Data Zone
Country/territory: Panama
IBA criteria met: A4i, A4iii (2003)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 29,700 ha
Site description (2003 baseline)
The Chimán Wetlands include extensive mudflats (11,400 ha), up to three km wide, and coastal mangroves (18,300 ha) from the Ensenada de Corral at the mouth of the La Maestra River eastward to Punta Bruja, at the base of the Serranía de Majé). The site merges with the Upper Bay of Panama IBA to the west. Short rivers from the Serranía drain into the area, including the Platanares and Chimán. There are small villages at Chimán at the mouth of the Chimán River and at Punta Brujas, and a few other settlements inland.
Key biodiversity
The site is an important area for migratory shorebirds. The highest single day count was 11,663 in October 1991, of which 6,044 were small shorebirds. Taking turnover into account, 22,000 small shorebirds may use the area during autumn migration. Based on one-day counts, this area may contain 1.7% of the North American population of Whimbrel.
Non-bird biodiversity: Neotropical River Otter, Crab-eating Raccoon, and American Crocodile probably occur.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Chimán Wetlands (Panama). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/chimán-wetlands-iba-panama on 24/11/2024.