Canopy Camp, Darien, Birdwatching Tour (8 days) P126

Introduction

Awaken to the songs of eastern Panama’s birds:  Barred Puffbirds, Rufous-tailed Jacamars, White-headed Wrens and many more that make up a distinct dawn chorus like no other in Panama.   Located in Central America’s most diverse and least-explored region, the Darién province of Panama is a birder’s paradise.   At Canopy Camp situated in the humid lowlands of far eastern Panama, near the end of the Pan-American Highway, you can feel the wilderness around you just a step outside your tent.   Towering Cuipo trees provide a panorama of Darién and are in clear view above the forest canopy.   It is in these enormous rainforest giants that Harpy and Crested Eagles place their nests and raise their young.  Both species occur but you will need some luck to see them unless there is an active nest nearby which increases the chance.  As you sip your morning coffee listen for the buzzy trills of Golden-headed Manakins lekking in the forests beside the camp.   A walk with your knowledgeable guide will be thoroughly awe-inspiring and entertaining.   From tiny, colourful poison dart frogs on the forest floor to Red-throated Caracaras in the canopy above, these forests are full of life.  Camp in comfort in custom-designed African safari-style tents with all the amenities offered at other eco-lodges run by the Canopy Family.   At the end of a day’s exploration settle into your tent and doze off as you listen to the calls of owls, potoos, nightjars and a symphony of frogs.

The province of Darién is revered for its incredible wildlife and blessed with an immense expanse of protected rainforest in Darién National Park.  However, most of the province has suffered greatly from extensive deforestation as agriculture and cattle are the major sources of income for the people.   Canopy Camp has been established in this sensitive area to raise awareness of the potential that ecotourism has for Darién—creating a source of direct and indirect jobs and income for the local people, offering educational opportunities in communities and promoting environmental conservation.  The presence of Canopy Camp next to the protected forest of Filo del Tallo Hydrological Reserve (65,000 acres) acts as a deterrent to poachers and loggers and will also contribute to the conservation of this important area.  This reserve also provides us with ready access to a mature forest and its wildlife.

Darién, as this entire eastern-most region of Panama is called, is perhaps the most diverse and species-rich region of Central America.   Long coveted by avid birders as an impenetrable haven for rare species, it is now readily accessible by a highway extending through the spine of Panama right into the heart of this bird-rich land.   During this exciting, highly recommended 7-night adventure we visit the Bayano Reservoir en route to Canopy Camp to look for such specialties as the starkly beautiful Black Antshrike, Rufous-winged Antwren and stunning Orange-crowned Oriole.   We also visit the swampy meadows along the Pan-American Highway, haunt of the magnificent Spot-breasted Woodpecker.  We will enjoy great birding through mature secondary forests, tranquil lagoons, scrubby open fields, roadsides and riversides where we hope to get excellent views of Stripe-throated Wren, Black-collared Hawk, Black-capped Donacobius, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Large-billed Seed-Finch and others.   We will spend our nights at Canopy Camp Darién, enjoying comfortable, large, safari-style tent accommodations, each with full-size beds, private bathroom facilities with refreshing showers, flush toilets, electricity from solar panels, and fans.   Surrounded by the protected forests of the Filo del Tallo Hydrological Reserve, the camp itself has such regional specialties as Gray-cheeked Nunlet, White-headed Wren, Rufous-tailed Jacamar and Pale-bellied Hermit right in the gardens! This tour offers other surprises such as Spectacled Parrotlet, Golden-green Woodpecker, Double-banded Graytail, King Vulture and the spectacular Great Curassow!

Explore Darién with us; we are sure you will have the birding adventure of your life.

Itinerary and price

For help with your flight arrangements and to receive a no obligation quote, you can complete the enquiry form on our website or call 0800 280 8947 to speak to a flight advisor at StudentUniverse (in partnership with Gapyear.com), part of the Flight Centre Travel Group, a leading retailer of airfares and worldwide flights.

Meals: Dinner at Riande Hotel

If you board a flight from the UK very early morning you may well arrive by the evening into Panama City.

