Panama Pipeline Bird Tours

06/05/2020

With total lockdown still in place in Panama and no access to the Jungle, we've been looking back at our best records from Soberania National Park over the past year...
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2020/05/06/top-sightings-2019-2020/

With total lockdown still in place in Panama and no access to the Jungle, we’ve been looking back at our best records from Soberania National Park over the past year…

10/04/2020

With strict lockdown measures here in Panama, and national parks closed to the public, birding opportunities are currently somewhat reduced. However, when you live in a town as beautiful as Gamboa surrounded by rainforest and incredible biodiversity, the birds will often come to you. Here are a few shots taken from our garden in Gamboa.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2020/04/10/lockdown-birding/

With strict lockdown measures here in Panama, and national parks closed to the public, birding opportunities are currently somewhat reduced. However, when you live in a town as beautiful as Gamboa…

10/03/2020

The Pipeline Road Jacamar has been showing very well recently and this morning it was perched particularly low in the understory. Despite being the largest member of the Jacamar family, Great Jacamars can often be difficult to find due to their habit of sitting still for long periods of time waiting for prey to pass them. This male bird used its hunting perch for around an hour catching many passing insects.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2020/03/10/great-jacamar-10-03-2020/

The Pipeline Road Jacamar has been showing very well recently and this morning it was perched particularly low in the understory. Despite being the largest member of the Jacamar family, Great Jaca…

10/01/2020

Birds and Wildlife

10/01/2020

07/01/2020

A rare treat this morning as we got some great views of a family of Jaguarundi's on Pipeline Road. This female was first spotted crossing the trail but when she heard us, she turned and disappeared back into the jungle - suggesting she had something to go back for. We only had to hide in the undergrowth for a few minutes to find out what it was. She timidly crossed the trail again only this time with two small kittens following closely behind.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2020/01/07/jaguarundi-family-on-pipeline-road-07-01-2020/

A rare treat this morning as we got some great views of a family of Jaguarundi’s on Pipeline Road. This female was first spotted crossing the trail but when she heard us, she turned and disa…

03/01/2020

Fantastic birding trip to Boquete in Chiriqui province this holiday season with loads of montane species recorded. Highlights from the trip included Prong-billed Barbet, Northern Emerald-Toucanet, Black-and-White Becard and the aptly named Resplendent Quetzal (see slideshow below). Resplendent Quetzals are the largest of 39 species within the Trogon family, and this region is the best place to find them in Panama.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2020/01/03/boquete/

Fantastic birding trip to Boquete in Chiriqui province this holiday season with loads of montane species recorded. Highlights from the trip included Prong-billed Barbet, Northern Emerald-Toucanet,…

17/12/2019

Nice views of a Crane Hawk today hunting in jungle edge habitat in Gamboa, Panama. Although they will actively hunt a wide variety of prey, these raptors have a special adaptation which allows them to exploit a niche here in the neotropics. Crane Hawks have exceptionally long legs, with double-jointed tarsal bones which allow the legs to bend both ways. They are therefore able to reach deep inside tree-holes and cervices in order to sn**ch nesting birds and other vertebrate prey.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/12/17/crane-hawk-17-12-2019/

Nice views of a Crane Hawk today hunting in jungle edge habitat in Gamboa, Panama. Although they will actively hunt a wide variety of prey, these raptors have a special adaptation which allows the…

27/11/2019

Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrants have been recorded a few times recently on Pipeline Road and this morning we found the site where they are building a nest. This tiny flycatcher - 6.5 cm long and weighing just over 5 g - is the smallest songbird in Central America and amongst the smallest in the world.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/11/27/black-capped-pygmy-tyrants-27-11-2019/

Black-capped Pygmy-Tyrants have been recorded a few times recently on Pipeline Road and this morning we found the site where they are building a nest. This tiny flycatcher – 6.5 cm long and …

30/10/2019

A fantastic walk around Gamboa town and trails this morning produced over 80 birds species with a nice mixture of migratory and resident birds recorded. Migratory birds included two Yellow-billed …

