Yellow-eared Parrot

Overview

The yellow-eared parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis) is a vulnerable, long-tailed parrot found in the Andes of Colombia and historically in northern Ecuador. It was thought to be extinct until a group of researchers discovered 81 individuals in 1999, and its population is now increasing due to conservation efforts.

Identification

• Relatively large and long-tailed, with an average length of 42 cm and a weight of about 285 g.
• Overall green plumage with paler, lime green underparts compared to the upperparts.
• Heavy black beak and a black ring of bare skin around the eyes.
• A distinctive yellow patch of feathers extends from the forehead down to the cheeks and ear-coverts.
• Calls sound similar to those of geese.

Habitat

This species inhabits cloud and elfin forests in the Western and Central cordilleras of Colombia, typically between 1800 and 3000 meters above sea level. It is closely associated with wax palms, nesting in their hollow trunks 25–30 meters above the ground. It also occurred very locally in northern Ecuador, though there has been no confirmed record from that region since the mid-1990s.

Diet

Yellow-eared parrots rely heavily on wax palm fruit as a principal food source but also consume other fruits, seeds, bark, buds, and ferns.

Did you know?

The species was believed to be extinct until April 1999, when a team sponsored by ABC and Fundación Loro Parque rediscovered a population of just 81 individuals in the Colombian Andes.