Current view: Text account
Site description (2003 baseline):
Site location and context
Escudo de Veraguas is a small (400 ha) island located 17.6 km off the coast of the Valiente Peninsula, approximately 4 km long by 1.5 km wide. Access for much of the year is difficult due to sea conditions.
The Escudo Hummingbird (Wetmore 1968) is restricted to the island. Of the nine resident land birds, three are represented by endemic subspecies. Three-wattled Bellbird apparently occurs regularly on the island. These are most likely post-breeding dispersers from the highlands, but breeding is not out of the question. Uniform Crake is abundant on the island. Brown Boobies nest on islets off the western side, one of only three breeding sites on the Caribbean side of Panama (Wetmore 1959, Handley 1993).
Non-bird biodiversity: There are three other species of endemic vertebrates: Escudo Fruit-eating Bat Artibeus incomitatus, Pygmy Sloth Bradypus pygmaeus, and the salamander Oedipina maritima. There is also an endemic supspecies of Armored Rat (Hoplomys). The frog Eleutherodactylus rugulosus also occurs.
The island is almost entirely covered with low evergreen lowland forest, with scattered trees rising to 20 m, but severely affected by wind. Extensive swampy areas are found in the center of the island, and there is a small stand of mangroves on the southeastern point. Small islets are found on the western and eastern sides.
Podocarpus trees, more typical of high elevations in Central America, occur here near sea level. Extensive coral reefs occur. At one point about 5% of the island had been cleared for dwellings and plantain and coconut plantations (Wetmore 1959, Handley 1993), but much of this has now regenerated. A few Ngobe live on the island year round, but up to 200 may visit during the fishing season from August to October.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The resident Ngobe are occupied mainly with fishing and have cleared relatively little land for agriculture. However, the island is very attractive and there have been suggestions to develop it for tourism.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
The Smithsonian Institution has conducted surveys on the island.
The island is unprotected. However, discussions are underway to include it in the Damani Wetlands of International Importance.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Isla Escudo de Veraguas (Escudo de Veraguas Island IBA) (Panama). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/isla-escudo-de-veraguas-(escudo-de-veraguas-island-iba)-iba-panama on 23/11/2024.
