If you love nature and birdwatching, Panama City is the ideal place to spend a few days discovering half of the more than 1,000 species that live in the country. This cosmopolitan city, in addition to boasting skyscrapers and an exciting urban life, jealously guards large areas filled with intense nature.
The Tropical Forest of the Metropolitan National Park
Within the city limits there is a park with 232 hectares of Tropical Dry Forest. There, you can walk its five trails in search of birds such as the Yellow-Green Flycatcher (Phylloscartes flavovirens), the Long-Tailed Manakin (Chiroxiphia lanceolata), and the Rose-Breasted Tanager (Rhodinocichla rosea). These tours can be done individually or with a trained guide.
The World’s Best Spots are in Soberania Park
This park is just 50 minutes away from Panama City, and its trails are considered by expert birdwatchers to be some of the best in the world. More than 400 species have been recorded along the Pipeline Trail, including the Rufous-Bellied Antbird (Neomorphus geoffroyi), the Banded Antbird (Myrmornis torquata), and the Yellow-Green Flycatcher. The 4 km Plantation Road Forest is home to the Scaly-Throated Leaf-throat (Sclerurus guatemalensis), the Brown Wren (Cnipodectes subbrunneus), and the Royal Flycatcher (Onychorhynchus coronatus).
Also, very close to these trails you find the Panama Rainforest Discovery Center’s observation tower and the Canopy Tower, two special facilities where you can be high enough in the forest to observe the treetops and spot a wide variety of bird species.
Gamboa in the Canal Watershed
Near Gamboa, within the Panama Canal Watershed, you can also walk the old road that connects this sector with Panama City or hike around the lakes of Summit Park. Along these trails, you can find the Black-Throated Antbird (Cercomacra nigricans), the Pale-Eyed Dwarf kingbird (Lophotriccus pilaris), and the Dipper-Heron (Cochlearius cochlearius).
To the East of the City are Cerro Azul and Cerro Jefe.
To the east of Panama City you can find the highest places: Cerro Azul and Cerro Jefe, which are also home to 40 species of birds endemic to these mountains, such as the Blue-Fronted Parakeet (Touit dilectissimus), the Violet-Coated Hummingbird (Goldmania violiceps), and the Yellow-Eared Toucanet (Selenidera spectabilis).
Migration of More than 1 Million Birds in Panama City
Summer is peak season for birdwatching, as many local species can be seen in January, February, and March in search of water, as well as some migratory birds that choose to stay in Panama.
April and May are the perfect time to watch birds during mating and nesting season, as well as birds feeding their young.
However, to further excite birdwatching enthusiasts, Panama City is one of only five places in the world where the migration of more than 1 million birds can be observed. This massive migration occurs between September and November, with October seeing up to 2 million birds in a single day, including more than 15 endangered species of raptors. The number of birds passing over Panama City is truly impressive, making it the perfect destination for world-class birdwatching.
