Birds of Panama

Panama holds an extraordinary diversity of birds for a country its size. As of 2010, a total of 978 species had been recorded, more than in the United States and Canada, and all in an area about the size of the state of South Carolina. This diversity owes much to Panama’s location at the intersection of the two American continents and two oceans. Many birds typical of North America reach their southern limits here, while many basically South American species extend no farther north. Millions of migrants, using the country as a bridge between the continents, pass through en route between breeding areas in the north and wintering sites in the south. In addition, marine species of both the Atlantic and the Pacific reach Panama’s coasts. With its complex geological history and rugged and diverse topography, Panama also has a host of national and regional endemics: 107 of the species recorded are found only in Panama or are shared with just a few other countries, mainly Costa Rica and Colombia. A major advantage for birders is that much of this wealth of birdlife is easily accessible. There are excellent birding areas within a few minutes of downtown Panamá City. An excellent road system provides access to many other sites, and there are a growing number of comfortable hotels and other tourism facilities in prime birding areas. Panama’s small size means that most parts of the country can be reached within an hour’s flight of Panamá City. All this makes it possible to see a large number of species in a short amount of time. Despite all its advantages, Panama is still relatively little known as a birding destination. We hope that this guide will contribute to increased awareness of just how much Panama has to offer.

ISBN: 978-0-9798804-5-2

U.S. Retail: $37.00

About the Author

GEORGE ANGEHR grew up in the Bronx in New York City, where he began watching birds at the age of twelve in his backyard and neighborhood parks. He has worked on birds in Panama since 1977 and has lived there full-time since 1992. His publications include the Annotated Checklist of the Birds of Panama (Panama Audubon Society, 2006), and (with Dodge and Lorna Engleman) A Bird Finding Guide to Panama (Cornell University Press, 2008). A Research Associate at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, he is currently Curator of Exhibitions for the BioMuseo, Panama’s new museum of biodiversity, now under construction in Panama City, and is also Director for Science for the Panama Audubon Society. In addition to birds of Panama, he has worked on birds in the United States, New Zealand, Peru, and Gabon.

About the Illustrator

ROBERT DEAN has been studying and illustrating birds for more than twelve years, during which time he has gone on birding trips—both as guide and participant— throughout the Americas. Born and raised in London, England, he was a successful professional musician and recording artist for eighteen years, living for extended periods in the United States and Australia before finally settling in Costa Rica in the early 1990s, where he re-discovered his childhood passions for art and wildlife. He has executed art commissions for the Costa Rican National Parks, produced artwork for Rainforest Publications on the avifauna of Costa Rica, Panama, Peru, Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States. Dean illustrated The Birds of Costa Rica: A Field Guide (Cornell University Press, 2007) and was contributing artist to The Wildlife of Costa Rica: A Field Guide (Cornell University Press, 2010). He is currently working on a field guide to the birds of northern Central America.

Sample spreads