Metropolitan Natural Park Panama City birdwatching by Uber

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There are not many tropical rainforests in the world where you can access by Uber. Especially one that is a prime bird watching spot where you can see an amazing array of wildlife like toucans, sloths, and monkeys. Metropolitan Natural Park Panama City is a place so close to the city, you can take an Uber there.

Metropolitan Natural Park Panama City birdwatching by Uber

Uber to Metropolitan Natural Park Panama 

In three minutes, a friendly Uber driver picked me up at my hotel. It was a $7.00 fee to the Visitor Center where the trails start. In 15 minutes, we pulled off a busy road into a park lot with several building, trimmed lawns surrounded by jungle landscape. 

A friendly young lady met me as I exited my Uber and informed me that it was $5.00 to enter. She also gave me a quick overview of the trails and pointed out that one trail had a scenic overlook of Panama City. She pointed inside and let me know that is where I needed to pay and that they also had a souvenir shop.

Related: Birdwatching El Finca Pilar near Antigua, Guatemala

Metropolitan Natural Park Panama City trail system

There are basically three loop trails that shoot off from a straight trail that follows the highway. One loop is on the other side of the highway, and two loops are on the same side as the Visitor’s Center. I did both loops on the Visitor’s Center side and returned back on the trail following the highway. All together, there are about 5 kilometers worth of trails.

Sendero Los Coabas

I started off on the Sendero Los Coabas Trail, which is the The Mahogany Trail in English. This trail climbed up in elevation, but the elevation was not too steep as it is not the overlook trail. I immediately heard a keel-billed toucan right above me, but I was not able to see. While waiting for it to emerge, I saw a thick-billed euphonia.

Gartered trogons first amazing tropical bird in Panama

I was excited that my phone worked perfectly here, so I was able to use my Merlin app. Merlin notified me that a gartered trogon was calling. I patiently looked for 10-15 minutes, and finally found it in a tree. There were actually two in the area, and one flew out from the jungle and landed in a tree right in front of me. I also saw a coati while looking for the trogons.

Slaty-tailed trogons and a white-necked puffbird

The birding was a little slower than I imagined; however, I did manage to see a white-necked puffbird and a slaty-tailed trogon. I was able to get great pictures of both. I find that birds in the tropics can be hard to find, but once spotted, they can be rather accommodating if you can get a good angle.

Sendero La Cienaguita to the overlook on the Mano Titi Trail

The white-necked puffbird was found at the end of the first loop. The trail then continued to the second loop, which is the Sendero La Cienaguita Trail. This trail is a little steeper as it nears the overlook. I visited the park in late March, which is the dry season, so the trails were not muddy. A pair of adidas trail running shoes would be the perfect option.

Lifer lane on the La Cienaguita Trail

As I mentioned previously, the birding was a little slower that I would have expected. I had seen two kinds of trogons and the puffbird, but not the range of bird species I would have expected. This all changed on the trail up towards the overlook. I got to an elevated area of the trail that was in the open and looked down on a swath of tropical rainforest below. A slaty-tailed trogon pair were roosting in the area.

While looking at the trogons, I spotted a squirrel cuckoo. I ended up staying at this spot for over an hour because I ended up seeing one bird after another. Many of these birds were lifers for me. That means it was the first time in my life that I had spotted the species. Lifers that I saw here included several white-shouldered tanagers, a yellow-throated vireo, two squirrel cuckoos, a black cheeked woodpecker, a white-winged becard, and a woodcreeper. 

I also saw a summer tanager and bay-breasted warblers, two birds I am familiar with having seen in Chicago. In one spot, I saw six lifers and two migratory birds that I have not seen that often. 

Overlook of Panama City

The Sendero La Cienaguita trail gave way to the Camino de Mono Tití on the way to the overlook. The last part up is somewhat steep, but it is not that far. There was a family of howler monkeys sleeping in a tree right before the last part to the summit.

At the top of the trail was an overlook and clearing where you could see the Panama City skyline. There was a short line for selfies, but there were not too many people up there.

Incredibly hot and humid in the Panama City rainforest

Even at 9 a.m. in the shade, it was incredibly hot and humid in the Panama rainforest. By noon, it was unbearable in the sun. Fortunately, the trails were mostly in the shade, but you cannot escape humidity in the shade. I was exhausted by the time I hit the overlook. They need to build a pool up there.

Fortunately, with only 5 kms of trail, you are never far from the parking lot. I hiked straight back to the Visitor’s Center and got there in less than an hour. On the way back, I saw another coati, more slaty-tailed trogons, and there was a yellow-headed caracara at the Visitor’s Center. 

I bought a gatorade at the souvenir shop, cooled down in the A/C, and then called an Uber. In five minutes, my Uber arrived, and another 15 minutes, I was back at my hotel and in the pool.

Adventure on!