It goes without saying that birds are what brought us together here at Whitehawk. From our individual backgrounds as bird enthusiasts, educators and field biologists, we all met because of birds. We worked together on various bird conservation projects in Central America long before Whitehawk was formed. Though we were all originally drawn to birds for different reasons – their beauty, their ability to fly, and their unique biology and amazing behaviors, we all had the same goal in mind: help conserve the world’s avifauna and wildlife. That is why we built Whitehawk Birding and Conservation!
But we are not exclusive to birds. In fact, we love all things nature! Mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fungi and plants of many kinds are all seen and enjoyed on our tours. When we began in 2011 we offered exclusively birding tours, but have since expanded and now offer tours that include a focus on mammals such as our India: Birding & Tigers tour, and our India: In Search of the Elusive Snow Leopard tour, both which offer the excitement of seeing many amazing large mammals while also enjoying the plethora of bird species that share the landscape with these amazing cats – truly a spectacular experience!
A New Nature Focus for Whitehawk: Butterflies
In 2018, we welcomed biologist and naturalist Jenn Sinasac on board our team. Jenn has been a long-time friend and past field colleague on bird conservation projects in Panama and Belize and brings a new facet to our combined knowledge base: butterflies & skippers. In addition to her passion for birds, Jenn has focused on Panama’s diurnal lepidopterans over the past several years. She is familiar with hundreds of species and is always learning more about their biology and distribution in Panama. With Jenn’s expertise in this area, we are excited to introduce a new tour combining these two winged wonders: Panama Birds & Butterflies nature tour.
Birds and Butterflies: Harmony in Nature
For nature enthusiasts, birds and butterflies complement each other very well. First thing, they both have the amazing ability to fly and have adapted to a great diversity of environments. For those interested in learning species’ names and identifying everything they see, both birds and butterflies offer that opportunity. Field guides are readily available for both inPanama/Central America, and many birders are taking on the new challenge of learning the resident butterflies in this region. Birds and butterflies also complement each other when it comes to peak activity time. In general, birds tend to be most active early and then again later in the day, while many species of butterflies like the hottest, sunniest part of the day to forage. Therefore, there is always something flying to delight our eyes and our souls.
Butterflying in the Tropics: Where to Start
Just like with birds, there is no need to have any experience when it comes to enjoying butterflies in the field. You do not need to know even one species! Over 1,800 species of butterflies and skippers are found in Panama. They are indeed plentiful, and we’ll admit, even a little intimidating! But once you start to familiarize yourself with the main groups of butterflies, and, with help from a local guide, begin to notice the different wing patterns, shapes and sizes you will start to see and recognize some common species over and over again. Don’t be surprised to find yourself wanting to see more and more! The pace of a Butterfly tour is slow, even slower than a birding pace. Watching butterflies can even be calmingly therapeutic, good for our minds and our souls, similar to what you can experience on our ornitherapy tours.
Panama Birds and Butterflies Tour
It is time! We are introducing our Panama: Birds and Butterflies nature tour because we want to get out and enjoy birds, and other winged creatures too! With Jenn and Edwin as our guides, we can ensure you a fantastic experience exploring Panama’s winged creatures – birds and butterflies! Our first tour will run September 4-13, 2020, so consider joining us for this fun, educative and exceptional nature-filled tour! Contact us for more details.
Looking for more about Panama’s butterflies? Check out some of our favorite butterfly websites, Neotropical Butterflies and Butterflies of America.