On arrival in Panama you will be met at the airport and transferred to Riande Aeropuerto Hotel, just 5 minutes from Tocumen International Airport by hotel transport.   While you acclimatize to the tropical heat and have a cold drink, you can watch the birds in the grounds of the hotel.   Great-tailed Grackle, Clay-colored Thrush, Variable Seedeater, Tropical Kingbird, Blue-gray Tanager, Rufous-tailed Hummingbird and more await your visit.  Today all meals, except dinner will be on your own.   Our tour will start the following day, bright and early.

Night at Riande Auropuerto Hotel

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

This morning you can enjoy a delicious breakfast in the hotel restaurant.   Our guide will arrive at 6:15 am to help with any questions you may have, then soon after breakfast we’ll be heading for eastern Panama!  The journey to our final destination is approximately 5 hours but we will make stops along the way in exciting birding areas.   As we drive east along the Pan-American Highway we will scan for roadside birds and open-field raptors including Savanna Hawk and Northern Crested Caracara.  Our first scheduled stop will be at Bayano Lake, a great opportunity to stretch our legs and see what we can find along the lakeside. This reservoir supports great amounts of water birds, including a large colony of Neotropic Cormorants, as well as Anhinga, Cocoi Heron and the rare Bare-throated Tiger-Heron. We will scan the water’s edge for Purple Gallinule, Pied Water-Tyrant, Smooth-billed Ani and Ruddy-breasted Seedeater.  A short trail leading from the water’s edge is a great place to search for Black Antshrike, Bare-crowned Antbird, Rufous-winged Antwren and Golden-collared Manakin. At another great stop along the way, Río Mono Bridge, the surrounding forest is home to One-colored Becard, Black-headed Tody-Flycatcher, Blue Cotinga, Pied Puffbird, Orange-crowned Oriole, Blue Ground-Dove and more. We will also scan the river below for Green-and-rufous Kingfisher and the elusive Fasciated Tiger-Heron.

As we enjoy a lovely Panamanian lunch, hummingbirds at the feeders will no doubt capture our attention and Long-billed Starthroat, Sapphire-throated Hummingbird, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Black-throated Mango will provide great photo opportunities!  Lunch in TORTI.

After lunch we will head back to the Pan-American Highway and continue east and on to Canopy Camp Darién to arrive before daylight fades so we can get acquainted with the setting.  After a delicious dinner of fresh American and Panamanian fare we will gather to discuss the days to come, then settle into our tents for the night.  Dinner at CANOPY CAMP.

Night at Canopy Camp

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

We will meet before sunrise for a hot drink and to enjoy the sounds of the birds.   Yellow-throated and Keel-billed Toucans call from the towering Cuipo trees, Red-lored and Mealy Parrots fly overhead, White-bellied Antbird, Bright-rumped Attila, White-headed Wren and Golden-headed Manakin sing from the surrounding forest while Pale-bellied Hermit and Sapphire-throated Hummingbird visit the flowers.  Rufous-tailed Jacamar and Barred Puffbird are also seen frequently around the campsite.  We will be served a hearty breakfast at 7:30 am.   After breakfast we will work our way into the forest on “Nando’s Trail,” in hope of finding Tiny Hawk, Black Antshrike, Great Antshrike, Olive-backed Quail-Dove, Cinnamon Becard, Black-tailed Trogon, Double-banded Graytail, Gray-cheeked Nunlet, Yellow-breasted Flatbill, Northern Royal Flycatcher and Russet-winged Schiffornis.   We will also be looking for groups of Red-throated Caracara, King Vulture and Short-tailed Hawk overhead in the clearings.   Ornate Hawk-Eagle, Plumbeous and Zone-tailed Hawks are also possible.   Lunch at CANOPY CAMP.

After lunch we can enjoy the hummingbirds and other species around the camp, dip our feet into the rocky stream or have a siesta.   Then we will head southeast and will explore the forests and swampy meadows along the road toward Yaviza which is about a one hour drive, to the end of the Pan-American Highway.  Black-billed Flycatcher, Sooty-headed Tyrannulet, Jet Antbird, Black Oropendola, Pied Water-Tyrant, Bicolored Hawk, Black-collared Hawk, Pearl Kite, White-tailed Kite, Limpkin, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Yellow-hooded Blackbird, Black-capped Donacobius and Red-breasted Blackbird can all be found as we head farther into Darién today.   We will return to camp in time to freshen up for dinner.   After dinner we will gather to look for owls, including Striped, Crested, Western Barn, Black-and-white and Mottled owls, as well as Common and Great Potoos and some nocturnal mammals are likely.   We will end the day with our checklist, tallying our sightings for the first full day at Canopy Camp.  Dinner at CANOPY CAMP.

