Birds in Panama Bay

Estuaries, mudflats, and mangroves such as those found in Panama Bay, which skirts the ever-expanding Panama City, are a critical gateway for millions of Pacific shorebirds like the Western Sandpiper (30% of the global population relies upon the Bay for survival), Whimbrel (22%), Semipalmated Plover (20%) and 28 other shorebird species.

Western Sandpiper

Long-billed

Whimbrel

Prothonotary Warbler

Dense mangrove forests provide winter homes for songbirds like the Prothonotary Warbler. In fact, hundreds of bird species require the ecosystem’s mix of marine life, plants, and food—so rich in this tiny isthmus—to survive their yearly migratory journeys throughout North and South America. Panamanians and the country’s economy also depend on healthy habitats for fisheries and need the Bay’s complex mangrove system to mitigate the threat of flooding from heavy rains and sea-level rise due to climate change.

National Audubon Society has partnered with the Panama Audubon Society since 2006 to promote the conservation of the Bay of Panama and other conservation efforts in Panama. Together we developed a conservation plan to save the Bay, launched environmental education programs with more than 15 local schools, and built an association of local groups focused on preserving wetland areas critical to birds.

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Birds of Panama

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