30/10/2019

Gamboa Town – 29/10/2019
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/10/30/gamboa-town-29-10-2019-2/

Reblogged on WordPress.com

15/10/2019

A great morning for migrants today with large flocks of Swainson's Hawk and Common Nighthawk seen flying over Soberania on southward migration. Top twitch of the day was this Black-billed Cuckoo on route to South America, which is a rare sighting in Panama particularly in the jungle habitat of Pipeline Road.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/10/15/black-billed-cuckoo-on-pipeline-15-10-19/

A great morning for migrants today with large flocks of Swainson’s Hawk and Common Nighthawk seen flying over Soberania on southward migration. Top twitch of the day was this Black-billed Cu…

14/10/2019

The pair of Spectacled Owls have returned to roosting in the understory of the Old Gamboa Road trail, affording very good views of both birds. Other species recorded from the trail this weekend included Yellow-green Tyrannulet, Great Antshrike and Rufous-and-white Wren.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/10/14/owls-back-on-old-gamboa-road/

The pair of Spectacled Owls have returned to roosting in the understory of the Old Gamboa Road trail, affording very good views of both birds. Other species recorded from the trail this weekend in…

02/10/2019

Not a huge number of animals filmed on the trailcam this week, but we did get our first video footage of a Jaguarundi on Pipeline Road. These small elusive cats are always uniformly coloured but vary across their broad range from Texas to Argentina. They tend to be darker / black in rainforest biomes (like this one) and a lighter rufous grey in more open and montane habitats.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/10/02/jaguarundi-on-pipeline-road-trailcam/

Not a huge number of animals filmed on the trailcam this week, but we did get our first video footage of a Jaguarundi on Pipeline Road. These small elusive cats are always uniformly coloured but v…

11/09/2019

This Yellow-headed Caracara may look like it has bitten off more than it can chew - and although some smaller rodents may be on its menu, this 50kg Capybara barely noticed the bird landing on its back. These falcons are known for taking ticks and parasites from large mammals including cattle and three-toed sloths and are known as 'tickbirds' in some parts of South America. [ 59 more words ]
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/09/11/eyes-bigger-than-your-stomach/

This Yellow-headed Caracara may look like it has bitten off more than it can chew – and although some smaller rodents may be on its menu, this 50kg Capybara barely noticed the bird landing on…

29/08/2019

Gamboa's Spectacled Owls have been showing off their baby this week. The lone chick recently left the nest hole to explore the surrounding branches of the tree. It will likely remain within the tree canopy for several months receiving food from the parents before fledging fully and exploring more of Gamboa and the surrounding rainforest.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/08/29/spectacled-owls-29-08-2019/

Gamboa’s Spectacled Owls have been showing off their baby this week. The lone chick recently left the nest hole to explore the surrounding branches of the tree. It will likely remain within…

22/08/2019

22/08/2019

Female Great Curassow

21/08/2019

No Ocelot this week, but a pair of Great Curassow were filmed on our trail cam foraging along a stream on Pipeline Road. Males can grow close to 100cm in height and 5kg in weight, making these birds the largest in the Cracid family. Great Currasow are highly elusive in Panama due to hunting and habitat loss and despite a broad range from Mexico to Ecuador; they are rated as 'vulnerable' on the IUCN red list.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/08/21/great-curassow-on-trail-cam/

No Ocelot this week, but a pair of Great Curassow were filmed on our trail cam foraging along a stream on Pipeline Road. Males can grow close to 100cm in height and 5kg in weight, making these bir…

12/08/2019

Some great views of mammals this week with lots of sloth and monkey activity and a few appearances from the Tamandua anteaters.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/08/12/mammals-12-08-2019/

Some great views of mammals this week with lots of sloth and monkey activity and a few appearances from the Tamandua anteaters.