Night at Canopy Camp

Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner

We will meet for an early breakfast, then head to El Salto Road (30 minutes from Canopy Camp) for the morning.   It extends 6 km north from the Pan-American Highway and ends at the mighty Río Chucunaque.   The open road and surrounding dry forest is a great area to search for regional specialties including Golden-green Woodpecker, Double-banded Graytail, Blue-and-yellow and Chestnut-fronted Macaws, Black and Crested Oropendolas, Blue Cotinga, White-eared Conebill, Black-breasted Puffbird, Orange-crowned Oriole and the majestic King Vulture.   A trail at the end of the road will take us into low-canopy forest, where we hope to find Bare-crowned Antbird, Pale-bellied Hermit, Olivaceous Piculet, Streak-headed Woodcreeper and Forest Elaenia.   Lunch at CANOPY CAMP.

This afternoon we will bird along the road to Las Lagunas which extends 12 km south off the Pan-American Highway through open farmland, dry scrub and roadside habitat.   The road eventually crosses a small stream and ends at small ponds.   Along the roadsides we hope to find Red-breasted Blackbird, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Yellow-breasted Flatbill, White-headed Wren, Smooth-billed and Greater Ani, Muscovy Duck, Rufescent Tiger-Heron, Southern Lapwing, Blue-headed Parrot, Striped Cuckoo, Scaly-breasted Hummingbird, Ringed and Amazon Kingfishers, Fork-tailed Flycatcher, Buff-breasted Wren, Bananaquit, Giant and Shiny cowbirds, Crested Oropendola, Laughing Falcon and Aplomado Falcon.   If we’re lucky, we may get a glimpse of a Chestnut-fronted Macaw or a shy Little Cuckoo, both having been seen along this road.   At the lagoons, we hope to find Pied Water-Tyrant, Capped Heron, the beautiful Yellow-hooded Blackbird and the extraordinary Black-capped Donacobius, a great habitat for all these wonderful species!  The drive time this afternoon will be approximately one hour each way.  Dinner at CANOPY CAMP.

Night at Canopy Camp

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

We will meet for an early breakfast at the Canopy Camp. This morning we bird Quebrada Felix, just 30 minutes for Canopy Camp and nestled at the base of the Filo del Tallo Hydrological Reserve. Surrounded by tall trees and mature lowland forest, we will walk the rocky stream in search of some of Panama’s most wanted species, trying for Black-crowned Antpitta, Scaly-throated Leaftosser, Speckled Mourner, Ocellated Antbird, Rufous-winged and Moustached Antwrens, White-fronted Nunbird, Wedge-billed Woodcreeper, Royal Flycatcher and our endemic, the Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker. It is also a great spot to find Fasciated Tiger-Heron, Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, Bicolored Antbird, Golden-crowned Spadebill, Double-banded Graytail and much more. Crested and Solitary Eagles have even been spotted here, a great testament to the mature forest of the area. Quebrada Felix is becoming a favorite spot among our guides and recent visitors! Lunch at CANOPY CAMP.

This afternoon we explore the open areas and mixed forests of Lajas Blancas, the closest Embera indigenous community to the Canopy Camp with a population of over 1000 residents. Just 15 minutes away, the area around the community boasts great birding and the opportunity to find many Darién specialties! After turning off the Pan-American Highway, we drive through pasture and open farmland—a great place to see One-colored Becard, Great Potoo, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Yellow-crowned Tyrannulet, Yellow-breasted Flycatcher, Black Antshrike and Black Oropendola. During the dry season, a bridge across the Chucunaque River provides us easy access to some mature secondary forest where Double-banded Graytail, Rufous-tailed Jacamar, White-winged and Cinnamon Becards, Cinnamon and Golden-green Woodpeckers, manakins and others can be found. Beyond the community, the road continues and there is much more forest, including primary forest at its far reaches, waiting to be explored. Dinner at CANOPY CAMP.

