Birding Pipeline Panama
Birding Pipeline Panama
4.9
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About
Birding tours to Panama's most-famous and best birding destination: Pipeline Road, Gamboa. "Best" destination is due to amazing bird diversity, fast access (45 minutes) from Panama City, easy walking, close bird viewing, few birders, and inexpensive park fees. Typical birds include trogons, toucans, motmots, puffbirds, parrots, tityras, antbirds, antpittas, antshrikes, manakins, and caciques; mammals include sloths, anteaters, and howler monkeys. Guide is Nando Quiroz. Guiding service was founded by Kent Livezey, and website is managed by him.
Gamboa, Panama
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Birding Pipeline Panama
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
4.9
117 reviews
Excellent
112
Very good
2
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0
jillbertini
Seattle, WA17 contributions
Jan 2025 • Family
I booked Nando for a full day of birding the pipeline. We stopped first at Gamboa and saw so many birds just in one spot!! It was incredible. From there we went on to the pipeline road and the Rainforest center. Everyone in our group loved seeing all the hummingbirds coming to the feeder. Nando is fantastic at finding so many birds, and also calling to make the birds come out. We saw a pair of white hawks from the tower in at the Rainforest Center and they ended up flying right over us!! It was an incredible day. Nando and his son Ismael work very hard to help you have a great experience. They took some digiscope pictures for me, because I don’t have much practice with it. Great experience. When I finally got the list of birds we saw, I couldn’t believe there were 92 species! Highly recommend!
Written February 16, 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David P
2 contributions
Jun 2024 • Solo
I had the pleasure of exploring this renowned birding hotspot, with Nando and his son Ismael on June 27, 2024. The half day tour truly exceeded my expectations, offering a glimpse into the diverse and captivating world of Panama avifauna. Nando and his son picked me up at the hotel at 5:30am and on our way to pipeline road, Nando asked what my expectations was and what bird species I wanted to observe. I mentioned that I would be doing a tour to Monkey Island the next day and he offered to stop on the way to Pipeline Road to see if we can see the Panamanian Night Monkey. We spotted the monkey in the hollow of a tree on route to Pipeline Road. I was disappointed with the lighting and the quality of the photos of the monkey and to my great appreciation on our way back to the hotel after the tour Nando stopped at the tree for me to get better photos. My journey through Pipeline Road with Nando and his son was both educational and immersive. Nando is an extremely experienced guide possessing an intimate understanding of the area's ecology and bird behavior, enhancing the birdwatching experience with insightful commentary and expert tips for spotting elusive species. Nando vehicle was equipped with a seating platform where you can comfortably observe and photograph birds and other wildlife as you drive through the area. We walked a well-maintained and leisurely trail through a lush rainforest. The most amazing experience was Nando’s ability to mimic bird calls or use the recordings of the calls of birds on his phone to call birds out of the forest to be easily observed and photographed. I was skeptical at first that this was even possible but I was blown away when a Streak-chested-Antpitta came walking out of the understory to the edge of the road. My birding experience at Pipeline Road was nothing short of extraordinary which was enriched by the expert guidance of Nando and his son Ismael. I highly recommend adding a tour with Nando to Pipeline Road to your birding bucket list for a truly immersive and rewarding experience.
Written July 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jeffrey G
1 contribution
Dec 2024 • Family
Nando is one of the best wildlife guides we have met in the entire world. He can find the rarest birds; he is so knowledgeable about habitat, ecology and bird behavior; and, most importantly, he is RESPECTFUL of the environment and everything in it. This guy clearly loves birding. His passion and his positive energy are infectious. Ask him to mimic bird calls. He can also do an amazing impression of a howler monkey! I wish we had more time with him and his wonderful son, Ismael, who was an expert at using the scope and capturing sharp, beautiful photos for us. Ismael was also an incredible spotter and could find the smallest birds in that thick forest. If you like birds, and if you want an unforgettable experience, call Nando.
Written December 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dreamer63680615633
1 contribution
Dec 2024 • Couples
My wife and I did a half day birdwatching/wildlife tour with Ismael and Nando in December 2024. It was brilliant! Both guides are very knowledgeable and know exactly where you can find certain species of birds/monkeys. Im a wildlife photographer and they made sure I got loads of good photos. I'd definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to see some wildlife around panama.
Written December 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bugsy24897
Toronto, Canada8 contributions
Dec 2023 • Solo
I birded Pipeline Road and the Ammos Ponds with Nando and his son Ishmael for the fourth time this December. I wouldn't hire any other guide in Panama. Nando is the best. First, he is a really nice guy, low-key, and easy to get along with, but most importantly has incredible skills for birding. He recognizes hundreds of calls and songs and is able to call the bird closer by imitating their song with various whistles and sounds. It's not often that he has to resort to playing a recording from Merlin. We drove a way up Pipeline Road when suddenly asked Ishmael stop and we walked into a clearing. Nando said, "The bird will take 5 to 10 minutes to get here." We were waiting for a streaked antpitta. Nando and the bird called back and forth to each other and sure enough, after about 10 minutes, the bird walked into the clearing. It walked to within 10 of me. I was astonished! Ishmael got some great video footage of the bird through digiscoping. Now that I have been to Panama a few times, I am more focused on seeing particular birds. Nando dedicates himself to finding the birds that I especially want to see. He knows where each bird is likely to show up. I am looking forward to my next tour with Nando and Ishmael in Darien, where I hope to see the Harpy Eagle.
