Soberanía National Park (''Parque Nacional Soberanía'') is a

national park A national park is a nature park, natural park in use for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes, created and protected by national governments. Often it is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state dec ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

near the banks of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...

in the provinces of

Panamá Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cost ...

and Colón, some from

Panama City Panama City ( es, Ciudad de Panamá, links=no; ), also known as Panama (or Panamá in Spanish), is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has an urban population of 880,691, with over 1.5 million in its metropolitan area. The city is locat ...

. The Chagres River runs through the park. Established as a national park in 1980, the park covers . Visitors to the Soberanía National Park can also explore the Las Cruces Trail (Camino de Cruces). This historical trail dates back to the 16th century and was used by the Spanish to transport gold. Parts of the trail are still lined with old stones that once marked the trail's original path. The land that is now the Parque Municipal Summit was originally included in this park, but was turned over to Panama City in 1985.

Birdwatching and fauna

The park is popular with birdwatchers due to its abundance of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

species; some 525 bird species are found here. Pipeline Road extends for 17.5 km north–south through the park and passes through old-growth and secondary forest. Pipeline Road (''Camineo del Oleoducto'') is one of the best places to see tropical birds in the Americas, with a bird species list exceeding 400. Birds regularly seen along Pipeline Road include

double-toothed kite The double-toothed kite (''Harpagus bidentatus'') is a species of bird of prey in subfamily Accipitrinae, the "true" hawks, of family Accipitridae. It is found from central Mexico through Central America into much of northern and eastern South ...

, slaty-backed forest-falcon,

orange-chinned parakeet The orange-chinned parakeet (''Brotogeris jugularis''), also known as the Tovi parakeet, is a small mainly green parrot of the genus ''Brotogeris''. It is found from Mexico, through Central America, to Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtropi ...

, brown-hooded parrot,

blue-headed parrot The blue-headed parrot, also known as the blue-headed pionus (''Pionus menstruus'') is a medium-sized parrot of about 27 cm in length. The body is mostly green, with a blue head and neck, and red undertail coverts. It is a resident in tropi ...

red-lored parrot The red-lored amazon or red-lored parrot (''Amazona autumnalis'') is a species of amazon parrot, native to tropical regions of the Americas, from eastern Mexico south to Ecuador where it occurs in humid evergreen to semi-deciduous forests up to ...

, squirrel cuckoo, white-necked jacobin,

violet-bellied hummingbird The violet-bellied hummingbird (''Chlorestes julie'') is a species of hummingbird characterized by the male's shimmering violet belly. Taxonomy and systematics The scientific name of this bird is currently ''Chlorestes julie,'' however, it wa ...

crowned woodnymph The crowned woodnymph or violet-crowned woodnymph (''Thalurania colombica'') is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found from Belize and Guatemala to northern Peru.HBW and BirdLife Int ...

blue-chested hummingbird The blue-chested hummingbird (''Polyerata amabilis'') is a species of hummingbird in the family Trochilidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland f ...

white-tailed trogon The white-tailed trogon (''Trogon chionurus'') is a near passerine bird in the trogon family. It is found in tropical humid forests of the Chocó, ranging from Panama, through western Colombia, to western Ecuador. It was formerly considered a s ...

gartered trogon The gartered trogon (''Trogon caligatus''), also known as the northern violaceous trogon, is a bird in the family Trogonidae, the quetzals and trogons. It is found in Mexico, all of Central America, and Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. ...

black-throated trogon The black-throated trogon, also known as yellow-bellied trogon, (''Trogon rufus'') is a near passerine bird in the trogon family, Trogonidae. Although it is also called "yellow-bellied trogon" it is not the only trogon with a yellow belly. It b ...

black-tailed trogon The black-tailed trogon (''Trogon melanurus'') is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae, the quetzals and trogons. It is found Panama and northern South America. Taxonomy and systematics The black-tailed trogon has three subspecies accor ...

slaty-tailed trogon The slaty-tailed trogon (''Trogon massena'') is a near passerine bird in the family Trogonidae, the quetzals and trogons. It is found in Mexico, throughout Central America, and in Colombia and Ecuador. Taxonomy and systematics Three subspecie ...

