Pipeline Road is the destination. Its first few kilometres alone can produce over a hundred species in a morning — trogons, motmots, woodcreepers, antbirds and manakins — and the Christmas bird counts here have set world records. Walk it slowly from first light and listen more than you look.

The Panama Rainforest Discovery Center, on the same road, has a canopy tower that puts you above the treetops for the mixed flocks and raptors, plus hummingbird feeders at the base that draw a dozen species within metres.

The Chagres river and Gatun Lake edges hold the water-associated species — capuchins and howlers along the shore, caimans, and boat trips that pass container ships heading for the canal locks, which is a genuinely surreal wildlife setting.

The Ammo Dump ponds and Summit area nearby are the reliable spots for rufescent tiger-heron, white-throated crake and other wetland species.

Night walks on the park's edges add kinkajou, night monkeys and the frogs that give Panama its herpetological reputation.

The dry season from January to April makes trails easier and is the peak birding period with northern migrants present. Rain falls heavily from May to December.

Practicalities

Gamboa is the base, around 30 minutes from Panama City, with everything from the well-known resort to modest guesthouses. A guide is worth hiring for at least one morning — Panama's birding guides are excellent and the antbird identification alone justifies it.

Start before dawn: the road quietens by mid-morning, and the difference between six and eight o'clock is enormous.