11/07/2019

We've had some great views of raptors recently in the Soberania area, with Hook-billed Kite, Slaty-backed Forest-falcon and Semiplumbeous Hawk (slideshow below) all seen from Pipeline Road in the last week.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/07/11/recent-raptors/

We’ve had some great views of raptors recently in the Soberania area, with Hook-billed Kite, Slaty-backed Forest-falcon and Semiplumbeous Hawk (slideshow below) all seen from Pipeline Road in…

01/07/2019

A family of rare Green-and Rufous Kingfisher have been using the streams on El Charco trail in Soberania National Park this week.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/07/01/green-and-rufous-kingfishers-30-06-2019/

A family of rare Green-and Rufous Kingfisher have been using the streams on El Charco trail in Soberania National Park this week.

27/06/2019

Two Least Bittern were spotted this morning foraging on the ammo-dump ponds in Gamboa. These secretive birds are the smallest member of the heron family found in the Americas.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/06/27/least-bittern-27-06-2019/

Two Least Bittern were spotted this morning foraging on the ammo-dump ponds in Gamboa. These secretive birds are the smallest member of the heron family found in the Americas.  

12/06/2019

The three species of Manakin (Pipridae) regularly spotted on Pipeline Road are the Red-capped Manakin, Golden-collared Manakin and the Blue-crowned Manakin (pictured below). As the names suggest, the male birds exhibit distinctive bright coloration and are renowned for their elaborate mating displays and dances. The females however are all very drab - varying from green to olive in colouration. [ 51 more words ]
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/06/12/manakins-of-pipeline-road/

The three species of Manakin (Pipridae) regularly spotted on Pipeline Road are the Red-capped Manakin, Golden-collared Manakin and the Blue-crowned Manakin (pictured below). As the names suggest, …

23/05/2019

23/05/2019

22/05/2019

It was a busy week for our trailcam with hundreds of wildlife videos captured. The pick of the bunch was this female Ocelot out on a nocturnal hunting trip and coming in for a close-up.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/05/22/ocelot-on-pipeline-road/

It was a busy week for our trailcam with hundreds of wildlife videos captured. The pick of the bunch was this female Ocelot out on a nocturnal hunting trip and coming in for a close-up.

02/05/2019

Nice stop-off yesterday at Playa Bonita with plenty of seabirds and waders present at low tide. The highlight was a rare wintering Merlin chasing shorebirds across the bay. Amongst the herons were numerous wading birds including Black-bellied Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, American Oystercatcher, Semipalmated Plover, Willet, Ruddy Turnstone and Whimbrel.
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/05/02/playa-bonita-01-05-19/

Nice stop-off yesterday at Playa Bonita with plenty of seabirds and waders present at low tide. The highlight was a rare wintering Merlin chasing shorebirds across the bay. Amongst the herons wer…

27/03/2019

Over the last week we have observed several large flocks of vultures and hawks passing over Soberania National Park. These kettles of Turkey Vulture, Swainson's Hawk and Broad-winged Hawk are currently on northerly migration, returning to their North-American breeding grounds. This spring migration does not form such a spectacle as the infamous southerly autumn raptor migration. This is because spring raptors returning north follow a route on the Caribbean slope, rather than the southerly migration on the Pacific slope which can be seen by many people from Panama City. [ 26 more words ]
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/03/27/reverse-raptor-migration/

Over the last week we have observed several large flocks of vultures and hawks passing over Soberania National Park. These kettles of Turkey Vulture, Swainson’s Hawk and Broad-winged Hawk ar…

15/03/2019

The Puffbirds (Bucconidae) are a family of 35 bird species found exclusively in the Americas with eight species occurring in Panama. Four of these species (pictured below) can regularly be spotted from Pipeline Road. The name is derived from their ‘puffy’ plumage and short tails which gives them an overall short and stocky appearance. Puffbirds sit and wait on exposed perches for long periods of time until an insect prey item passes by, often affording good views whilst birdwatching. 42 more words [ 32 more words ]
http://panamapipelinebirdtours.com/2019/03/15/puffbirds-of-pipeline-road/

The Puffbirds (Bucconidae) are a family of 35 bird species found exclusively in the Americas with eight species occurring in Panama. Four of these species (pictured below) can regularly be spotted…