Panama By The Numbers

Details still to come, and a few birds I need to verify, but:

  • 333 total species
  • 242 life birds
  • 9 mammal species including four primates (10 if you include Homo sapiens)
  • 2 endemics
  • 13 Herons and Ibises
  • 28 raptor species
  • 21 shorebird species
  • 7 pigeons and doves
  • 3 cuckoo species
  • All 3 Ani species
  • 3 Owl species
  • Both Potoos
  • 5 swift species
  • 29 Hummingbird species including the endemic Veraguan Mango
  • 5 Trogon species; essentially evry one in the area
  • 5 Motmot species
  • 4 Kingfisher species
  • 5 Puffbird species
  • 5 Toucan species
  • 5 Woodpecker species
  • 17 Antbirds (actually lower than expected; these birds hide)
  • 38 Flycatcher species
  • 13 Wren species
  • 14 Warbler species
  • 18 Tanager species
  • 3 Cacique species
  • 5 Euphonia species
  • 2 Oropendola species
  • 0 ABA area species :-)

Panama makes for a really concentrated introduction to Central American birds. Lots of different habitat within just a couple of hours radius of Panama City. There’s a well developed ecotourism community to support birding (leaders, lodges, parks, etc.)

  1. Great Tinamou
  2. Little Tinamou (Heard only)
  3. Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
  4. Gray-headed Chachalaca
  5. Crested Bobwhite
  6. Wood Stork
  7. Magnificent Frigatebird
  8. Neotropic Cormorant
  9. Brown Pelican
  10. Rufescent Tiger-Heron
  11. Great Blue Heron
  12. Cocoi Heron
  13. Great Egret
  14. Snowy Egret
  15. Little Blue Heron
  16. Tricolored Heron
  17. Cattle Egret
  18. Green Heron
  19. Yellow-crowned Night-Heron
  20. Boat-billed Heron
  21. White Ibis
  22. Glossy Ibis
  23. Black Vulture
  24. Turkey Vulture
  25. Lesser Yellow-headed Vulture
  26. Osprey
  27. Gray-headed Kite
  28. Hook-billed Kite
  29. White-tailed Kite
  30. Double-toothed Kite
  31. Mississippi Kite
  32. Semiplumbeous Hawk
  33. White Hawk
  34. Common Black-Hawk
  35. Savanna Hawk
  36. Roadside Hawk
  37. Broad-winged Hawk
  38. Gray Hawk
  39. Short-tailed Hawk
  40. Swainson’s Hawk
  41. Zone-tailed Hawk
  42. Black Hawk-Eagle
  43. Ornate Hawk-Eagle
  44. Slaty-backed Forest-Falcon
  45. Crested Caracara
  46. Yellow-headed Caracara
  47. American Kestrel
  48. Merlin
  49. Aplomado Falcon
  50. Bat Falcon
  51. Peregrine Falcon
  52. White-throated Crake
  53. Southern Lapwing
  54. Black-bellied Plover
  55. Collared Plover
  56. Wilson’s Plover
  57. Semipalmated Plover
  58. Black-necked Stilt
  59. Wattled Jacana
  60. Spotted Sandpiper
  61. Solitary Sandpiper
  62. Greater Yellowlegs
  63. Willet
  64. Lesser Yellowlegs
  65. Whimbrel
  66. Long-billed Curlew
  67. Marbled Godwit
  68. Sanderling Playa Santa Clara
  69. Semipalmated Sandpiper
  70. Western Sandpiper
  71. Least Sandpiper
  72. Buff-breasted Sandpiper
  73. Short-billed Dowitcher
  74. Laughing Gull
  75. Gull-billed Tern
  76. Black Tern
  77. Common Tern
  78. Royal Tern Playa Santa Clara
  79. Black Skimmer
  80. Rock Pigeon
  81. Pale-vented Pigeon
  82. Scaled Pigeon
  83. Short-billed Pigeon
  84. Ruddy Ground-Dove
  85. White-tipped Dove
  86. Gray-chested Dove
  87. Brown-throated Parakeet
  88. Orange-chinned Parakeet
  89. Brown-hooded Parrot
  90. Blue-headed Parrot
  91. Red-lored Parrot
  92. Mealy Parrot
  93. Yellow-crowned Parrot
  94. Squirrel Cuckoo
  95. Yellow-billed Cuckoo
  96. Rufous-vented Ground-Cuckoo
  97. Greater Ani
  98. Smooth-billed Ani
  99. Groove-billed Ani
  100. Tropical Screech-Owl
  101. Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
  102. Mottled Owl
  103. Great Potoo
  104. Common Potoo
  105. White-collared Swift
  106. Chimney Swift
  107. Short-tailed Swift
  108. Band-rumped Swift
