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A canopy lover, the Green-Shrike Vireo is notoriously difficult to see. We were so fortunate to see one up close where we could admire its beautiful, bright green plumage and serious, hook-tipped bill. (Photo by guide Lena Senko)

Since its inception in 1999, the Canopy Tower has gained worldwide fame for its proximity to some of the best birding hotspots in the country. Situated within the 55,000-acre Soberania National Park in central Panama, it is the ideal launching-off point for birders wishing to explore its diverse surroundings, which are home to some 525 species of birds and 105 species of mammals.

On this trip, we sampled a good chunk of this diversity and delighted in the common as well as the unexpected species that came our way. A beautiful Black Hawk-Eagle greeted us on our first day, soaring and calling right over the entrance road to the Canopy Tower -- a wonderful road for spotting White-whiskered and Black-chested puffbirds, Rufous and Broad-billed motmots, and a host of antbirds, antwrens, and woodcreepers. From the scenic upper story of the tower itself, we watched a slow, feeding Brown-throated Three-Toed Sloth while the treetops came alive with tanagers, tityras, warblers, and toucans.

A nearby birding hotspot, Ammo Pond, is a haven for Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Yellow-tailed Oriole, and Barred Antshrike. We admired these striking species while studying differences between the similar-looking Great Kiskadee, Boat-billed, Rusty-margined, and Social flycatchers. What's birding without a healthy flycatcher challenge, huh? We also observed two nests of Black-throated Mangos, one of which contained a couple of cute chicks. A visit to another birdy location, Summit Pond, yielded four species of kingfishers, including the teeny and tough-to-find American Pygmy Kingfisher. Nesting Boat-billed Herons were fun to watch as they clambered about on giant palm fronds, and we were in for quite a treat when we saw the rare and gorgeous Agami Heron and later Spectacled Owl!

A bird no one forgets on this tour is the dazzling male Blue Cotinga. Recently, a new observation tower was built near the start of the famous Pipeline Road, and it is the perfect perch from which to observe the canopy-loving cotinga, Collared Forest-Falcon, White-winged Becard, Yellow-backed Oriole, and Blue Dacnis, to name a few. The Pipeline Road itself is, of course, sensational. Many difficult goodies dwell along its track, including Spot-crowned Antshrike, Gray Elaenia, Great Tinamou, and four trogon species. Great Jacamar, Black-striped Woodcreeper, Speckled Mourner, and Streak-chested Antpitta were nice finds, too.

Other highlights included a Common Potoo on a day roost and a night drive where we saw not one, not two, but five Kinkajous, along with opossums, a Common Pauraque, and even a surprise Crested Owl (that was something!). Aside from the birds, there were many other enjoyments to be had, such as the cool, refreshing breeze up on the Canopy Tower and the sun-ripened sweetness of abundant papayas, melons, and pineapples. A trip to central Panama would not be complete without a visit to the Panama Canal, where we absorbed the history of this monumental human achievement and watched a giant cargo ship pass through the locks.

We owe heaping thanks to the Canopy Tower staff for their fantastic hospitality and to our incredibly keen local guide, Alexis Sanchez. Thanks also to each one of you for your lively energy and enthusiasm…John and I look forward to seeing you again down the road!

In the words of the Whooping Motmot…

"Whoop-whoop!"

--Lena

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

MAMMAL ADDITION:

Pallas's long-tongued bat (Glossophaga soricina) -- According to Alexis, this is the common bat species seen flitting about in the Canopy Tower. It is also the one we saw hanging from the tip of a branch at Summit Pond.

REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS

Canopy Lizard (Polychrus) -- A.k.a. Berthold's Bush Anole. Seen, appropriately, in the canopy on the first day. An exciting find, since this long-tailed species is uncommon and is hardly ever seen due to its height-loving habits.

Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) -- Seen lounging on the limbs at Ammo Pond.

Common Basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus) -- Colloquially called the Jesus Christ Lizard for its ability to run on the surface of the water. We saw a nice male on the grounds of the Gamboa Rainforest Resort.

Leaf Toad species -- There are numerous species of these small toads (leaf toads) in the Neotropics. They all have in common the superficial resemblance to a dead leaf on the ground, often with a white streak down the back.

BUTTERFLIES: There are hundreds of species in the vicinity of Canopy Tower. Our attention was mainly focused on the birds, hence this short list. Here are a few that were identified with certainty:

Many-banded Daggerwing (Marpesia chiron)

Banded Peacock (Papilio crino) -- Extremely common.

Orion Cecropian (Historis odius) -- A type of Leafwing butterfly.

Cramer’s Scarlet-eye (Nascus broteas) -- Female on the window at the Canopy Tower.

Totals for the tour: 224 bird taxa and 14 mammal taxa