Birding Pipeline Road

Before I left home I had spent a happy few hours scanning ebird hotspots and looking at some of the places I might visit. A rash of red spots crossing the central Panama belt caught my attention and led me to investigate Pipeline Road. An area close to Panama City but rich in resident and migrant bird species. So what was it like to visit it in real life?

We booked two mornings with the fantastic guide Luis (+507 6471 8233, birdingexoticpanama@outlook.com).

Ammo Dump Ponds

We started out at 6am and were birding at Ammo Dump Ponds, thirty minutes later. Before we had left the car I had my first lifer – Wattled Jacana – and the tree tops hosted lots of small birds coming and going including Grey Kingbird and Streaked Flycatcher.

We soon added Panama Flycatcher. A Rufescent Tiger Heron was displaying in a nearby tree which (literally) pointed to the female higher up. Another lifer was a Striated Heron which flew into the nearby ponds. Two species of Ani were both new too. After months with the Groove-billed it was great to add Smooth-billed and Greater Ani to our life lists. Not a new bird but it was lovely to watch a Lineated Woodpecker at the nest hole.

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Pipeline Road

Moving on we entered Pipeline Road proper and stopped to look for a Slaty Tailed Trogon at a nest site which sadly seemed to be abandoned. We did however have excellent views of a Whooping Motmot pair which patiently allowed a range of photos capturing their impressive eyebrow and piercing red eye. Further along the road we found a Cinnamon Woodpecker and Black-Breasted Puffbird both lifers.

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Rainforest Discovery Centre

After a bit of a drive we came to the Rainforest Discovery Centre and its impressive 174 step canopy tower. All day we had noticed hundreds of Eastern Kingbirds on migration and from the tower we could see several taking a break in the top of the Canopy. We had distant scope views of a Blue Cotinga but also saw a Black-Hawk Eagle and Scaled Pigeon and Slate-Coloured Grossbeak. Back in the forest we had close views of a Broad-Billed Motmot whilst Luis hunted down a roosting spot of the Choco Screech Owl.

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Day 2 – Ammo Dump

The next day we returned to Ammo Dump as there were a couple of birds we still wanted that could be found here. Rusty-Margined Flycatcher, Isthmian Wren and Lesser Kiskadee were all added along with the unexpected Purple Martin flying with other Martins and Swallows.

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Pipeline Road

Back to Pipeline Road we had a longer walk this time. We had our first sighting of Great Tinamou (have heard many) and saw Rufous Mourner and Song Wren well. But two birds above all others were the highlight of this walk. First a roosting Common Potoo which our guide kindly allowed us to search for once in the right spot looking for a fluffy tree stump. It even opened its eyes and stared at us showing its dinner plate owl like eyes. This is a bird we have heard on several night walks giving its “child recorder recital” like song.

The next bird which stood out was the beautiful Pheasant Cuckoo whose body seemed far to large for its tiny head.

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Summit Ponds

Lastly we visited Summit Ponds on the Old Gamboa Road. The best birds here included Jet Antbird, Slate-Coloured Seedeater and White-Winged Becard.

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Two great days birding around Panama City with Luis which took my Panama list with a total of 56 lifers. Altogether in Panama (including Bocas del Toro) I saw 185 birds including 69 lifers and 31 photo-lifers. Our total for the trip since 1 January is now 657 as we head to Colombia!