Canopy Lodge Grounds

It's your first day in El Valle and you wake up at the crack of dawn ready for a taste of foothill birding! Eagerly scanning from your balcony overlooking an impressive mix of artificial feeders and fruiting and flowering plants, you spot Stripe-throated Hermits and Violet-headed and Rufous-tailed Hummingbirds visiting some purple verbena flowers. Coming to the feeders are brilliant Lemon-rumped, Crimson-backed, White-lined, and Blue-Gray Tanagers, as well as electric Red-legged Honeycreepers. Clay-colored Thrushes, Streaked Saltators, and Yellow-faced Grassquits also stop in for a taste of the offerings. Even a handsome Rufous Motmot comes in to one of the feeders! You ascend the observation tower in search of more species for your morning's list. As you step out on the top deck, a Great Antshrike is busy singing away and emerges from the vegetation for some nice views. Soon, the beautiful cascading notes of an Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush begin, but this bird is more secretive giving only fleeting glimpses. A flash of movement in the trees above reveals the presence of a beautiful Bay-headed Tanager. Later in the morning, as the thermals start to form, this will be a good spot to scan for raptors such as Swallow-tailed and Gray-headed Kites, White and Short-tailed Hawks, Black Hawk-Eagle, and Bat Falcon. But first, you descend to the dining area where you have better looks at a group of cecropias and the nearby river. A Green Kingfisher is perched on an overhanging branch waiting for a snack to pass by and, if you are lucky, a Sunbittern might show up along the stream where the Buff-rumped Warbler is also a frequent sighting. Next you notice a small black bird streaking by. It's a White-thighed Swallow, an uncommon and local species in Panama! Several skulking tanagers are calling from nearby brush, including Tawny-crested, Dusky-faced, Rosy Thrush-, and Red-crowned Ant-Tanagers.

Raul's Cottage and Guest House

Not far from the Canopy Lodge, set well back from the road, sits the cottage of Raúl Arias de Para, owner and innkeeper of the Canopy Lodge and Canopy Tower. Here, an outdoor dining and lounging area is surrounded by flowering shrubs and trees and feeders stocked with fruit and other foods. Sit back, relax, and let the birds come to you! Lemon-rumped, Crimson-backed, White-lined, Blue-gray, and Palm Tanagers regularly visit the feeders. White-tipped and Ruddy Ground-Doves, Rufous Motmots, Clay-colored Robins, Banaquits, Red-legged Honeycreepers, Streaked and Buff-throated Saltators, Orange-billed and Black-striped Sparrows, Variable Seedeaters, and Yellow-faced Grassquits are also frequent patrons. Surrounding trees serve as perches for a good diversity of flycatchers including Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet, Lesser and Yellow-bellied Elaenias, and Boat-billed, Social, and Piratic Flycatchers. During the dry season, raucous Chestnut-headed Oropendolas nest in a colony in the tall Eucalyptus trees in the yard, while Giant Cowbirds sometimes show up looking for an unguarded nest in which to deposit an egg. Watch the flowering verbenum and canelo for hummingbirds such as Garden Emerald, Snowy-bellied, Violet-headed, and Rufous-tailed. Even the tiny, exquisite Rufous-crested Coquette may show up!

Road between the Canopy Lodge and the Canopy Adventure

The road from the Canopy Lodge to the Canopy Adventure is fairly flat and rather quiet and covers 450 meters (0.28 mile). Especially in the morning, you have a good chance of hearing and seeing many species right from the road! Species typical of the dry Pacific slope can be found here including Blue-crowned Motmot, Lance-tailed Manakin (difficult to see), Rosy Thrush-Tanager, and Red-throated Ant-Tanager. Humid foothill species also are present, including Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, and Dusky-faced and Tawny-crested Tanagers. Watch for larger species like Gray-headed Chachalaca, Keel-billed Toucan, Collared Aracari, Black-chested Jay, and Chestnut-headed Oropendola. It is also worthwhile to keep an eye on the sky, in case a White Hawk or Black Hawk-Eagle passes overhead.