Written December 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tjack
Taos, NM27 contributions
Aug 2022
Birding Pipeline Road with Nando is the best! Expert, professional and a great pace. We got 93 species in under 8 hours. Nando would have kept going but I needed to get back to Panama city.
I contacted several outfits trying to squeeze in a day of birding on the legendary Pipeline Road and Nando was the most responsive and flexible not to mention he provided a reasonable price. He can customize trips throughout Panama. I hope to bird with Nando again soon.
Highlights were a Great Potoo which is a truly bizarre bird and the dancing Ant-pita was a treat. Nando found me three species of Motmot as well.
I contacted several outfits trying to squeeze in a day of birding on the legendary Pipeline Road and Nando was the most responsive and flexible not to mention he provided a reasonable price. He can customize trips throughout Panama. I hope to bird with Nando again soon.
Highlights were a Great Potoo which is a truly bizarre bird and the dancing Ant-pita was a treat. Nando found me three species of Motmot as well.
Written September 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carol S
St. Louis4 contributions
Feb 2024 • Couples
Our guide, Ismael, picked us up promptly at our hotel, and we spent the day birding with him. He could imitate a variety of bird calls to attract them and then he would rapidly set up his scope so that we could view the birds. He found 68 species for us to observe. He is a very knowledge, agreeable guide, and we highly recommend him. it was a pleasure spending the day with him. We wouldn't have seen nearly as much without his expertise.
After our day with him, on several different occasions, I asked for help to identify birds and he kindly responded.
After our day with him, on several different occasions, I asked for help to identify birds and he kindly responded.
Written March 15, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
607Brandon
London, UK15 contributions
Jul 2022 • Family
Much has been said in these reviews about Nando’s amazing depth of knowledge and remarkable sensitivity to the rainforest. We enjoyed a half-day with him when we stayed at Gamboa this July. His ability to sense the subtleties of the rainforest is remarkable, as is his passion and joy in encountering the birds which inhabit it. To be guided by him is to spend time with a truly world-class guide who possesses a magical connection to this amazingly rich corner of the planet. Watching him call out a streak-chested antpitta is a moment we will never forget. Finally he kind throughout and greatly encouraging of our 11 year olds budding passion for ornithology. We all came away delighted and awes by the experience.
Written July 22, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ElaineMI
Michigan247 contributions
Mar 2024 • Solo
Ismael was an excellent guide! I was happy with my Birding Pipeline Panama from start to finish--the office was responsive, answered my questions, and communicated everything to me so I would be ready for my day. Ismael was an excellent guide. He found so many species in even the half day trip it was amazing! He could call birds and knew just where to find special birds like Common Potoo and Great Jacamar. He was very professional, picked me up on time, and made sure I saw every bird. A fantastic experience. Highly recommended.
Written March 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2birders2018
Walnut Creek, CA4 contributions
Nov 2022
My wife and I had 3 great days with Nando. He is unmatched in his ability to find the species of interest and to direct your view to a specific location to spot the bird. That alone is justification for his excellent rating as a guide, but he is much more than a great birding guide. He is sensitive to the way you want to experience nature and the particular way you want to find new species and get great new views of other birds previously seen. When you have completed the short time that you have with him, you will have a long list of birds sighted, and you will have gained a friend.
Written December 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi how Can we get in contact With Kent Livezey?
Written December 13, 2019
You can reach Nando by email at pipelinebirding@gmail. The phone is 507.6829.3965.
Written April 16, 2018
Hola Gracias por su pregunta,
soy Nando Quiroz dueño de esta página en TripAvisor, soy Guía especializado en observación de aves.
Mi recomendación es que si quieres si te gustan las aves y quieres tener éxito con ellas contrate los servicios de un experto.
Aquí te dejó mi contacto
Ismael Quiroz (Nando)
Saludos cordiales
Written March 12, 2020
My wife and I will be in Panama for a few days.....January 8-12.....we have heard about the Pipeline Road and are wondering how we can set up or join a group tour with a guide for bird watching......where do we meet, how much would it cost, what are the hours....We will be staying in Panama City at Dos Palmettos B&B.
Thanks
Written October 28, 2015
Hi folks. Thanks for contacting me. Please send your email to my account at my Birding Pipeline Panama address (check my website; this Trip Advisor site won't allow me to include an email address). It would be easier for me to keep track of you that way. I see you're from Olympia, WA! For a dozen years I worked at US Fish and Wildlife Service in Lacey, just a few miles away. Small world. --Kent
Written October 29, 2015
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