Panama December 2004 (1 Viewer)

I am going to Panama on a trip with my wife for two weeks in December 2004. We'll be staying in Panama City, the Gamboa Rainforest Resort, El Valle and the San Blas archipelago. It is not a birding trip so my birding will have to be incidental

Does anyone have any information about these places?

What can i expect to see in December?

What are the best books? Is there a site guide?

Are there any websites with information on birding in Panama?

My only experience of Latin American birding is Costa Rica in 2000, although I have been to Western Canada twice and to Arizona.

Any info gratefully received.

David

David,
I don't have much info on Panama but can suggest a good field guide might be 'Birds of Costa Rica' by Stiles and Skutch. Since these two small countries border each other, many of the birds are the same.

We had a Birding Guide from Panama posting here quite a bit about 5 months ago and he had given his e-mail address. You might try a search in the "looking for info" threads on Panama or Costa Rica.

My wife and I went to Panama in January. We stayed at Canopy Tower, which is near Gamboa. We did not visit the other places on your list.

You can expect to see plenty of birds, depending of course on how much time you spend birding. We saw 218 species in a week of fairly but not extremely intensive birding. We birded only in the lowlands around the canal; we undoubtedly could have seen quite a few more species if we had taken the time to go into the hills or to the coast.

My understanding is that the birding on the grounds of the Gamboa resort is quite good, and you are near Pipeline Road, which is probably the most famous birding spot in Panama. You can find descriptions of local birding spots, species lists and trip reports on Canopy Tower's site: www.canopytower.com

Other site guides include:

Where to Watch Birds in Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean by Nigel Wheatley and David Brewer, Princeton University Press, 2001.

Costa Rica & Panama: The Best Birding Locations, by Dennis Rogers, Cinculus, 1996.

For a field guide, I would get:

A Guide to the Birds of Panama with Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras by Robert Ridgely and John Gwynne, Princeton University Press, 1989.

The taxonomy is out of date for a few species, but it is still the standard book for Panama. Stiles and Skutch would be fine if you were birding only in western Panama, but there are many species in the central and eastern parts of the country that are not found in Costa Rica, so are not included in that guide.

Have a great trip.

Glen

Hi David!
I've been to Panama several times, although I haven't done a lot of actual birding there. For birders, the country is a true paradise. The guide that you HAVE TO have is Ridgely and Gwynne's "Guide to the birds of Panama". I bought mine on Amazon. Like Glen said, the taxonomy has been changed for a few species. The site http://www.geocities.com/xenornis/ provides an update, if you really need it.
As far as the Gamboa Rainforest Resort goes, you will love it!! The place is quite spectacular, and the location is a heaven for birders: right next to the Canal, with National Park all around you. You will be literally overwhelmed by the opportunities for birding. Without too much effort, you should be able to spot dozens of bird species. With a good guide, a 100 species should be no problem at all.
I went to El Valle about 4 years ago, but only for a brief visit (no time for birding). As it is a very tiny village surrounded by forested hills, there should be some excellent birding though. A friend of mine spotted a rufous-crested coquette there recently, a bird that I'm eager to see.
San Blas should also be a good place for birding, although it might require some more effort than Gamboa for instance. You'll probably be staying on an island, so you can expect to see cormorants, sandpipers, gulls, frigatebirds, and even kingfishers without much trouble. Be sure to ask your Kuna guide to take you to a place with lots of birds. I stayed in Dolphin Island Resort (Uaguitupu) last December, the guys there will do anything for you. I believe they organise nature walks on the mainland too.
If you have any more questions, shoot! I'll be able to give you some more advice in September, as I'll be spending the entire month of August in Panama, and intend to finally take full advantage of birding opportunities there!!
Regards,
Cedric

Thanks folks,

I have the Stiles & Skutch and the Ridgeley. I also have the Wheatley Where to Watch Birds in Central America and the Caribbean book.

I now have to wait until December.

David