Why Panama?

Panama means “abundance” in our indigenous language.

Birds, adventure and mistery abound in this small but beautiful country. Panama is "The Bridge of the Americas", where modern cities meet with nature''s beauty. The country hosts a great variety of attractions: some of the most accessible tropical rainforests in the world, Caribbean beaches, seven living Indian cultures, and of course, the world famous Panama Canal.

Panama is accessible from the United States of America and from Europe, and it is also a very safe and tourist friendly country, with a low crime rate and no natural hazards.

Since 1904, Panama has the US dollar as its currency, which has given the country great economic stability and proves to be very convenient when exchanging money. It has a first-world infrastructure, including excellent highways, medical care, and business services. Even the tap water is safe to drink.

Birds of Panama

Panama is a birdwatcher’s heaven. Panama hosts 974 species in 30,193 sq. miles (78,200 sq. kilometers), which is more than found in the United States and Canada together.

Bird-watching 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 bird-watching 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 bird-watching effortless and productive. Many species can be easily seen in many places; others will be found only by searching them out in their favorite environment.

Facts for the Traveler Official Name: Republic of Panama Capital: Panama City Nationality: Panamanian Area: 30, 193 sq. miles (78,200 sq kilometers) Population: 2,839,177 Government: Constitutional Democracy, Centralized Republic Language: The official language is Spanish. However, many panamanians speak both Spanish and English Weather: Panamanian weather is pleasantly tropical and uniform throughout the year. Nights are usually cool. The average temperature is 27 degrees C. Panama has two weather seasons: rainy and dry. The dry season stretches from December to March. Religion: There is an absolute freedom of Religion in Panama. Most panamanians are Roman Catholic. Time Zone: The time in Panama all year long is the same as the EST (GMT -5). We do not observe Daylight Savings Time.

Panama is proudly the home of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the largest and most important investigation organization in the world.