About Achiote Road
Achiote Road is on the Caribbean side of Panama, in Colón Province, about 11 km from the Gatún Dam and on the western edge of San Lorenzo National Park. Getting there takes about 2.5 hours from Panama City, including the crossing of the Panama Canal at the Gatún Locks.
We bird the road on foot and by driving slowly during the first hours. As it heats up, we move onto forest trails to look for specialties like White-headed Wren, Long-tailed Tyrant and Montezuma Oropendola, and check the streams for kingfishers and waterthrushes.
Achiote has led the Christmas Bird Count many times, and it is called “the magical road” because almost anything can show up. Fort Sherman and the San Lorenzo road can be added depending on the day.
What to expect
With an early start, expect to see 60 to 80 species by noon. By the end of the day, a final count of 95 or more is common.
Birds to look for
This list comes from our own tours, plus sightings shared by friends and clients. It changes all the time, so send us your sightings at info@guidedbirdtours.com. For everything else, see the Central Panama bird list.
Specialties
- White-headed Wren
- Spot-crowned Barbet
- Blue Cotinga
- Long-tailed Tyrant
- Montezuma Oropendola
- Black-chested Jay
- Pied Puffbird
- Cinnamon Woodpecker
- Moustached Antwren
- White-throated Crake
- Hook-billed Kite
- Agami Heron (very rare)
Also look for
- White Hawk
- Plumbeous Hawk
- Gray Hawk
- Double-toothed Kite
- American Kestrel
- Aplomado Falcon
- Wattled Jacana
- Pale-vented Pigeon
- Ruddy Ground Dove
- Blue Ground Dove
- Striped Cuckoo
- Squirrel Cuckoo
- Spectacled Owl
- Rufous-breasted Hermit
- Slaty-tailed Trogon
- Violaceous Trogon
- American Pygmy Kingfisher
- Green Kingfisher
- Keel-billed Toucan
- Collared Aracari
- Wedge-billed Woodcreeper
- Cocoa Woodcreeper
- Barred Antshrike
- Great Antshrike
- Bare-crowned Antbird
- Chestnut-backed Antbird
- White-necked Puffbird
- Black-breasted Puffbird
- Fork-tailed Flycatcher
- Boat-billed Flycatcher
- Piratic Flycatcher
- Greenish Elaenia
- Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher
- Brownish Twistwing
- Paltry Tyrannulet
- Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet
- White-winged Becard
- Cinereous Becard
- Cinnamon Becard
- Masked Tityra
- Purple-throated Fruitcrow
- Golden-collared Manakin
- Bay Wren
- Black-bellied Wren
- Stripe-breasted Wren
- Scrub Greenlet
- Northern Waterthrush
- Orchard Oriole
- Thick-billed Euphonia
- Flame-rumped Tanager
- Gray-headed Tanager
- Dusky-faced Tanager
- Streaked Saltator
- Buff-throated Saltator
- Lesser Seed-Finch
- Yellow-bellied Seedeater
- Slate-colored Seedeater
- Yellow-faced Grassquit
- Yellow-tailed Oriole
- Yellow-rumped Cacique
- Crested Oropendola
- Red-breasted Meadowlark
What have we seen lately? Our guides log their sightings on eBird, the bird-checklist database run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. See our recent checklists from Achiote Road & San Lorenzo and the rest of Panama.
Practical information
Weather
Warm and more humid than the Pacific side, with more rain. Expect some muddy stretches, especially in the rainy season (about May to December). We bird the road early, then move into shaded trails as it heats up.
What to wear
Light clothing in earth colors, long pants (better than shorts), hiking shoes, a hat and a poncho. Bring insect repellent and sunscreen, and be ready for rain. Waterproof shoes help on muddy trails.
What to bring
Binoculars, a notebook and a camera if you like. Your guide carries a spotting scope and a field guide, and we bring drinking water.
Food
Lunch is not included. Your guide suggests a local place to eat along the way, and each traveler pays for their own meal.
Field guides we recommend
The Birds of Panama: A Field Guide by George Angehr and Robert Dean (2010), the main reference for Panama. An Illustrated Field Guide to the Birds of Panama by Ernesto Ponce and Giselle Muschett (2006), handy for quick checks.
