New distributional information is summarized from avifaunal surveys co
nducted from 1987 to 1991 in the ornithologically unknown islands of t
he province of Bocas del Toro, Panama, and points on the adjacent main
land. These establish the region of the Laguna de Chiriqui to be of gr
eat biogeographic interest and complexity. New records include 3 speci
es new to Panama, and 11 species and 3 subspecies new to Bocas del Tor
o. Two taxa of birds (Platyrinchus cancrominus and a form of Chloropha
nes spiza) are relicts on islands and are not resident on the Panamani
an mainland. Four pairs of species or subspecies (Anthracothorax prevo
stii/A. veraguensis, Glaucis aenea/G. hirsuta, Gymnopithys bicolor oli
vascens/G. b. bicolor, and Tangara inornata rava/T. i. languens) are s
hown for the first time to change abruptly over a narrow distance alon
g the southern shore of the Laguna de Chiriqui.