 Panama is a birdwatcher’s heaven. Panama hosts 972 species in 30,193 sq. miles 78,200 sq. kilometers , which is more than found in the United States and Canada together.
What do you need for bird watching in Panama? Comfortable walking shoes, loose-fitting clothing, a light jacket, insect repellent, binoculars, spotting scope and of course your camera.
Where can you go for bird watching? Surprisingly, one of the sites with the most birds in the country, the famed Pipeline Road, is found just 20 minutes from Panama City. Most birders will start their tours with at least a day here, walking a road that passes through primary and secondary rainforest in the Soberania National Park. Here they ll see lots of trogons, caciques, woodpeckers, ant shrikes, ant wrens, hummingbirds, fruit crows and many more. So far, 380 species have been recorded along Pipeline road. In fact, pipe line road has a record for the most birds watched in a single day, several years straight.
Birdwatching in Panama is very easy and rewarding,and birding activity is good all year round. Panama’s geographical position as an isthmus allows contact with two great motherlodes of avian diversity. You can see Resplendent Quetzals and Umbrella birds in the West as well as four types of Macaws and Harpy Eagles in the East. In the central part, the forests of the Panama Canal watershed are within a 45 minute drive from Panama City and harbor more than 400 bird species.
During the months of September to April, we count with approximately 150 species of neotropical migrants. It is not uncommon to site between 70 to 80 different species in a day’s span, placing Panama in one of the top positions of birdwatching in the American Continent.
The country’s rich biodiversirty is due to the fact that it is a land-bridge between North and South America. Therefore, one can find species typical of South America as well as North and Central America. Taking this into consideration, Panama La Verde Birding Circuit covers the Central part of the country and includes species from both ends of the American Continent. Central Panama has the most easily accessible forests of Central America: birds are abundant making birdwatching effortless and productive. Many species can be easily seen in many places; others will be found only by searching them out in their favorite environments.
Endemic Bird Areas
Of the 960+ species of birds found in Panama 94 are restricted-range species those with a global range of less than 50,000 sq. km ; twelve of which are found only in this country those in bold.
Five of the 221 Endemic Bird Areas identified by BirdLife International throughout the world reach into Panama, and they cover about 70% of its total surface. The first three EBA s are shared with Costa Rica, and the last two with Colombia.
1. Caribbean Lowlands
A16 - South Central American Caribbean slope lowlands
Purplish-backed Quail-Dove, Escudo Hummingbird, Lattice-tailed Trogon, Rufous-winged Woodpecker, Black-crowned Antpitta, Snowy Cotinga, Gray-headed Piprites, Black-throated Wren, Sulphur-rumped Tanager, Black-and-yellow Tanager, Nicaraguan Seed-Finch.
2. Pacific Lowlands
A17 - Costa Rican and Panamanian Pacific coast
Brown-backed Dove, Azuero Parakeet, Purplish-backe Quail-Dove, White-crested Coquette, Garden Emerald, Charming Hummingbird, Veraguan Mango, Baird s Trogon, Fiery-billed Aracari, Golden-naped Woodpecker, Coiba Spinetail, Black-hooded Antshrike, Orange-collared Manakin, Turquoise Cotinga, Yellow-billed Cotinga, Riverside Wren, Spot-crowned Euphonia.
3. Western Highlands
A18 - Costa Rican and Panamanian highlands
Black Guan, Black-breasted Wood-Quail, Chiriqui Quail-Dove, Buff-fronted Quail-Dove, Sulphur-winged Parakeet, Red-fronted Parrotlet, Bare-shanked Screech-Owl, Dusky Nightjar, Black-bellied Hummingbird, White-tailed Emerald, White-bellied Mountain-Gem, Fiery-throated Hummingbird, Magenta-throated Woodstar, Volcano Hummingbird, Glow-throated Hummingbird, Scintillant Hummingbird, Orange-bellied Trogon, Prong-billed Barbet, Ruddy Treerunner, Streak-breasted Treehunter, Silvery-fronted Tapaculo, Black-capped Flycatcher, Golden-bellied Flycatcher, Dark Pewee, Ochraceous Pewee, Bare-throated Umbrellabird, Silvery-throated Jay, Ochraceous Wren, Timberline Wren, Black-faced Solitaire, Black-billed Nightingale-Thrush, Sooty Thrush, Black-and-Yellow Silky-Flycatcher, Long-tailed Silky-Flycatcher, Yellow-winged Vireo, Flame-throated Warbler, Collared Redstart, Black-cheeked Warbler, Wrenthrush, Spangle-cheeked Tanager, Golden-browed Chlorophonia, Sooty-capped Bush-Tanager, Blue-and-gold Tanager, Black-thighed Grosbeak, Sooty-faced Finch, Yellow-thighed Finch, Yellow-green Finch, Large-footed Finch, Slaty Flowerpiercer, Peg-billed Finch, Volcano Junco.
4. Darien Lowlands
A19 - North Choco and Darien lowlands
Chocó Tinamou, Garden Emerald, Dusky-backed Jacamar, Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker, Speckled Antshrike, Black-crowned Antpitta, Yellow-green Tyrannulet, Black-billed Flycatcher, Viridian Dacnis, Sulphur-rumped Tanager, Black-and-yellow Tanager, Black Oropendola.
5. Darien Highlands
A20 - Darien Highlands
Tacarcuna Wood-Quail, Russet-crowned Quail-Dove, Bare-shanked Screech-Owl, Violet-capped Hummingbird, Rufous-cheeked Hummingbird, Beautiful Treerunner, Tacarcuna Tapaculo, Choco Tapaculo, Varied Solitaire, Pirre Warbler, Green-naped Tanager, Yellow-collared Chlorophonia, Blue-and-gold Tanager, Tacarcuna Bush-Tanager, Pirre Bush-Tanager, Sooty-faced Finch.
For All your Panama Lifestyle needs, contact
Douglas M. Choy at
ThinkPanama.com. He will be happy to provide any guidance and information you may need.
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