Panama may be famous for its toucans, hummingbirds, motmots and spectacular tropical forests, but above the canopy is another world that is much easier to overlook. Hawks, kites, eagles and other birds of prey patrol Panama's skies, from the mangroves of the Pacific coast to the dense forests of Darién and the cloud forests of Chiriquí.
And Panama has an extraordinary advantage when it comes to seeing them. The country's narrow shape creates a natural funnel between North and South America, turning the Panamanian sky into one of the most spectacular migration corridors on Earth.
A river of hawks
Every year, millions of raptors travel south through Panama during their autumn migration. From roughly October into November, birds that have spent the northern summer in Canada and the United States begin moving toward their wintering grounds in Central and South America. Rather than crossing huge expanses of open ocean, many follow the land corridor through Central America.
The result can be astonishing.
At Cerro Ancón in Panama City, Audubon Panamá operates its Rapaces de Océano a Océano monitoring program. The site is one of only a handful of places in the world where more than a million migrating raptors can pass through during a season. Audubon Panamá recorded an estimated 2.9 million raptors in 2018 alone, including almost 951,000 Swainson's Hawks and more than 466,000 Broad-winged Hawks.
Imagine standing on a hill above Panama City and looking upward to see the blue sky gradually filling with birds.
Not ten.
Not a hundred.
Thousands.
The Broad-winged Hawk: Panama's great traveller
One of the stars of this migration is the Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus). These medium-sized raptors are remarkable long-distance travellers, and Panama becomes an important highway during their journey south.
Unlike a bird that simply flaps its wings continuously for thousands of kilometres, Broad-winged Hawks are masters of efficiency. They search for rising columns of warm air called thermals, climb within them and then glide forward before finding another thermal.
This creates the famous phenomenon known as a kettle: dozens, hundreds or even thousands of hawks circling together in a giant spiral.
The Smithsonian has documented extraordinary concentrations of Broad-winged Hawks over Panama, including an observation in which more than 30,000 passed overhead in only three hours.
For a birdwatcher, it is one of those experiences that makes you stop talking and simply stare.
Swainson's Hawks join the spectacle
The Swainson's Hawk is another spectacular migrant. These birds undertake an enormous journey between North America and South America, with Panama forming part of their route.
They can travel in enormous groups, using the same thermals that make the migration look almost like a living tornado in the sky.
Audubon Panamá's long-running monitoring program has counted hundreds of thousands of Swainson's Hawks during peak migration.
The remarkable thing is that Panama isn't necessarily their final destination. For many of these birds, it is simply one chapter in an extraordinary continental journey.
But Panama has resident hawks too
Not every hawk in Panama is passing through.
The country has a remarkable resident raptor community, with dozens of species of hawks and kites recorded. Panama's 2025 bird list includes species such as the Roadside Hawk, Gray Hawk, Gray-lined Hawk, White Hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, Barred Hawk, Common Black Hawk, Great Black Hawk and Semiplumbeous Hawk.
Some are surprisingly easy to overlook.
The Roadside Hawk, for example, can turn up around forest edges, roads and more open habitats. Others are much more secretive, spending their lives inside mature forest where simply getting a glimpse can be a serious achievement.
This is one reason Panama is so fascinating for birdwatchers: different habitats produce completely different raptor experiences.
The White Hawk looks almost unreal
One of Panama's most beautiful birds of prey is the White Hawk (Pseudastur albicollis).
With its predominantly white plumage and dark markings, it can look almost artificial when it suddenly appears above the forest. It is particularly associated with tropical forests and is one of those birds that can leave even experienced birdwatchers reaching desperately for their binoculars.
Other species are much darker and more cryptic, disappearing against the forest canopy almost as quickly as they appeared.
And then there is the Harpy Eagle
Technically, the Harpy Eagle isn't a hawk, but it belongs to the same broader group of powerful birds of prey and deserves a special mention because it is arguably Panama's most legendary raptor.
The Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja) is an enormous forest predator, built for hunting in the canopy rather than soaring endlessly over open landscapes. Its huge talons and powerful legs allow it to capture prey such as sloths and monkeys.
Panama has played an important role in Harpy Eagle conservation, including historical reintroduction work documented by the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
Seeing one in the wild is a completely different experience from watching migrating hawks overhead. A Harpy Eagle may sit quietly somewhere inside the forest canopy, almost invisible despite its enormous size.
And then, suddenly, the forest erupts.
Why Panama is so important
The extraordinary diversity of Panama's raptors is ultimately connected to geography.
Panama is the narrow bridge connecting two enormous continents. Its forests, mountains, wetlands and coastlines provide habitat for resident birds while its position creates an unavoidable route for enormous numbers of migrants.
Audubon notes that Panama contains an extraordinary range of habitats, from humid jungle and mangroves to dry environments and high-elevation cloud forests, supporting more than 1,000 bird species overall.
For raptors, the geography is particularly valuable.
The mountains provide thermals. The forests provide prey. The wetlands provide hunting grounds. And the narrow land corridor provides a route between continents.
Look up in October
For travellers visiting Panama during the migration season, one of the easiest wildlife experiences may be happening directly above their heads.
You don't necessarily need to hike deep into the jungle.
You don't need an expensive boat trip.
Sometimes all you need is a hill, a pair of binoculars and patience.
Around October and November, look upward. A small dark shape may become ten birds. Ten may become a hundred. And suddenly the sky can begin to move in a gigantic spiral as thousands of raptors ride invisible columns of warm air southward.
That is the magic of Panama's hawks.
The rainforest may contain the monkeys, sloths and jaguars that everyone comes to see, but above the rainforest is one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the entire country, a continental highway filled with wings.