28 February - 9 March 1998
by Richard Wallace
I recently returned from a trip to the Cana/Cerro Pirre area of Darien National Park in Panama. The trip was lasted from February 28 through March 9th. The first and last days were spent in Panama City, the rest in Darien.
The Cana camp in Darien is a former mining settlement, unused for such purposes since the beginning of the century, and largely reverted to now-mature forest. The camp is now run by Ancon, the Panamanian conservation organization, and the facilities, though rustic, were wonderful. On our first day, for example, we saw roughly 80 species of birds from the camp clearing, in the few hours we had between our arrival and sundown. From the camp, several trails head off into the surrounding forests. Both the clearing and trails were fantastically birdy. A true life experience for those who visit - even those, unlike myself, who had extensive neotropical birding experience prior to the trip.
The formal list is in family groupings. I will, as I have in past, limit myself to listing species without other, extraneous details. If you are interested in what we did each day, what the trails looked like, what we ate, who we were with, etc., etc., please e-mail me and I'll be happy to provide further details.
Personal highlights for this trip (other than the general amazement of so many new species and a few new families for this neotropical ed pigeon
Ruddy Pigeon
Plumbeous Pigeon (H)
White-tipped Dove
Violaceous Quail-dove
Blue-and-yellow Macaw
Great Green Macaw
Red-and-green Macaw
Chestnut-fronted Macaw
Orange-chinned Parakeet
Brown-hooded Parrot
Saffron-headed Parrot
Blue-headed Parrot
Mealy Parrot
Squirrel Cuckoo
Little Cuckoo
Smooth-billed Ani
Variable Screech-owl (H)
Mottled Owl (H)
Great Potoo (H)
Common Potoo
Pauraque
White-collared Swift
Band-rumped Swift
Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
Green Hermit
Long-tailed Hermit
Little Hermit
Tooth-billed Hummingbird
White-necked Jacobin
Violet-headed Hummingbird
Rufous-crested Coquette
Green Thorntail
Green-crowned Woodnymph
Violet-bellied Hummingbird
Rufous-cheeked Hummingbird (E)
Blue-chested Hummingbird
Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
White-vented Plumeleteer
Green-crowned Brilliant
Greenish Puffleg
Purple-crowned Fairy
Long-billed Starthroat
Slaty-tailed Trogon
Black-tailed Trogon
White-tailed Trogon
Collared Trogon
Black-throated Trogon
Violaceous Trogon
Broad-billed Motmot
Rufous Motmot (H)
Dusky-backed Jacamar
Great Jacamar
White-necked Puffbird
Black-breasted Puffbird
Pied Puffbird
Barred Puffbird
White-whiskered Puffbird
Gray-cheeked Nunlet
White-fronted Nunbird
Spot-crowned Barbet
Red-headed Barbet
Emerald Toucanet
Collared Aracari
Yellow-eared Toucanet
Keel-billed Toucan
Chestnut-mandibled Toucan
Olivaceous Piculet
Black-cheeked Woodpecker
Red-rumped Woodpecker
Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker (E)
Cinnamon Woodpecker
Lineated Woodpecker
Crimson-bellied Woodpecker (H)
Crimson-crested Woodpecker
Plain-brown Woodcreeper
Olivaceous Woodcreeper
Barred Woodcreeper
Buff-throated Woodcreeper
Black-striped Woodcreeper
Spotted Woodcreeper
Streak-headed Woodcreeper
Red-billed Scythebill
Slaty Spinetail
Double-banded Graytail
Beautiful Treerunner (E)
Lineated Foliage-gleaner
Slaty-winged Foliage-gleaner
Buff-throated Foliage-gleaner
Tawny-throated Leaftosser
Plain Xenops
Fasciated Antshrike
Great Antshrike
Western Slaty-antshrike
Plain Antvireo
Streaked Antwren
Checker-throated Antwren
White-flanked Antwren
Slaty Antwren
Rufous-winged Antwren
Dot-winged Antwren
Dusky Antbird
Jet Antbird
Chestnut-backed Antbird
Dull-mantled Antbird
Immaculate Antbird
Bicolored Antbird
Spotted Antbird
Ocellated Antbird
Rufous-breasted Antthrush (H)
Black-crowned Antpitta
Fulvous-bellied Antpitta (H)
Ochre-breasted Antpitta
Narino Tapaculo (H)
Speckled Mourner
Rufous Piha
Black-tipped Cotinga
Purple-throated Fruitcrow
Sharpbill
Broad-billed Sapoyoa
Golden-headed Manakin
Blue-crowned Manakin
White-ruffed Manakin
Golden-colared Manakin
Olive-striped Flycatcher
Ochre-bellied Flycatcher
Slaty-capped Flycatcher
Common Tody-flycatcher (H)
Black-headed Tody-flycatcher (H)
Forest Elaenia (H)
Yellow-bellied Elaenia
Yellow-green Tyrannulet (E)
Black-capped Pygmy-tyrant
Scale-crested Pygmy-tyrant
Southern Bentbill (H)
Brownish Flycatcher
Olivaceous Flatbill
Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher
Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher
Long-tailed Tyrant
Bright-rumped Attila
Rufous Mourner
Sirystes
Dusky-capped Flycatcher (H)
Great-crested Flycatcher (H)
Tropical Kingbird
Streaked Flycatcher
Rusty-margined Flycatcher
Gray-capped Flycatcher
Piratic Flycatcher
Thrush-like Schiffornis
Cinnamon Becard
Cinereous Becard
One-colored Becard
Masked Tityra
Black-chested Jay
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Tawny-crowned Greenlet
Varied Solitaire (E)
Slaty-backed Nightingale-thrush
Pale-vented Thrush
Black-capped Donacobius (H)
White-headed Wren
Black-bellied Wren
Bay Wren
Stripe-throated Wren
Ochraceous Wren
White-breasted Wood-wren
Gray-breasted Wood-wren
Southern Nightingale-wren
Tawny-faced Gnatwren
Long-billed Gnatwren
Slate-throated Gnatcatcher
Southern Rough-winged Swallow
Golden-winged Warbler
Tropical Parula
Blackburnian Warbler
Bay-breasted Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler
Mourning Warbler
Slate-throated Redstart
Pirre Warbler (E)
Buff-rumped Warbler
Palm Warbler
Orange-billed Sparrow
Black-striped Sparrow
Chestnut-capped Brush-finch
Bananaquit
Pirre Bush-tanager (E)
Yellow-backed Tanager
Black-and-yellow Tanager
Dusky-faced Tanager
Lemon-browed Tanager
Gray-headed Tanager
White-shouldered Tanager
Summer Tanager
Crimson-backed Tanager
Flame-rumped Tanager
Blue-gray Tanager
Palm Tanager
Fulvous-vented Euphonia
Orange-bellied Euphonia
Plain-colored Tanager
Emerald Tanager
Silver-throated Tanager
Specked Tanager
Bay-headed Tanager
Golden-hooded Tanager
Green-naped Tanager (E)
Green Honeycreeper
Purple Honeycreeper
Swallow Tanager
Yellow-collared Chlorophonia
Variable Seedeater
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Yellow-green Grosbeak
Slate-colored Grosbeak (H)
Buff-throated Saltator
Blue-black Grosbeak
Crested Oropendola
Yellow-rumped Cacique
Yellow-billed Cacique
Yellow-tailed Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Shiny Cowbird
Giant Cowbird
And the Mammals:
Red-naped Tamarin
Mantled Howler Monkey
Brown-headed Spider Monkey
Red-tailed Squirrel
Gray Fox