Western Panama - Chiriqui Highlands & Tranquilo Bay

Central America is just dripping with birds, and almost anywhere from Mexico to Panama can offer a delightful ecotourism experience. One relatively 'undiscovered' region is the west of Panama, close to the border with Costa Rica. The Chiriquí Highlands play host to a raft of fabulous specialities, including many species endemic to this border region, while the coastal forests and islands around the Bocas del Toro archipelago, on the Caribbean coast, have their own unique atmosphere. It adds up to one truly magical tour for the discerning birder.

After a night in Panama City, we fly west to David, the capital of Chiriqui province, from where we drive north for an hour to the mountains around Boquete, nestled on the eastern flank of the mighty Barú Volcano and a stronghold for the Resplendent Quetzal. The male is famous for its long, iridescent green tail, which is longest in the most desirable males. So incredible is the plumage that the Maya once used it as a form of high-value currency (and the quetzal is the modern currency of Guatemala). It is also said that the Aztec emperor Montezuma II invaded a neighbouring region just because of its high Quetzal population. Staying for two nights at the eco-friendly Finca Lerida, a shade-grown coffee plantation (where we’ll be able to taste the award-winning produce), we will enjoy looking for species such as Lesser Violetear, Volcano Hummingbird, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Flame-throated Warbler and Golden-crowned Warbler. A full day on the Pipeline Trail promises an array of species alongside Resplendent Quetzal, among them Yellowish Flycatcher, Mountain Elaenia, and regional endemics Black-cheeked Warbler, Dark Pewee, Black-faced Solitaire, White-throated Mountaingem, and Talamanca Hummingbird.

Another of the big draws is the Three-wattled Bellbird, famous for its clanging call (the closely related White Bellbird has the world's loudest bird call, which technically should deafen the caller!). It can be heard at least a kilometre away through the forest. These forests are full of Central American gems such as tanagers, euphonias, wrens and endless flycatchers, while there are those that always become firm favourites. Long-tailed Silky-flycatcher, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Red-legged Honeycreeper and Silvery-throated Tanager, to name but a few. The exciting tropical residents are joined by a host of North American migrants, especially the incomparable warblers, while a glance up into the sky may reveal passing raptors, perhaps even the lovely Swallow-tailed Kite. The streams are the home of American Dipper and Torrent Tyrannulet.

Closer to the Costa Rican border lies Mount Totumas Cloudforest Lodge. En route west, we call in at Birding Paradise, a small conservation venture with some star birds such as Orange-collared Manakin, Fiery-billed Aracari, Black-hooded Antshrike, Spot-crowned Euphonia, Chiriqui Foliage-gleaner and Riverside Wren. Next we have three nights at Mount Totumas, enjoying the lodge’s excellent hospitality and food, along with some high quality central American birding in the epiphyte-laden forest, with species such as Resplendent Quetzal, Three-wattled Bellbird, Black-faced Solitaire, Black Guan, Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Prong-billed Barbet, Yellow-winged Vireo, Flame-throated and Black-cheeked Warblers, Yellow-thighed Brushfinch and Chiriqui Quail-Dove, all of them highly localised.

The area is superb for hummingbirds, some of them near-endemics, such as White-throated, Fiery-throated and Talamanca Hummingbirds, Magenta Woodstar and both Striped-tailed and Snowy-bellied Hummingbirds. Others, such as Violet Sabrewing and Fork-tailed Woodnymph, are widespread but great entertainment, bold and dashing. This tour is perfect for those who could spend all day watching and photographing hummingbirds at feeders.

Our last location is a great contrast, as we swap the forested uplands for the sultry, tropical heat of Panama's Caribbean coastal lowlands. We take a 1-hour boat crossing to Bastimentos Island, part of an extensive national park comprising lowland coastal forest, mangroves, beaches and reefs. Here, we will enjoy five nights at Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge which offers comfortable, spacious cabins within the forest and deliciously prepared local meals. It is also a birding paradise, with more than 200 species on site and nearly 500 possible when we include off-site excursions. A great feature of Tranquilo Bay is a canopy tower in the lodge clearing that offers spellbinding views of the surrounding islands and fly-by Montezuma’s Oropendulas! During our stay at Tranquilo Bay, we will be on the lookout for Black-and-white Owl, Blue-throated Toucanet, Golden-collared Manakin, and Nicaraguan Seed-Finch, among many others. On nearby Isla Popa, we will be looking for one of the very few entirely white tropical birds, the Snowy Cotinga. The San San-Pond Sak wetlands might produce all six Neotropical kingfishers, plus Black-cowled Oriole and Great Potoo. Among other birds we look for during our stay are Chestnut-backed Antbird, Red-capped Manakin, Purple-crowned Fairy, Snowcap (one of the world's smallest hummingbirds), Mangrove Cuckoo, Lattice-tailed Trogon and Nicaraguan Seed-finch. Offshore we will scan for boobies and there will be at least one optional coral reef snorkelling session, as well as daily swimming/snorkelling from the dock for those who wish to do so.

This coastal area is especially good for other wildlife, and apart from the coral reef glory, we will look out for sloths, Crab-eating Raccoon, White-nosed Coati, Neotropical River Otter and West Indian Manatee. Nearby is Panama's only colony of Red-billed Tropicbirds, a suitably gorgeous species to look for towards the end of our holiday.