black-mandibled toucan The yellow-throated toucan (''Ramphastos ambiguus'') is a Near Threatened species of bird in the family Ramphastidae, the toucans, toucanets, and aracaris. It is found from Honduras south into northern South America and beyond to Peru. Taxonom ...

keel-billed toucan The keel-billed toucan (''Ramphastos sulfuratus''), also known as sulfur-breasted toucan or rainbow-billed toucan, is a colorful Latin American member of the toucan family. It is the national bird of Belize. The species is found in tropical jungl ...

collared aracari The collared aracari or collared araçari (''Pteroglossus torquatus'') is a near-passerine bird in the toucan family Ramphastidae. It is found from Mexico to Colombia and Venezuela. Taxonomy and systematics The collared aracari was originally ...

black-cheeked woodpecker The black-cheeked woodpecker (''Melanerpes pucherani'') is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found from Mexico south to Ecuador. Taxonomy and systematics The black-cheeked woodpecker and several o ...

cinnamon woodpecker The cinnamon woodpecker (''Celeus loricatus'') is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama. Taxonomy and systematics The cinnamon woodpecker h ...

crimson-crested woodpecker The crimson-crested woodpecker (''Campephilus melanoleucos'') is a species of bird in subfamily Picinae of the woodpecker family Picidae. It is found in Panama, Trinidad, and in every mainland South American country except Chile and Uruguay.Rems ...

, white-whiskered puffbird,

broad-billed motmot The broad-billed motmot (''Electron platyrhynchum'') is a fairly common Central and South American bird of the Momotidae family. They are nonmigratory, sedentary birds that are most frequently seen in singles or pairs. There exist six subspecies ...

rufous motmot The rufous motmot (''Baryphthengus martii'') is a near-passerine bird in the family Momotidae. It is found from northeastern Honduras south to western Ecuador, northern Bolivia, and western Brazil.Master, T. L. (2020). Rufous Motmot (''Barypht ...

northern barred woodcreeper The northern barred woodcreeper (''Dendrocolaptes sanctithomae'') is a species of bird in the subfamily Dendrocolaptinae. It was formerly included as a subspecies of the Amazonian barred woodcreeper (''D. certhia''). It is found from southern Me ...

cocoa woodcreeper The cocoa woodcreeper (''Xiphorhynchus susurrans'') is a passerine bird in the woodcreeper subfamily of the ovenbird family. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the buff-throated woodcreeper (''X. guttatus''). Description It is typicall ...

, black-striped woodcreeper,

fasciated antshrike The fasciated antshrike (''Cymbilaimus lineatus'') is a species of bird in the antbird family Thamnophilidae. The species is found in Central and Southern America. Taxonomy and systematics The species is very closely related to the bamboo antsh ...

black-crowned antshrike The black-crowned antshrike or western slaty antshrike (''Thamnophilus atrinucha'') is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae. It is found in from western Ecuador, western Colombia, western Venezuela, and Central America as far north as B ...

checker-throated stipplethroat The checker-throated stipplethroat (''Epinecrophylla fulviventris''), previously called fulvous-bellied antwren or checker-throated antwren, is a small passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". ...

dot-winged antwren The dot-winged antwren (''Microrhopias quixensis'') or velvety antwren is a passerine bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found in Mexico, every Central American country except El Salvador, B ...

white-flanked antwren The white-flanked antwren (''Myrmotherula axillaris'') is a species of bird in subfamily Thamnophilinae of family Thamnophilidae, the "typical antbirds". It is found from Honduras to Panama in Central America, in every mainland South American c ...

spotted antbird The spotted antbird (''Hylophylax naevioides'') is a species of bird in the family Thamnophilidae. In southern Central America, it is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama; also Colombia and Ecuador of northwestern South America. It ...

, bicolored antbird,

ocellated antbird The ocellated antbird (''Phaenostictus mcleannani'') is a species of antbird in the family Thamnophilidae. It is monotypic within the genus ''Phaenostictus'' and is found in southern Central America and the northwestern part of South America. Its ...

chestnut-backed antbird The chestnut-backed antbird (''Poliocrania exsul'') is a passerine bird in the antbird family. It is found in humid forests in Central and South America ( Chocó-Magdalena), ranging from eastern Nicaragua to western Ecuador. It mainly occurs in l ...

black-faced antthrush The black-faced antthrush (''Formicarius analis''), is a species of passerine bird in the family Formicariidae. Taxonomy The black-faced antthrush was formally described in 1837 by the French naturalists Alcide d'Orbigny and Frédéric de Lafr ...

