Cerro Pirre, Panama (1 Viewer)

I got back about a month ago from a trip to Cerro Pirre in the Darien and thought I'd give a quick summary here.

I hired Euclides Campos as a guide and he drove me down from Panama City. We went from 24th to 31st April. He did a great job of organising things and clearly knows his birds extremely well. Bonus points as well for carrying a telescope half way up the mountain. This was rather necessary as the views of Black-tipped Cotinga were so distant, but it can't have been easy. The porters and cooks also did a great job, having quite a job carrying water up to the camps in particular.

So eight days ex Panama City allowed us two nights on the ridge at Rancho Parreda. It's quite a steep climb up there but it was fairly dry and not too much problem. From there we spent a day walking along a tortuous path along the ridge where we saw Pirre Hummingbird, Pirre Warbler, Green-naped Tanager, Choco Tapaculo, Russet-crowned Quail-Dove and Yellow-green Grosbeak among others. Beautiful Treerunner eluded us.

Here's a full list including birds seen along the river from Yaviza:

Crested Guan
Tawny-faced Quail
Plumbeous Pigeon
Violaceous Quail-dove
Olive-backed Quail-dove
Grey-chested Dove
Russet-crowned Quail-dove
Ruddy Ground-dove
Short-tailed Nighthawk
White-collared Swift
Band-rumped Swift
White-necked Jacobin
White-tipped Sicklebill
Green Hermit
Long-tailed Hermit
Tooth-billed Hummingbird
Greenish Puffleg
Green-crowned Brilliant
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Crowned Woodnymph
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
Pirre Hummingbird
Blue-throated Goldentail
Smooth-billed Ani
Common Squirrel-cuckoo
White Ibis
Fasciated Tiger-heron
Cattle Egret
Cocoi Heron
Great White Egret
Capped Heron
Little Blue Heron
Snowy Egret
Neotropical Cormorant
Spotted Sandpiper
Central American Pygmy-owl
Vermiculated Screech-owl
Crested Owl
Mottled Owl
Black-and-white Owl
Turkey Vulture
American Black Vulture
King Vulture
Grey-headed Kite
Swallow-tailed Kite
Plumbeous Kite
Roadside Hawk
Plumbeous Hawk
Common Black Hawk
Barred Hawk
White Hawk
Semiplumbeous Hawk
Slaty-tailed Trogon
White-tailed Trogon
Black-throated Trogon
Tody Motmot
Blue-crowned Motmot
White-necked Puffbird
Black-breasted Puffbird
Barred Puffbird
White-whiskered Puffbird
Grey-cheeked Nunlet
White-fronted Nunbird
Yellow-throated Toucan
Blue-throated Toucanet
Yellow-eared Toucanet
Spot-crowned Barbet
Crimson-bellied Woodpecker
Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker
Cinnamon Woodpecker
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Red-rumped Woodpecker
Barred Forest-falcon
Red-throated Caracara
Blue-fronted Parrotlet
Brown-hooded Parrot
Saffron-headed Parrot
Southern Mealy Amazon
Great Green Macaw
Red-and-green Macaw
White-ruffed Manakin
Golden-collared Manakin
Golden-headed Manakin
Masked Tityra
Thrush-like Schiffornis
Speckled Mourner
Cinnamon Becard
Sharpbill
Blue Cotinga
Rufous Piha
Black-tipped Cotinga
Paltry Tyrannulet
Yellow-green Tyrannulet
Olive-striped Flycatcher
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Black-capped Pygmy-tyrant
Southern Bentbill
Scale-crested Pygmy-tyrant
Black-headed Tody-flycatcher
Olivaceous Flatbill
Yellow-margined Flycatcher
White-throated Spadebill
Golden-crowned Spadebill
Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher
Tufted Flycatcher
Western Wood-pewee
Eastern Wood-pewee
White-ringed Flycatcher
Streaked Flycatcher
Tropical Kingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Sirystes
Dusky-capped Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Bright-rumped Attila
Fasciated Antshrike
Black Antshrike
Western Slaty-antshrike
Spot-crowned Antvireo
Checker-throated Antwren
Dull-mantled Antbird
Immaculate Antbird
Wing-banded Antbird
Bicoloured Antbird
Ocellated Antbird
Choco Tapaculo
Black-crowned Antpitta
Double-banded Greytail
Lineated Foliage-gleaner
Striped Woodhaunter
Slaty-winged Foliage-gleaner
Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner
Tawny-throated Leaftosser
Scaly-throated Leaftosser
Sharp-tailed Streamcreeper
Plain Xenops
Northern Barred Woodcreeper
Cocoa Woodcreeper
Black-striped Woodcreeper
Spotted Woodcreeper
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Tawny-crowned Greenlet
Black-chested Jay
Mangrove Swallow
Grey-breasted Martin
Barn Swallow
White-headed Wren
Sooty-headed Wren
Bay Wren
Stripe-throated Wren
Southern Nightingale-wren
Tawny-faced Gnatwren
Slate-throated Gnatcatcher
Varied Solitaire
Slaty-backed Nightingale-thrush
Blackburnian Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Slate-throated Redstart
Pirre Warbler
Buff-rumped Warbler
Crested Oropendola
Black Oropendola
Giant Cowbird
Blue-black Grassquit
Chestnut-capped Brush-finch
Dusky-faced Tanager
Grey-headed Tanager
White-shouldered Tanager
Tawny-crested Tanager
Plain-coloured Tanager
Grey-and-gold Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Speckled Tanager
Bay-headed Tanager
Green-naped Tanager
Purple Honeycreeper
Scarlet-browed Tanager
Black-and-yellow Tanager
Pirre Bush-tanager
Summer Tanager
Lemon-spectacled Tanager
Fulvous-vented Euphonia
Orange-bellied Euphonia
Yellow-green Grosbeak
Slate-coloured Grosbeak
Blue-black Grosbeak

Heard onlys:

Great Tinamou
Little Tinamou
Choco Tinamou
Black-eared Wood-quail
Band-tailed Barbthroat
Spectacled Owl
Ornate Hawk-eagle
Great Black Hawk
Black-tailed Trogon
Violaceous Trogon
Rufous Motmot
Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Black-faced Antthrush
Rufous-breasted Antthrush
Lesser Greenlet
Black-bellied Wren
Pale-vented Thrush

Some photos

Some more photos

And some more photos

Green-naped Tanager doesn't look much like the picture in the book at all.

And some further photos.

Interesting report and some good pictures. You saw a lot of rare or difficult species - I shall have to get there one day myself.

Last ones

Thanks for sharing.

Nice photos! :t:

Glad it worked out.

Some excellent and difficult birds seen. TFS

Arbu, did you look hard for pittasoma?

Andy

amears said:

Arbu, did you look hard for pittasoma?

Andy

Click to expand...

No, not that hard. As I recall, Euclides heard it, played the tape, and in it came. This was near Rancho Frio.

Thanks Arbu. I mistakenly thought it was missing from your list - I now see it is there, sorry.

Still, interesting to hear it was easy... Would love to go sometime soon.

Cheers.

I also got it easily with Euclides last summer - stunning views of a stunning bird. Great photo in this thread.