Itinerary

DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN PANAMA CITY

Welcome to Panama! Upon arrival at the airport we will meet you and transfer to your nearby hotel where you can get settled into your room and enjoy the tropical setting, and prepare for the upcoming days of birding in eastern Panama.  

DAY 2: COQUIRA SOIL PROJECT TO RIO PLATANARES

After breakfast, we will begin our journey into eastern Panama. This morning we will visit Coquira Soil Project, a regenerative farm working to conserve habitat and promote sustainable agricultural practices in eastern Panama. This morning, we will enjoy some birding on this lovely property, which offers a mix of forested trails, forest edge, riverbank, and open areas. Greater Ani, Bare-throated Tiger-Heron, Savanna Hawk, Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, and Red-breasted Meadowlark are some of the birds we may see this morning! 

After an early lunch on the terrace, we will drive to the port and embark in a motorboat on the calm waters of the Chepo River, then out into the Pacific Ocean, a journey of about 2 hours. Along the tranquil river, as we approach the community, we will scan the edges for kingfishers, herons, swallows, flycatchers, and other aquatic birds. We will receive a warm welcome by the Wounaan at Rio Platanares. We will finish the day with a delicious dinner prepared by the community cooks and a cultural presentation by the community. 

DAY 3: BIRDING AND CULTURE AT RIO PLATANARES

Today, we will enjoy a full day of birding and wildlife watching at Rio Platanares. Over 200 species of birds have been reported in this village. Gray-headed Chachalaca, Squirrel Cuckoo, Black-throated Mango, Gartered Trogon, Whooping Motmot, Red-lored Parrot, Cinnamon Becard, Crested Oropendola, and Crimson-backed Tanager can be seen in the open areas and forest edges around the community. We will explore some of the varied habitats here. There are also many bio-cultural points of interest along the 6-km Crested Eagle trail, where we hope to see Blue Cotinga, Long-tailed Tyrant, Golden-headed Manakin, and much more. This afternoon we will also have the opportunity to meet some of the community members and learn about the Wounaan culture.

DAY 4: TRAVEL TO PUERTO LARA

Before dawn, we will depart at high tide along the river out to the ocean once again. Along the way, we can scan the mangroves in the estuary for birds, crocodiles, and other nocturnal wildlife. We will enjoy a delicious organic breakfast at Coquira Soil Project and some early morning birding. From here, we will continue our trip further into eastern Panama, into Darien Province, and reach our next destination – the Wounaan community of Puerto Lara by mid-afternoon. We will settle in and get acquainted with our surroundings, and if time permits, enjoy some birding around the village. We will enjoy a meal of local foods in the community and prepare for tomorrow’s Christmas Bird Count. 

DAY 5: WOUNAAN BIRD COUNT

Today is the Wounaan Christmas Bird Count! The Christmas Bird Count tradition has been happening in Puerto Lara since 2018, where local guides and observers have been recording bird sightings on this day to contribute to the national and international data for this citizen science project. We will work in small teams with the local guides from the community’s bird groups to survey the different areas of the community and surrounding forests and trails. Little Tinamou, Pale-bellied Hermit, King Vulture, Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Golden-green Woodpecker, Red-throated Caracara, One-colored Becard, Red-breasted Meadowlark, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Orange-crowned Oriole, Black Oropendola, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, and Great Curassow are all possibilites. When we we finish, we will meet and tally our sightings. We will enjoy a well-deserved dinner together. For anyone interested, we can head out after dark in search of nocturnal birds and wildlife. 

DAY 6: DARIEN BIRDING AND RETURN TO PANAMA CITY

Today, we can spend the morning birding in Puerto Lara with our local guide, where we will seek out Red-throated Caracara, Crane Hawk, Black-tailed Trogon, Collared Aracari, among many others. We’ll give our thanks to the Puerto Lara community members and as we make our way back toward Panama City, continue to explore the best places along the Pan-American Highway to see eastern Panama’s spectacular birds and wildlife. Other regional specialties we can look for this morning include Rusty-winged Antwren, Black Antshrike, Russet-winged Schiffornis, Red-rumped Woodpecker, and raptors including Crested Caracara, Pearl Kite, and others. 

After lunch in Torti, where we will watch the hummingbird feeders for Black-throated Mango, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird and others, we will return to Panama City.

DAY 7: DEPARTURE

This morning you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast and some birding around the hotel grounds on your own. Then check out and take the complimentary airport shuttle to catch your return flight home. 

There is also an optional 3-day extension to venture deeper into Darien to seek out Panama’s National bird, the Harpy Eagle!