  109. Lesser Swallow-tailed Swift
  110. White-necked Jacobin
  111. White-tipped Sicklebill
  112. Band-tailed Barbthroat
  113. Green Hermit
  114. Long-billed Hermit
  115. Stripe-throated Hermit
  116. Purple-crowned Fairy
  117. Veraguan Mango
  118. Long-billed Starthroat
  119. Violet-headed Hummingbird
  120. Scaly-breasted Hummingbird
  121. White-vented Plumeleteer
  122. Bronze-tailed Plumeleteer
  123. Violet-crowned Woodnymph
  124. Snowcap
  125. Blue-chested Hummingbird
  126. Snowy-bellied Hummingbird
  127. Rufous-tailed Hummingbird
  128. Violet-bellied Hummingbird
  129. Slaty-tailed Trogon
  130. White-tailed Trogon
  131. Gartered Trogon
  132. Black-throated Trogon
  133. Orange-bellied Trogon
  134. Tody Motmot
  135. Blue-crowned Motmot
  136. Whooping Motmot
  137. Rufous Motmot
  138. Broad-billed Motmot
  139. Ringed Kingfisher
  140. Belted Kingfisher
  141. Amazon Kingfisher
  142. Green Kingfisher
  143. White-necked Puffbird
  144. Black-breasted Puffbird
  145. Pied Puffbird
  146. Barred Puffbird
  147. White-whiskered Puffbird
  148. Spot-crowned Barbet
  149. Emerald Toucanet
  150. Collared Aracari
  151. Yellow-eared Toucanet
  152. Black-mandibled Toucan
  153. Keel-billed Toucan
  154. Black-cheeked Woodpecker
  155. Red-crowned Woodpecker
  156. Cinnamon Woodpecker
  157. Lineated Woodpecker
  158. Crimson-crested Woodpecker
  159. Red-faced Spinetail
  160. Spotted Barbtail
  161. Plain Xenops
  162. Plain-brown Woodcreeper
  163. Ruddy Woodcreeper
  164. Northern Barred-Woodcreeper
  165. Straight-billed Woodcreeper
  166. Cocoa Woodcreeper
  167. Spotted Woodcreeper
  168. Fasciated Antshrike
  169. Barred Antshrike
  170. Western Slaty-Antshrike
  171. Russet Antshrike
  172. Plain Antvireo Chicken Farm
  173. Spot-crowned Antvireo
  174. Checker-throated Antwren
  175. White-flanked Antwren
  176. Dot-winged Antwren
  177. Dusky Antbird
  178. White-bellied Antbird
  179. Chestnut-backed Antbird
  180. Bicolored Antbird
  181. Spotted Antbird
  182. Ocellated Antbird
  183. Black-faced Antthrush
  184. Streak-chested Antpitta
  185. Brown-capped Tyrannulet
  186. Southern Beardless-Tyrannulet
  187. Yellow Tyrannulet
  188. Forest Elaenia
  189. Yellow-bellied Elaenia
  190. Olive-striped Flycatcher Chicken Farm
  191. Ochre-bellied Flycatcher Trogon Trail
  192. Yellow-green Tyrannulet
  193. Rufous-browed Tyrannulet
  194. Paltry Tyrannulet
  195. Scale-crested Pygmy-Tyrant
  196. Pale-eyed Pygmy-Tyrant
  197. Southern Bentbill
  198. Common Tody-Flycatcher
  199. Royal Flycatcher
  200. Ruddy-tailed Flycatcher
  201. Sulphur-rumped Flycatcher Chicken Farm
  202. Bran-colored Flycatcher
  203. Tufted Flycatcher
  204. Olive-sided Flycatcher
  205. Eastern Wood-Pewee
  206. Acadian Flycatcher
  207. Long-tailed Tyrant
  208. Bright-rumped Attila
  209. Rufous Mourner
  210. Dusky-capped Flycatcher
  211. Panama Flycatcher
  212. Great Crested Flycatcher
  213. Lesser Kiskadee
  214. Great Kiskadee
  215. Boat-billed Flycatcher
  216. Rusty-margined Flycatcher
  217. Social Flycatcher
  218. Gray-capped Flycatcher
  219. Streaked Flycatcher
  220. Tropical Kingbird
  221. Eastern Kingbird
  222. Gray Kingbird
  223. Fork-tailed Flycatcher
  224. Purple-throated Fruitcrow
  225. Blue Cotinga Trogon Trail
  226. White-ruffed Manakin
  227. Blue-crowned Manakin
  228. Golden-collared Manakin
  229. Lance-tailed Manakin
  230. Red-capped Manakin
  231. White-winged Becard
  232. Red-eyed Vireo
  233. Scrub Greenlet
  234. Golden-fronted Greenlet
  235. Lesser Greenlet
  236. Green Shrike-Vireo
  237. Black-chested Jay
  238. Blue-and-white Swallow El Valle
  239. Northern Rough-winged Swallow
  240. Southern Rough-winged Swallow