Riverside Trail (A)

Departing right from the lodge dining area, this very flat trail crosses the Rio Guayabo and winds along the streamside for 0.5 kilometer (0.3 mile). As you walk, watch the underbrush on either side of the trail for some skulking specialties of the secondary growth and forest edge including Great Antshrike, Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush, and Dusky-faced, Tawny-crested, and Rosy Thrush-Tanagers. Keep an eye on the cecropias and other larger trees for the three-toed sloths that are often seen draped lazily across an open branch. After 240 meters (790 feet), a trail forks to the right and back to the road, while the Riverside Trail continues across the stream (watch your step!). After a small incline, the trail diverges off to the right and continues along the stream's western bank. Watch for Tody Motmot, a local specialty, along this stretch. You will pass to the left of a natural swimming hole, surrounded by some red banana plants that occasionally attract Rufous-breasted Hermits among other hummingbirds. Next, you will cross a suspension bridge back over the river. Pausing in the middle and scanning the streamside rocks and some scenic cascades may yield a Buff-rumped Warbler or even the rare Sunbittern. On your left after you step off the bridge is an open area ringed with several hummingbird feeders. A stop here will often produce six or seven hummingbird species including Green Hermit, Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer, and Green-crowned Brilliant. Soon after, the trail emerges into the parking area for the Canopy Adventure.

Chorro Macho Trail (B)

Beginning at the entrance to the Canopy Adventure, the Chorro Macho Trail is an easy, short loop across several bridges and through some spectacular mature rainforest. Watch for Sunbittern, Buff-rumped Warbler, and basilisk lizards along the stream. Any of the interior rainforest species found in El Valle are to be looked for here. Broad-billed and Rufous Motmots, Chestnut-backed Antbird, and even Dull-mantled Antbird are often present, while rarer species such as the Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo have been recorded with tantalizing frequency. The beautiful and impressive Chorro Macho waterfall is a major attraction on this trail, so don't forget your camera!

Canopy Adventure Trail (C)

This trail also departs from the entrance to the Canopy Adventure, but diverges to the right after the first suspension bridge. It quickly heads away from the stream and begins winding up the hill toward the first platform for the adventure, 0.84 kilometer (0.5 mile) away. This trail is another excellent route for finding interior rainforest species. Watch the heliconia flowers for the bizarre White-tipped Sicklebill and keep an ear out for Tody Motmots. Along the lower, first part of the trail, Gray-chested Dove, Dusky Antbird, Great Antshrike, Black-faced Antthrush, Rufous-and-white and Rufous-breasted Wrens, and Red-crowned Ant-Tanager are frequent. Higher up, Blue-throated Toucanet, Cocoa Woodcreeper, Bay-headed and Golden-hooded Tanagers, and Black-headed Saltator should be watched for. After 440 meters (0.27 mile), you reach a "T" intersection. The Canopy Adventure trail continues up to the left and levels out somewhat. Watch and listen along this portion for Keel-billed Toucan, Ochre-bellied Flycatcher, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, and Tody Motmot. If you aren't going to take the Canopy Adventure, you can return the way you came, or reach the road by continuing straight at the "T" and then taking your next right on the Watercress Trail (trail D).

Watercress Trail (D)

This relatively level trail leads left off the main road 1.2 kilometers (0.7 mile) above the Lodge. The Canopy Adventure Trail (C) comes in from the left soon after leaving the road, and the Little Valley Trail (E) forks off to the left shortly after that. The Watercress Trail continues through a gate and eventually to a bridge 320 meters (1050 feet) from the road. Bird activity can be good all along this trail. Watch particularly for Cocoa Woodcreeper, Black-faced Antthrush, and Rufous-capped Warbler in the forest undergrowth and Gray-headed Chachalaca, Blue-crowned Motmot, Black-chested Jay, Scarlet-thighed Dacnis, and Golden-hooded and Bay-headed Tanagers in the open areas to the right. At the bridge, keep an eye out for Sunbittern and Green Kingfisher along the rushing stream.

