Why Bird Panama
Six reasons to bird Panama
Six reasons Panama is one of the easiest and most rewarding places in the tropics for a birding trip, whether you have one free morning or two weeks.
Six reasons
Why birders choose Panama
1. Short drives
Starting from your Panama City hotel, the first birding spots are less than 30 minutes away. Rainforest, wetlands and the Panama Canal are all close to the city, so you spend your day birding, not driving.
2. About 1,000 species
Panama has about 1,000 bird species on its list, in a country smaller than South Carolina. More than 100 are regional endemics, found only in Panama and neighboring countries.
3. North meets South
Panama is the land bridge between North and South America, so it has birds from both. Central American species such as Green Shrike-Vireo and Resplendent Quetzal live here, and so do South American ones such as Yellow-browed Shrike-Vireo and Golden-headed Quetzal. Central Panama, around the city, has birds from both sides.
4. Many habitats in one day
On a single tour you can go from lowland forest to foothills or highlands. Each habitat has its own birds, so every stop brings new species.
5. A local bird guide
Every tour has a bilingual local guide who knows the calls, the trails and where the birds are being seen this week, with a spotting scope and field guide.
6. Good birding all year
Birding is good in every month. In the rainy season, showers are usually short and come mostly in the afternoon, after the best morning birding. From about September to April, some 150 species of migrants join the resident birds.
Only have a few hours? Our morning tours fit around a cruise stop, a business trip or a family holiday. Want more? We plan multi-day birding trips around your dates and target birds.
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Real birders on our tours