Panama: Los Quetzales

All right, I admit it: I love to be spoiled, even when (maybe especially when!) I’m birding. And this luxurious and comfortable lodge in the western Chiriqui does it, with great food, beautiful rooms and suites, and birding that just can’t be beat. The eponymous residents of the local cloud forest behaved beautifully for us today, as did another 100 or so species of the high, cool mountains. A favorite? Well, hard to say, as usual; but to the Large-footed Finches goes the prize. I don’t mean to be ungrateful, but here is another bird that Ridgely and Gwynne just don’t do justice to. It’s beautiful beyond belief, with a subtle gray-on-black head pattern. Photos to come!