Panama: Fall at El Valle's Canopy Lodge 10/5/2025-10/12/2025

https://ebird.org/tripreport/417427

Our Panama: Fall at El Valle’s Canopy Lodge tour was an incredible sensory experience. Every day was filled with exciting birding moments among varied landscapes and beautiful scenery, topped with great food at the Canopy Lodge, our beautiful home-sweet-home for the tour. The staff at the Canopy Lodge took wonderful care of us during our visit. There is much to write about!

At sunrise on our first morning, we started off birding the grounds around the hotel, right along the Panama Canal. While leisurely walking around we found ourselves looking at Clay-colored Thrushes bouncing on the lawn while Yellow-crowned Amazons kept watch from the hotel roof. Both male and female Variable Seedeaters shuffled around the nearby fences. Among Pale-vented Pigeons we picked out a locally-rare Eurasian Collared Dove, not typically on the birding radar for the tour. Magnificent Frigatebirds and Brown Pelicans were gently drifting over the canal. It was a beautiful start to the day—and the trip!

Upon arriving at the Canopy Lodge we met Tino, our fantastic guide for the days ahead and a dear friend from past tours at the lodge. From birds to butterflies, we were in great hands. After a tasty lunch and some views of a White-tipped Sicklebill by our rooms, we took a walk up the road, where we enjoyed views of exciting birds like a gorgeous Cocoa Woodcreeper, two dapper Bay-headed Tanagers, Blue-chested Hummingbirds, and even a Black-billed Cuckoo (an uncommon sight to see)! Collared Aracaris and a Keel-billed Toucan kept watch from the treetops. A wonderful dinner had us resting up for the upcoming day’s adventures!

Part of the common area and birdfeeder-viewing area at the Canopy Lodge ©  Erik Bruhnke

Keel-billed Toucan, looking dapper as ever. It was fun to hear and see them throughout the tour!  © Erik Bruhnke

The next morning we birded locally, starting with nearby Las Minas where we sampled some exciting cloud forest specialties. After lunch we ended the day in the wooded expanses of Cara Iguana, with more treats to come. It was fun to bird all within a short drive of the lodge that day. In the morning hours we had great scope views of both Slaty-tailed Trogon and Collared Trogon, each beautiful in its own way. A Northern Plain-Xenops was seen scooching down a little vine as they do, and a total of seven species of tanagers were seen! Point-blank views of Tawny-crested and Silver-throated tanagers stole the show. No fewer than five Blackburnian Warblers flitted in the canopy overhead, as both a Golden-winged and Canada warbler skulked below. Cara Iguana was full of highlights too, as we took the light walk downhill among the corridor of green. An elusive Rosy Thrush-Tanager’s song was heard, and the bird was briefly seen by some. A Panama Flycatcher sang out in the open, and a beautiful Lineated Woodpecker was seen through the scope as our first day concluded. What a fun day!

Silver-throated Tanager ©  Erik Bruhnke

The next day we made our way to Altos del Maria, one of two days exploring this unique region for cloud forest specialists. As we left town, we enjoyed a nice comparison view of Gray-breasted Martins and Blue-and-white Swallows roosting together. Our day in the cloud forest was magical. From the start we enjoyed views of amazing birds like two different Northern Emerald-Toucanets, a chatty flock of Common Chlorospingus, a delightfully tiny Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, and many more. As we made our way to our lunch stop, two stunning White Hawks were soaring over our heads. It was a magical moment to gaze upwards and enjoy their beauty. Two Mountain Elaenias were seen just before the picnic, a species often found a bit west of the tour and a lifer for all (except Tino)! Golden-hooded Tanagers welcomed us to the picnic area. A walk through the Biodiversity Trail afterwards was captivating. It was a treat to walk through this old-growth stand of cloud forest . . . deep breaths and solitude among ancient trees. The tranquility of the river and massive trees was fantastic. We enjoyed birds like Dull-mantled Antbird and Spotted Barbtail among the beautiful curtains of green. When we got back to the lodge that evening, a beautiful Rufous Motmot was enjoying the feast of fresh fruit served for the birds. A Tropical Screech-Owl called nearby later that night.

