City, and get ready to depart for home the next day.