2021 Part 5: Panama

Back in the summer of 2019 Laura and I quit our jobs to fulfill a long-held dream of ours. We wanted to spend around 2 years traveling in Latin America. I have always loved Central and South America for a number of reasons, not least of all being the incredible biodiversity that can be found in this part of the world. We managed six months of travel in Ecuador, Colombia and Costa until COVID-19 put our travel plans indefinitely on hold. Finally, 18 months later, we resumed, and on September 22, 2021 we landed in Panama City.  A blast of tropical air met us at the airport - it was good to be back!

This was my third trip to Panama and so I had only a few bird targets. However, it was the first time that Laura had visited this country, though of course she had seen many of Panama's birds during previous adventures in South America and Costa Rica. I had never mothed in Panama before, and the herping possibilities are endless, so we were quite excited for those activities as well. 

We spent the first week or so in the Canal Zone, borrowing our friend Carlos's truck and checking out one of his company's lodges, the Canopy Tower, as well as spending some time in the town of Gamboa. 

From there we picked up a rental vehicle in Panama City and headed westwards to complete a big loop. We spent time in the western highland towns of Cerro Punta and Boquete, crossed the continental divide into Bocas del Toro, and targeted a few endemic bird species like Yellow-green Brushfinch and Coiba Spinetail. 

Upon our return to Panama City, we met up with local guide extraordinaire Kilo Campos for nine days in Darién Province. I had previously done the trek deep into the rainforest and up onto Pirre Ridge on a previous Panama visit in 2014. However, that trip was rushed and I still "needed" a few Darién birds like Green-naped Tanager and Beautiful Treerunner. A trek into the Darién is always a bit of a slog, doubly so this time around because it was the rainy season. But forgoing personal hygiene, sleeping in hammocks and dealing with the biting insects was worth it since we saw nearly every target bird of ours as well as some awesome herps. Mothing on Pirre ridge was one of the most incredible experiences I've ever had. Without further ado, here are some highlights from our six weeks in Panama, in chronological order.

Mississippi Kites flying past Panama City, Panama

White-nosed Coatimundi - Canopy Tower, Panama

Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher - Canopy Tower, Panama

Cinnamon Woodpecker - Canopy Tower, Panama

Blue-chested Hummingbird - Canopy Tower, Panama

Mastigodryas alternatus - Canopy Tower, Panama

Mantled Howler Monkey - Canopy Tower, Panama

Sylvia's Tree Frog (Cruziohyla sylviae) - Canopy Tower, Panama

Unidentified assassin bug - Canopy Tower, Panama

Mealy Parrots - Canopy Tower, Panama

Streak-chested Antpitta - Pipeline Road, Panama

Keel-billed Toucan - Canopy Tower, Panama

Panama Spotted Night Snake (Siphlophis cervinus) - Canopy Tower, Panama

Viviennea sp. - Canopy Tower, Panama

Common Morpho (Morpho helenor) - Pipeline Road, Panama

Spotted Antbird - Pipeline Road, Panama

Cycloglypha sp. - Canopy Tower, Panama

Unidentified leafhoppers - Canopy Tower, Panama

Hemeroblemma acron - Canopy Tower, Panama

Blue-crowned Manakin - Pipeline Road, Panama

Rosenberg's Gladiator Frog (Boana rosenbergi) - Canopy Tower, Panama

Barred Forest Racer (Dendrophidion percarinatum) - Canopy Tower, Panama

Unidentified Longhorn Beetle - Canopy Tower, Panama

Unidentified Window-winged Moth (Thyrididae) - Canopy Tower, Panama

Speckled Mourner - Pipeline Road, Panama

Golden-hooded Tanager - Gamboa, Panama

Red-crowned Woodpecker - Ciénaga de las Macanas, Herrera, Panama

American Dipper - Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama

Scintillant Hummingbird - Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama

Streak-breasted Treehunter - Boquete, Chiriquí, Panama

Fiery-billed Aracari - Paraíso Birding Paradise, Chiriquí, Panama

Scarlet-rumped Tanager - Paraíso Birding Paradise, Chiriquí, Panama

Fiery-billed Aracari - Paraíso Birding Paradise, Chiriquí, Panama

Bicolored Hawk - Lagunas de Volcán, Chiriquí, Panama

Roadside Hawk - Lagunas de Volcán, Chiriquí, Panama

Mesosemia grandis - Lagunas de Volcán, Chiriquí, Panama

Pseudatteria sp. - Lagunas de Volcán, Chiriquí, Panama

Widespread Eighty-eight (Diaethria clymena) - Lagunas de Volcán, Chiriquí, Panama

Costa Rican Pygmy-Owl - Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panama