Night at Canopy Camp

Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch and dinner

We will awake once again to the energetic dawn chorus of oropendolas, wrens, antbirds, manakins, parrots and toucans as the sun rises over eastern Panama.   After a satisfying breakfast we will once again leave the Canopy Camp for a morning filled with great birds!  We head for Nuevo Vigia, an Embera village nestled north of the Pan-American Highway, surrounded by secondary growth dry forest and two small lakes, all of which attract an enticing variety of birds.  The village is accessible by “piragua”, the locally-made dugout canoe.  As we coast along the Chucunaque and Tuquesa Rivers we will keep our eyes and ears open for Chestnut-headed, Crested and Black Oropendolas, Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Common Black Hawk, Yellow-tailed Oriole, Red-billed Scythebill, Capped and Cocoi Herons, White Ibis, Greater Ani, Solitary Sandpiper and other water birds.   The majority of the morning’s birding will be spent at the lakes, good for Black-collared Hawk, Bare-crowned and White-bellied Antbirds, Green Ibis, Grey-cheeked Nunlet, Spectacled Parrotlet, Black-tailed Trogon, Striped Cuckoo, Black-bellied Wren, Little Tinamou, Golden-green Woodpecker and Green-and-rufous Kingfisher!  In the village of Nuevo Vigia, local artisans weave colourful, decorative masks and plates from palm fronds and carve cocobolo wood and tagua nuts into animals and plants; we will have the opportunity to meet some of the community members and admire (and purchase if you wish) some of the beautiful hand-made products.   We will enjoy a satisfying picnic lunch in the village, followed by more great birding around the riversides and scrubby habitat surrounding Nuevo Vigia before heading back to the Canopy Camp.   Picnic lunch will be at NUEVO VIGIA and dinner will be back at CANOPY CAMP.

Night at Canopy Camp

Meals: Breakfast, lunch and dinner

We enjoy breakfast and the birds at Canopy Camp as the sun rises. This morning we drive for 45 minutes toward Yaviza once again to the property of Aligandi. This is a huge area with unique scrub forest and much to be explored. We head out from the Camp toward the end of the Pan-American Highway, taking a turn prior to reaching Yaviza. Along the roadsides here, we scan for Red-breasted Blackbird, Striped Cuckoo, Ruddy-breasted Seedeater, Thick-billed Seed-Finch, American Kestrel and other open area birds. A Great Green Macaw nest is tucked up in the canopy of a huge Cuipo tree, visible from the road, and if lucky, an adult or a chick may be seen poking its head out of the cavity. At Finca Doncella, we continue on foot along the road through the scrub forest, seeking out Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Bat Falcon, Giant Cowbird, Orange-crowned Oriole, Red-billed Scythebill, White-eared Conebill and mixed feeding flocks. It is possible to see the macaws fly over as we further explore the area. Lunch at CANOPY CAMP.

Among all the fantastic birding sites we have visited this week, the Canopy Camp grounds and trails merit some more exploration as well! This afternoon is ours to enjoy the nearby trails accessible from the lodge, the verbenas will be full of hummingbird and butterfly activity and we hope to see Violet-bellied Hummingbird, Pale-bellied Hermit, Long-billed Starthroat, Blue-throated Goldentail and if lucky, a stunning Ruby-topaz Hummingbird feeding here. Barred Puffbird, Spot-crowned Barbet, Olivaceous Piculet, White-headed Wren, King Vulture, Red-rumped Woodpecker and Streak-headed Woodcreeper are birds we may encounter this afternoon. If desired, we can hike up the slope to stand in the shadows of two giant Cuipo trees, standing like gates to rich mature forest. Later in the afternoon we meet again to review our checklist and enjoy cocktails as the sun sets for the day. We’ll have our final dinner together and once again listen for the calls of owls and night birds around the camp after dark.  Dinner at CANOPY CAMP.