  241. Gray-breasted Martin
  242. Mangrove Swallow
  243. Bank Swallow
  244. Barn Swallow
  245. Cliff Swallow
  246. White-headed Wren
  247. Black-bellied Wren
  248. Rufous-breasted Wren
  249. Rufous-and-white Wren
  250. Plain Wren
  251. Bay Wren
  252. House Wren
  253. Ochraceous Wren
  254. White-breasted Wood-Wren
  255. Gray-breasted Wood-Wren
  256. Scaly-breasted Wren
  257. Song Wren
  258. Long-billed Gnatwren
  259. Tropical Gnatcatcher
  260. Orange-billed Nightingale-Thrush
  261. Swainson’s Thrush
  262. Pale-vented Thrush
  263. Clay-colored Thrush
  264. Tropical Mockingbird
  265. Louisiana Waterthrush
  266. Northern Waterthrush
  267. Golden-winged Warbler
  268. Black-and-white Warbler
  269. Prothonotary Warbler
  270. Tennessee Warbler
  271. Mourning Warbler
  272. Kentucky Warbler
  273. American Redstart
  274. Bay-breasted Warbler
  275. Blackburnian Warbler
  276. Yellow Warbler
  277. Chestnut-sided Warbler
  278. Rufous-capped Warbler
  279. Buff-rumped Warbler
  280. Canada Warbler
  281. Bananaquit
  282. Black-and-yellow Tanager
  283. Dusky-faced Tanager
  284. White-shouldered Tanager
  285. White-lined Tanager
  286. Crimson-backed Tanager
  287. Flame-rumped Tanager
  288. Blue-gray Tanager
  289. Palm Tanager
  290. Plain-colored Tanager
  291. Silver-throated Tanager
  292. Bay-headed Tanager
  293. Golden-hooded Tanager
  294. Scarlet-thighed Dacnis
  295. Blue Dacnis
  296. Green Honeycreeper
  297. Shining Honeycreeper
  298. Red-legged Honeycreeper
  299. Streaked Saltator
  300. Buff-throated Saltator
  301. Blue-black Grassquit
  302. Slate-colored Seedeater
  303. Variable Seedeater
  304. Yellow-bellied Seedeater
  305. Thick-billed Seed-Finch
  306. Yellow-faced Grassquit
  307. Saffron Finch
  308. Orange-billed Sparrow
  309. Black-striped Sparrow
  310. Common Bush-Tanager
  311. Hepatic Tanager
  312. Summer Tanager
  313. Red-crowned Ant-Tanager
  314. Red-throated Ant-Tanager
  315. Carmiol’s Tanager
  316. Rose-breasted Grosbeak
  317. Blue-black Grosbeak
  318. Dickcissel
  319. Eastern Meadowlark
  320. Great-tailed Grackle
  321. Yellow-backed Oriole
  322. Yellow-tailed Oriole
  323. Baltimore Oriole
  324. Yellow-billed Cacique
  325. Scarlet-rumped Cacique
  326. Yellow-rumped Cacique
  327. Crested Oropendola
  328. Chestnut-headed Oropendola
  329. Yellow-crowned Euphonia
  330. Thick-billed Euphonia
  331. Fulvous-vented Euphonia
  332. White-vented Euphonia
  333. Tawny-capped Euphonia

And there are at least two more major birding areas of the country we didn’t visit with quite different avifauna, Darien and the Azuero Peninsula. There are other places I want to visit before coming back here (Belize, Trinidad, Dominican Republic, Mexico, and most of South America) but clearly I’ve only begun to scratch the surface here.

2 Responses to “Panama By The Numbers”

  1. John Cowan Says:

    I don’t think you can count Homo sapiens; anywhere but East Africa, it’s an intrusive species. (Do water buffalo in Europe count as intrusives? Nobody actually knows whether they walked over from Asia on their own steam and were domesticated on the spot, or were led over in a domesticated state.)

  2. Elliotte Rusty Harold Says:

    I don’t know about water buffalo, but the best evidence we have is that Homo sapiens arrived in South America under their own power as part of a gradual expansion of range. In fact, that’s true pretty much everywhere on the planet except some islands.

    There are some alternate theories of settlement of South America, and I wouldn’t be hugely surprised to see the conventional wisdom overturned one of these days; but until it is, I’m counting us as a native species.