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Category: PANAMA
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TOCUMEN MARSH 
PANAMA

TOCUMEN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (near) (Compass)

Lat:00o00´S/00o00´W ha topography msl 
Protected/registered status 
Best Time for visit (18th, 20-21st March, 2005)

 

Birding Site Guide

This was a frustrating place to visit but with forward planning and a little knowledge it is very easy to get there by public transport and quite rewarding. Take any bus headig to Tocumen from Calle 50 in Panama city. These go past the airport and to a terminal near the town of Tocumen. Just before the last stop, you'll pass a Texaco gas station on a raised bank on the left. Get off here and turn left and walk down the hill on the paved road. This passes a supermarket very soon on the left hand side and there is a right turn. This gravel road leads to the 'Finca'. I had trouble with the petty guy on the gate. Basically, if you go Mon-Sat after 6am you'll be fine. He'll let you past and you go to a small office where you pay $5 and get given a receipt. You can then walk around the rice farm. As you go down the hill there is a pond on your left where I saw Southern Lapwing. Further down on the right is a small stream lined with a few trees with Striated Heron. The best area though is when you follow the long, straight road through the rice fields (dry when I was there). Here is a wooded area. Turning right leads to the side of a big lake with many interesting birds. I failed to see Colombian Crakes which have been seen here before. I saw 74 species including 8 lifers. 

Species seen


Other Fauna 
A total of -- species of mammals. 

There are -- recorded species of amphibians and reptiles. 

Flora 

Author: Charles Hesse

 

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