Another delicious Canopy Lodge breakfast fueled our day for new landscapes; this time we birded our way into and through the lowlands and along the beach. On our first stop of the morning, with patience and careful focus, we set our views on a Wedge-tailed Grass-Finch, a specialist of the grassy hills. As the morning continued, we saw a male Lance-tailed Manakin, Gray-headed Kite, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and even a Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl! We scored some House Sparrows that live around the gas station we visit for a bathroom break (it’s the main chance to see them throughout the travels on our tour and a fun game to look for them). Elusive Crested Bobwhites were seen well as the morning progressed. Nice comparisons of Crested and Yellow-headed caracaras ensued in the lowlands. At one point several Lesser Yellow-headed Vultures were soaring nearby, including one right over our heads! It was a thrilling morning. We spent some time enjoying the beach scene and did some local birding before a fresh-made lunch, with some of the birds observed including up-close Magnificent Frigatebirds, two distant Cocos Boobies through the scope, and Willet and Sanderlings on the beach, to name a few. Away from the beach we had Barred Antshrike and Rufous-browed Peppershrike. We ended the day with another Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl and a tree-like Common Potoo!

One of several Crested Bobwhites on a mission! ©  Erik Bruhnke

Common Potoo, one with the trees ©  Erik Bruhnke

On our last full day of field birding, we made our way back to the hills of Altos del Maria. The day started off with Hepatic Tanagers and Snowcaps diving at a Merlin perched among the mountaintops; it was wild. Later in the day we enjoyed both Tawny-capped and White-vented euphonias, as well as several more Collared Trogons! Before lunch we enjoyed a tiny Spotted Barbtail and the rare and large Brown-billed Scythebill! In the afternoon we saw six species of beautiful hummingbirds at our friend Kathy’s yard, attracting them with fresh hummingbird food. The up-close views were incredible—we could see the pink feet of the Bronze-tailed Plumeleteers! The massive Green-crowned Brilliants stole the show at times, and the flashy Green Hermit was speedy as ever. On our way back to the lodge we saw two tiny and remarkable Tody Motmots!

Green-crowned Brilliant—what a hummingbird! ©  Erik Bruhnke

Birding in the wild cloud forest is magical ©  Erik Bruhnke

It was a joy to spend dinner and time after dinner with Raúl and Denise Arias (the founder of the Canopy Family and his wife), both a pleasure to connect with. We were treated to viewing a special clip of the 25^th anniversary of the Canopy Family, while all of us gathered around a presentation screen in the lodge’s common area.

The last day of our trip came too soon. The rain that morning was no match for having a great time in the nearby town of Mata Ahogado. While viewing an impressive birdfeeder setup (while we had chairs and a roof over our heads), we enjoyed birds like Lesson’s Motmot, Black-striped Sparrow, and six tanager species, which included our first looks at White-lined Tanagers. It was fun to study the Red-legged Honeycreepers, and by the end of the morning we had seen the three possible species of saltator from this one area (Buff-throated, Black-headed, and Streaked). A Lesson's Motmot complemented the excitement. After heartfelt goodbyes to the staff at Canopy Lodge, we made our way back to Panama City, where an impressive movement of Fork-tailed Flycatchers migrated right over our hotel.

Lesson's Motmot and Plain-colored Tanager on our last morning ©  Erik Bruhnke

A big thank you goes out to the entire Canopy Lodge staff (the drivers, cooks, room service, and guides) for making our time as memorable as it was. It was awesome to bird with Tino again. We had so much fun every day of this trip. I am already looking forward to going back in January to continue the long-going tradition of VENT and the Canopy Family working together for these exciting tours!

A complete list of the birds recorded on our tour can be found at: https://ebird.org/tripreport/417427

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Erik Bruhnke's upcoming tour schedule.