, southern bentbill,

brownish twistwing The brownish twistwing (''Cnipodectes subbrunneus''), also known as the brownish flycatcher, is a species of bird in the Tyrannidae. It was the only member of the genus ''Cnipodectes'' until the description of '' Cnipodectes superrufus'' in 2007. ...

olivaceous flatbill The olivaceous flatbill (''Rhynchocyclus olivaceus'') is a species of bird in the family Tyrannidae. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. Its natural habitats are subtro ...

, ruddy-tailed flycatcher,

bright-rumped attila The bright-rumped attila or polymorphic attila (''Attila spadiceus'') is a small passerine bird in the tyrant flycatcher family (Tyrannidae). It breeds from northwestern Mexico to western Ecuador, Bolivia and southeastern Brazil, and on Trinidad ...

purple-throated fruitcrow The purple-throated fruitcrow (''Querula purpurata'') is a species of bird in the family Cotingidae, the cotingas. It is the only species of the genus ''Querula''.Schulenberg, T. S., Ed. 2010Purple-throated Fruitcrow (''Querula purpurata'').Neo ...

red-capped manakin The red-capped manakin (''Ceratopipra mentalis'') is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Panama. Its natural habitat is subtropical or t ...

, blue-crowned manakin,

golden-collared manakin The golden-collared manakin (''Manacus vitellinus'') is a species of bird in the family Pipridae. It is found in Colombia and Panama. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and heavily degraded former forest. Re ...

bay wren The bay wren (''Cantorchilus nigricapillus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is native to southern Central America and northwestern South America. Taxonomy and systematics The bay wren has sometimes been treated as cons ...

song wren The song wren (''Cyphorhinus phaeocephalus'') is a species of bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is found in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Taxonomy and systematics At one time the song wren and the mus ...

gray-headed tanager The grey-headed tanager (''Eucometis penicillata'') is a widely distributed species of small Neotropical bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It is the only member of the genus ''Eucometis''. It is found in Central America and northern South ...

white-shouldered tanager The white-shouldered tanager (''Loriotus luctuosus'') is a medium-sized passerine bird. This tanager is a resident breeder from Honduras to Panama, South America south to Ecuador and southern Brazil, and on Trinidad. It occurs in forests and The ...

, red-throated ant-tanager,

blue-black grosbeak The blue-black grosbeak (''Cyanoloxia cyanoides'') is a species of songbird in the family Cardinalidae. The South American Classification Committee of the American Ornithological Society places this species in genus ''Cyanoloxia''. In addition, ...

, scarlet-rumped cacique, and

yellow-rumped cacique The yellow-rumped cacique (''Cacicus cela'') is a passerine bird in the New World family Icteridae. It breeds in much of northern South America from Panama and Trinidad south to Peru, Bolivia and central Brazil. However, they have been sighted as ...

The park's 105 species of

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

s include white-faced capuchin monkeys, mantled howler monkeys, Panamanian night monkeys, Geoffroy's tamarins,

two-toed sloth ''Choloepus'' is a genus of xenarthran mammals of Central and South America within the monotypic family Choloepodidae, consisting of two-toed sloths, sometimes also called two-fingered sloths. The two species of ''Choloepus'' (which means "lame ...

s, three-toed sloths, southern tamanduas,

white-nosed coati The white-nosed coati (''Nasua narica''), also known as the coatimundi (), is a species of coati and a member of the family Procyonidae (raccoons and their relatives). Local Spanish names for the species include ''pizote'', ''antoon'', and ''te ...

s, and agoutis. Green iguanas are also found in the park.Friar, William "Moon Handbook Panama", First Edition, p. 114

References

External links

* (Spanish) {{DEFAULTSORT:Soberania National Park National parks of Panama Protected areas established in 1980 Panamá Province Colón Province Tourist attractions in Colón Province Tourist attractions in Panamá Province