Bird of the Month
			Rufous-vented Ground-cuckoo (Neomorphus geoffroyi)
			From the Cuculidae family, this is a large ground species of cuckoo. This beautiful bird can be seen in the humid forest of central Panama. We have observed the Ground Cuckoo along Pipeline Road, but the best place to see this bird is at the Canopy Lodge in El Valle de Antón, foothill forest! The range of this bird is southern Nicaragua through Panama and north-western Colombia. There are other populations in South America. The genus Neomorphus are generally hard to find and infrequently seen unless it is found in a huge Army-Ant Swarm.

Dear friends,

 

This is the first of many letters I hope to write to you in the coming years. The idea is to keep in touch, to share our good news and the birds we have seen. We also want to inform you of our work in conservation and our special promotions. Finally, we hope this Newsletter will entice you to come down South and enjoy the natural wonders of the Panamanian rainforest.

In this, our first issue, we begin with a fabulous picture of a Ground Cuckoo taken by our Top Guide, Carlos Bethancourt, in the trails around the Canopy Lodge in El Valle. This bird is one of the most sought-after species in Neotropical birding and we are incredibly fortunate to have it in our backyard! Yes, we see it often, particularly in the rainy season (May to December). I remember very well the first time I saw this bird. It was in 1991, a classic case of beginner’s luck as I had been birding for a couple of months only. I first heard the characteristic clicking sounds and then I saw this huge ground bird moving its tail up and down. I had no idea what I was seeing, but I kept looking at it for several minutes. The next day I called my good friend Dodge Engleman, one of the top birders in Panama, and described what I had seen. Dodge immediately identified it as a Ground Cuckoo and told me the good news; that I had feasted my eyes on one of the most difficult birds to see in the Neotropics. I have seen it several times since then and every time it is a thrill and a blessing, but that first time I will never forget.

Our section of “Recent Sightings” has a wonderful picture of a Blue Cotinga taken from the top deck of the Canopy Tower. This is one of the “signature” species of the Tower but, by no means, the only one we easily see from the deck. For a list of our recent sightings please follow the link in this section. We update our list weekly and there is also a “search function” which allows you to search by month, species, and place of observation. The idea is that you can plan your visit depending on what species you are particularly interested in.

In our “Conservation Section”, Carlos Bethancourt, our Top Guide, tells the story of a talk he gave to a group of residents and Park Rangers in the area of Cerro Campana National Park. We want to spread the good news about bird watching among the rural communities of our country. Birding is the perfect example of a sustainable activity, supplying good jobs with a minimum impact on the environment.

Finally, I call your attention to our special promotion for this summer. I have called it the Canopy Tower Stimulus Plan and it has certainly stimulated the interest of birders worldwide. We now have a couple of birders/photographers from Singapore staying in both lodges!

So get your binos ready and review our trip reports, we are waiting for you. The birds are all over the place!

Best,

Contact Raul: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Charlie Moores from 10000birds
He photographed 70 bird species and identified 219 species in his short trip.

James Currie from Birding Adventures
Filming the Canopy Tower & Canopy Lodge for their TV Show.