Night at Canopy Camp

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

We will wake before dawn to pack and have an early breakfast, say our goodbyes to the Canopy Camp, and start our journey back to Panama City.  After driving approximately 2 1/2 hours we will stop at San Francisco Nature Reserve and spend the morning in this private forest reserve owned and managed by the St.Francis Foundation, covering 1,300 acres in eastern Panama Province.   The reserve was established in 2001 by Father Pablo Kasuboski, an American priest from Wisconsin who came to Panama in 1988, and it serves as a wildlife refuge and protects the headwaters of the main rivers of the area.   The foundation created by Padre Pablo, as Father Kasuboski is called, also works on infrastructure development in the area by building and maintaining aqueducts, roads, schools and churches.   In fact, the St.Francis Foundation built and maintains the largest private rural aqueduct in all of Panama and Central America.   The reserve has a variety of habitats including primary, secondary and riparian forests, forest edge, fields, farmland, ponds and wetlands.   During our morning here we will explore some of these habitats along the short road that enters the reserve and hope to find Great Jacamar, Broad-billed Motmot, Collared Aracari, Russet-winged Schiffornis, Northern Royal Flycatcher, White-fronted Nunbird, Brownish Twistwing, Panamanian (Yellow-green) Tyrannulet, Central American Pygmy-Owl, Blue and Plain-breasted Ground Doves and, if we’re very lucky, a Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle soaring overhead or find a Wing-banded Antbird along the trail!  Lunch in TORTI.

After lunch we head back to Panama City.  Our tour ends at the Riande Aeropuerto Hotel where our group will split as some will continue to the Canopy Tower to start a new birding adventure and others will either head for the airport later in the day or alternatively we can book an extra night at Riande (a supplement for this night would be applicable) with a departure transfer to the airport tomorrow.

Tour ends

Note: If Harpy Eagle is a priority species for you please mention this before booking as we may be able to amend one of the days or include an extra day to try for this iconic species.  The chance of seeing Harpy Eagle is greatly increased subject to an active nest being known.  All visits to Harpy Eagle habitats are undertaken with the first priority being the wellbeing of the species.  Some site visits for Harpy Eagle require excellent stamina as it can, but not always, involve a very long and tiring day with a lot of strenuous walking.

For groups of friends travelling together it may be possible to add an extra day or two.

Other areas to explore with extra days added or the programme occasionally has to be amended due to weather or other local conditions at the time. These areas may include: –

Nusagandi area, off the highway into the foothills of the Caribbean Slope.   As we follow the El Llano-Carti Road north, we will cross the Continental Divide and reach the Comarca (reserve) of Guna Yala.   Here we will explore trails through the pristine forest of Nusagandi Forest Reserve in search of rarities including Sapayoa, Speckled Antshrike, Slate-throated Gnatcatcher, Sulphur-rumped, Rufous-winged and Black-and-yellow tanagers, Yellow-eared Toucanet, the endemic Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker, Swallow-tailed Kite, Black Hawk-Eagle, Blue-fronted Parrotlet, Streak-chested Antpitta, Tawny-capped Euphonia and more.

Serrania Filo del Tallo Hydrological Reserve, just 40 minutes drive away, is worth half a day of exploration.  It’s a designated Hydrological Reserve that protects a small mountain range west of the Pan-American Highway.   The Canopy Camp borders this reserve, which protects an area of 300 km2 (74,000 acres).   We will access the reserve via a trail which is located at the northern end of the range and crosses a small creek passing through part of the reserve.  The trail then climbs upward to a teak plantation on a plateau where we hope to have great views of Olivaceous Piculet, Golden-headed Manakin, Northern Royal Flycatcher, Dull-mantled Antbird, Buff-rumped Warbler, Great Curassow, White-bellied Antbird, Red-throated Caracara and Black-tailed Trogon to name a few.

Tierra Nueva Foundation, only 30 minutes drive away, is a technical school focusing on applications in agriculture. The Fundación Tierra Nueva is a non-profit organisation whose main mission is “working towards the sustainable development of people of the Darién Rainforest”.  We will explore the trails of this large property in hope of finding Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Yellow-breasted Flatbill, Black-billed Flycatcher, Red-rumped Woodpecker, Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon, Cinnamon, Cinereous and One-colored Becards, White-eared Conebill, White-headed Wren and the magnificent Great Curassow.   We will also search for the eastern race of the Chestnut-backed Antbird which shows white spots on the wings.

