PARQUE NACIONAL OMAR TORRIJOS 
PANAMA

EL COPE (near) (Compass)

Lat:00^o00´S/00^o00´W ha topography msl 
Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit (11-12th March, 2005)

Birding Site Guide

This national park has excellent forest but very bad weather. Our first day there was OK but the second we had heavy rain and saw very little. Access is a little difficult. There are hourly minibuses to Escuela de Barrigon from 5:30am. These leave from in front of the supermarket in town to Barrigon 4km away. From there it is a further 4 or so kms up a steep hill. This walk was quite birdy. After you pass the gate of the park there is a building on the left where you can buy your entrance tickets ($3.50). The best spot for birding is further along past 2 buildings on the right (one a new visitor’s centre where it may be possible to stay). Just as the road starts to climb there is a trail leading down to the left. 500m down this trail I saw Blue-and-gold Tanager and a little before that, Black Guan. I didn't find my other target species, the Red-fronted Parrotlet. I saw 65 species including 6 lifers. 

Species seen

• Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
• Black Vulture Coragyps atratus
• Turkey Vulture Cathartes aura
• Swallow-tailed Kite Elanoides forficatus
• Broad-winged Hawk ? Buteo platypterus
• Black Guan Chamaepetes unicolor Near-threatened
• Rock Dove Columba livia Introduced
• Ruddy Pigeon Patagioenas subvinacea
• White-tipped Dove Leptotila verreauxi
• Blue-headed Parrot Pionus menstruus
• Squirrel Cuckoo Piaya cayana
• Smooth-billed Ani Crotophaga ani
• Little Hermit
• Fiery-throated Hummingbird ? Panterpe insignis
• Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl
• Orange-bellied Trogon Trogon aurantiiventris
• Black-cheeked Woodpecker Melanerpes pucherani
• Red-crowned Woodpecker Melanerpes rubricapillus
• Plain Antvireo h Dysithamnus mentalis
• White-ruffed Manakin Corapipo altera
• Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Mionectes oleagineus
• Paltry Tyrannulet Zimmerius vilissimus
• Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant h Lophotriccus pileatus
• Yellow-olive Flycatcher ? Tolmomyias sulphurescens
• Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher Terenotriccus erythrurus
• Social Flycatcher ? Myiozetetes similis
• Tropical Kingbird Tyrannus melancholicus
• Black-crowned Tityra Tityra inquisitor
• Plain Wren Thryothorus modestus
• House Wren Troglodytes aedon
• White-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucosticta
• Gray-breasted Wood-Wren Henicorhina leucophrys
• Scaly-breasted Wren h? Microcerculus marginatus
• Gray Catbird Dumetella carolinensis
• Pale-vented Thrush Turdus obsoletus
• Clay-colored Robin Turdus grayi
• Long-billed Gnatwren Ramphocaenus melanurus
• Tropical Gnatcatcher Polioptila plumbea
• Yellow-green Vireo Vireo flavoviridis
• Rufous-capped Warbler Basileuterus rufifrons
• Bananaquit Coereba flaveola
• Common Bush-Tanager Chlorospingus ophthalmicus
• Black-and-yellow Tanager ? Chrysothlypis chrysomelaena
• Olive Tanager Chlorothraupis carmioli
• Tawny-crested Tanager Tachyphonus delatrii
• Red-throated Ant-Tanager Habia fuscicauda
• Crimson-backed Tanager Ramphocelus dimidiatus
• Blue-gray Tanager Thraupis episcopus
• Blue-and-gold Tanager Bangsia arcaei Near-threatened
• Yellow-crowned Euphonia Euphonia luteicapilla
• Tawny-capped Euphonia Euphonia anneae
• Plain-colored Tanager Tangara inornata
• Emerald Tanager Tangara florida
• Silver-throated Tanager Tangara icterocephala
• Speckled Tanager Tangara guttata
• Green Honeycreeper Chlorophanes spiza
• Red-legged Honeycreeper Cyanerpes cyaneus
• Yellow-faced Grassquit Tiaris olivacea
• Black-striped Sparrow Arremonops conirostris
• Black-headed Saltator Saltator atriceps
• Slate-colored Grosbeak Saltator grossus
• Black-thighed Grosbeak Pheucticus tibialis
• Blue-black Grosbeak ? Cyanocompsa cyanoides
• Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus
• Giant Cowbird Molothrus oryzivorus

Other Fauna 
A total of -- species of mammals. 

There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles. 

Flora 

Author: Charles Hesse

www.birdingsiteguide.com