Tiny Valley Trail (E)

Departing the Watercress Trail (D) just beyond its intersection with the Canopy Adventure Trail (C), this trail starts out flat, leading to an upper section of the Quebrada Amarilla, the stream leading to Chorro Macho waterfall. Watch for White-tipped Dove, Black-faced Antthrush, and other forest interior and forest edge species here. If you cross the stream, the trail continues through a more open area, formerly the site of a small farm. Watch for Rufous-and-white Wren and various hummingbirds in the flowering bushes here. Keel-billed Toucans, Collared Aracaris, Black-chested Jays, and Chestnut-headed Oropendolas are often seen overhead. A bit further on, a very steep portion of the trail climbs a slope eventually joining the Nuevo Cana Trail (F) up above.

Nueva Cana Trail (F)

Beginning at the bridge at the end of the Watercress Trail (D), this trail heads over a hill and back towards the lodge 800 meters (0.5 mile) away. Listen for the snapping sounds of Golden-collared Manakin along the first stretch of trail. When you reach a clearing at the top of the hill, take a rest on the bench and enjoy the view. Watch for Gray-headed Chachalaca, Keel-billed Toucan, and Black-chested Jay here. After this, you can either take the right or the left loop. The right loop is slightly longer, but both provide chances for White-bellied Antbird, Yellow Tyrannulet, and Rosy Thrush-Tanager. After the trails merge, you will continue downhill and into deeper forest. Watch for a mixed feeding flock to pass through, which might include Checker-throated and Dot-winged Antwrens, Black-faced Antthrush, various flycatchers, White-breasted Wood-Wren, Yellow-green Vireo, Bay-headed and Dusky-faced Tanagers, Tawny-capped or Thick-billed Euphonias, and Orange-billed Sparrow. Next, at 400 meters (0.25 mile) from the start of the trail, you will reach a small gate and "T" intersection. Take a left here and begin descending through more mature rainforest. Tody Motmot is frequent along this stretch, while Spot-crowned Antvireo, Eye-ringed Flatbill, and White-throated Robin are possible. Listen for the odd, grating "songs" of Green Hermits emanating from the undergrowth. This trail eventually merges with the Riverside Trail (A) just above the stream crossing.

Lower Aqueduct Trail (G)

Departing from the east side of the main road 230 meters (750 feet) from the Lodge, this trail can be accessed by taking the Riverside Trail (A) from the Lodge and forking off to the right just before the stream crossing. Cross the road and walk through a gate. Starting off rather steeply, this trail levels out and passes through mature rainforest until it terminates at an aqueduct holding tank and stream 190 meters (620 feet) away. Watch along the trail for Rufous and Tody Motmots, Plain Xenops, Chestnut-backed Antbird, Black-faced Antthrush, Scaly-breasted Wren, Red-crowned Ant-Tanager, and Orange-billed Sparrow. The more adventurous may try walking up the streambed to the left at the end of the trail. This route is difficult at times, but may produce such birds as Tody Motmot, Spotted Woodcreeper, Spot-crowned and Plain Antvireos, Dull-mantled Antbird, Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Slaty Antwren, White-throated Robin, and various hummingbirds that stop in the pools along the stream to bathe.

Upper Aqueduct Trail (H)

Beginning just above a bridge on the right side of the main road 0.9 kilometer (0.6 mile) from the Lodge, this trail climbs fairly gently, loosely following the a small stream up a valley. Along the trail, watch for Sepia-capped Flycatcher, Lance-tailed Manakin, Scaly-breasted and Rufous-breasted Wrens, and Long-billed Gnatwren. Keep an eye overhead for raptors including White Hawk and Black Hawk-Eagle. This trail crosses a stream and follows another fork of the aqueduct before disappearing about 380 meters (0.25 mile) from the road. Near the end of the trail, keep an eye out for Band-tailed Barbthroat, Violet-crowned Woodnymph, Tody Motmot, Dull-mantled Antbird, Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant, and White-throated Robin.