Tupisa Road, Marranganti and Rio Tuquesa are only offered in favourable conditions during the dry season (late January through April), as the area is best accessed at this time of year.   When the conditions are unfavorable, you will visit another great birding area, determined by your naturalist guide and based on your birding and wildlife interests.  To reach these areas our adventure will take us back toward Nuevo Vigia to continue exploring the matrix of roads and trails that access so much of this area of Darién with good secondary growth forest and ponds; we will also be able to get deeper into the area of mature secondary forest where there is the possibility of finding macaws, large forest eagles and other regional specialties.   As we head east from Nuevo Vigia along Tupisa Road we will stop at a small pond where Capped Heron, Wood Stork and Green-and-rufous Kingfisher are often found.   Continuing along the road, we hope to find Double-banded Graytail, Moustached Antwren, Rufous-winged Antwren, One-colored Becard, Orange-crowned Oriole, Great Jacamar, Yellow-backed Tanager, Golden-green Woodpecker, Stripe-throated Wren, Buff-throated Foliage-Gleaner and Ornate Hawk-Eagle.    We will stop for a picnic lunch in a shady spot to cool off during the hottest part of the day before more birding along this fantastic road.  Spot-breasted Woodpecker, Black Antshrike, Bare-crowned Antbird, Chestnut-backed Antbird (eastern race) and Red-throated Caracara are all possibilities.   Working our way back toward camp, we will explore the road to the village of Marraganti where a colony of Black Oropendola can be found along with Chestnut-fronted Macaw, Blue Cotinga, Black Hawk-Eagle, Double-toothed Kite and a mix of forest and open area birds.   If time permits, a stop at Rio Tuquesa will give us the opportunity to explore the more open habitat, in search of water birds, shorebirds, raptors, puffbirds, flycatchers and other open area species.   Later in the afternoon we will head back to the Canopy Camp, with time to get in some final birding as the sun sets.  The journey time today is approximately one hour each way. We will enjoy a final dinner together to wrap up the tour, and once again listen for the calls of night birds around the camp after dark.

If you would prefer to have a longer stay, please contact us for details and we can see what we can do.

Note: The order of visits and places visited may vary depending on weather and other factors.

Price per person excluding local taxes (please enquire for the current rate of tax):

Green/migration Seasons (16 April – 15 Dec 2018) $2115
High Season (16 Dec 2018- 15 April 2019) $3180
Green/migration Seasons (16 April – 15 Dec 2019) $2115

To add three nights at Canopy Tower the supplement is as follows:
Green/migration Seasons (16 April – 15 Dec 2018) $739
High Season (16 Dec 2018- 15 April 2019) $1049
Green/migration Seasons (16 April – 15 Dec 2019) $739

To add five nights at Canopy Tower the supplement is as follows:
Green/migration Seasons (16 April – 15 Dec 2018) $1369
High Season (16 Dec 2018- 15 April 2019) $2099
Green/migration Seasons (16 April – 15 Dec 2019) $1369

Alternatively you could continue with some unique island birdwatching at the very relaxing Tranquilo Bay, Isla Bastimentos, Bocas del Toro. From here as your base you can see Snowy Continga, Red-billed Tropicbird, Brown Booby, Nicaraguan Seed-Finch and so much more and enjoy sea kayaking, snorkelling over local coral reefs and views from the canopy tower across the Caribbean Sea.

Supplement surcharge for stays from 20 Dec – 5 Jan inclusive – please enquire

Please note: There is a supplement if you require a tent on a single occupancy basis.  Kindly contact us and we will supply you with the details. 

Price includes:
Pre-travel information
All land transport
Accommodation in single/twin/double room
All meals, non-alcoholic beverages and wine served with dinner,  from dinner on Day 1 to lunch on Day 8.
Services of an experienced bird guide for two outings each day or a full day excursion (max. group size of 8)
Entrance fees to any places mentioned
Taxes and internet service

Price excludes:

Local taxes – please enquire
Flights and travel insurance
Alcoholic drinks (except for wine served with meals which is included)
Tips, laundry, phone calls and anything else not listed in the inclusions
Extra supplement if you wish to have a private bird guide of $150 per day

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