Slaty Flowerpiercer - Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panama

Violet Sabrewing - Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, Panama

Dwarf Squirrel sp. (Microsciurus sp.) - La Fortuna area, Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama

Chestnut-backed Antbird baby - Charagre, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Enchophora sanguinea - Charagre, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Prothysana felderi - Charagre, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Ringed Snail Sucker (Sibon annulatus) - Charagre, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Helmeted Iguana (Corytophanes cristatus) - Charagre, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Trosia sp. - Charagre, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Ruddy Turn-banana - Changuinola, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Harlequin Treefrog (Dendropsophus ebraccatus) - Charagre, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Masked Treefrog (Smilisca phaeota) - Charagre, Bocas del Toro, Panama

Purple-throated Mountain-gems - La Fortuna area, Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama

Dusky Antbird - Lost and Found Hostel, Chiriquí, Panama

Yellow-green Brushfinch - Cerro Colorado area, Ngäbe-Buglé, Panama

Synchlora gerularia - Hotel Heliconia, Veraguas, Panama

Coiba Spinetail - Coiba Island, Veraguas, Panama

Lance-tailed Manakin - Coiba Island, Veraguas, Panama

Coiba Agouti - Coiba Island, Veraguas, Panama

Red-billed Tropicbird - waters near Coiba Island, Veraguas, Panama

Green Sea Turtle - Coiba Island, Veraguas, Panama

Proboscis Bats (Rhynchonycteris naso) - Hotel Heliconia, Veraguas, Panama

Collared Plover - Salinas de Aguadulce, Coclé, Panama

Anticla antica - Canopy Lodge, El Valle de Antón, Panama

Macunolla ventralis - Canopy Lodge, El Valle de Antón, Panama

Degenhardt's Scorpion-eating Snake (Stenorrhina degenhardtii) - El Valle de Antón, Panama

Ethmia adrianforsythi - Canopy Lodge, El Valle de Antón, Panama

Eucereon sp. - Canopy Lodge, El Valle de Antón, Panama

Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer - El Valle de Antón, Panama

Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch - El Valle de Anton, Panama

Carmine Skimmer (Orthemis discolor) - El Valle de Anton, Panama

Blue Seedeater - El Valle de Anton, Panama

Crowned Woodnymph - El Valle de Anton, Panama

Spot-crowned Antvireo - El Valle de Anton, Panama

Barred Puffbird - Río Tortí, Panama, Panama

Jabiru (second record for Darién province) - Yaviza forest, Darién, Panama

Dusky-backed Jacamar - Nuevo Vigía Emberá, Emberá, Panama

Phoneutria depilata - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Hyperphrona sp. - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Fer-de-lance (Bothrops asper) - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Watsonidia sp. - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Semiplumbeous Hawk - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Great Green Macaw - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Chinaia sp. - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Golden-crowned Spadebill - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Talima aurora - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Neotropical Green Anole (Anolis biporcatus)

Violaceous Quail-Dove - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Wing-banded Antbird - Rancho Plastico, Darién, Panama

Tody Motmot - between Rancho Plastico and Pirre Ridge, Darién, Panama

Ornate Hawk-Eagle - Pirre Ridge, Darién, Panama

Green-naped Tanager - Pirre Ridge, Darién, Panama

Eulepidotis viridissima - Pirre Ridge, Darién, Panama

Argyrosticta aurifundens - Pirre Ridge, Darién, Panama

Idalus sublineata - Pirre Ridge, Darién, Panama

Pirre Hummingbird - Pirre Ridge, Darién, Panama

Black-crowned Antpitta - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Urania fulgens - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Cookeina speciosa - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Central American Coralsnake (Micrurus nigrocinctus) - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Sosxetra sp. - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Fasciated Tiger-Herons - Rancho Frio, Darién, Panama

Crimson Patch (Chlosyne janais) - Yaviza forest, Darién, Panama

Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth () - Yaviza forest, Darién, Panama

Collared Aracari - Canopy Camp, Darién, Panama

Geoffroy's Tamarin - Canopy Camp, Darién, Panama

Long-billed Starthroat - Canopy Camp, Darién, Panama

Black-and-yellow Tanager - Nusagandi, Kuna Yala, Panama

Scarlet-thighed Dacnis - Nusagandi, Kuna Yala, Panama

Emerald Tanager - Nusagandi, Kuna Yala, Panama

Sulphur-rumped Tanager - Nusagandi, Kuna Yala, Panama

Broad-billed Motmot - Canopy Tower, Panama, Panama

Dithecodes distracta - Altos del Maria, Panama, Panama

Swainson's Thrush - Altos del Maria, Panama, Panama

Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa) - Altos del Maria, Panama, Panama