Ognorhynchus icterotis (Massena & Souance, 1854)

Species Identification

The yellow-eared parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis) is a relatively large, long-tailed parrot, with an average length of 42 cm (17 in) and a weight of about 285 g (10.1 oz).

Body Coloration

Its body is mostly green, with paler, more lime green underparts than upperparts. Its heavy beak and the ring of bare skin around its eyes are black.

Etymology

Its common name comes from the yellow feather patch that extends from its forehead down to its cheeks and ear-coverts.

Vocalization

Its calls sound similar to the calls of geese.

Primary Distribution

The yellow-eared parrot lives and nests among wax palms in a small number of areas in the Western and Central cordilleras of Colombia, which are northern subranges of the Andes.

Habitat and Nesting

It inhabits cloud forests located 1800–3000 meters above sea level, and nests in the hollow trunks of wax palms, usually 25–30 meters above the forest floor.

Historical Ecuador Range

It also occurred in very restricted local areas of northern Ecuador.

1999 Population Census

This species' population has been greatly reduced; a 1999 Colombian census recorded only 81 individuals.

Main Decline Drivers

Population declines have been driven by hunting and habitat destruction, particularly the harvesting of wax palm, which was traditionally cut down annually for use in Palm Sunday celebrations.

Ecuador Population Status

There has been no confirmed record of this parrot in Ecuador since the mid-1990s.

Current Population Estimates

The wild population holds 212 mature individuals, and the total estimated wild population across all age classes is 1,408 individuals.

Additional Colombian Location

The species is also found in Riosucio, Caldas, Colombia.

Habitat Loss Impacts

The yellow-eared parrot has suffered heavily from habitat fragmentation and habitat loss. In Colombia specifically, over 90-93% of montane forests have been cleared for agricultural use or human settlement.

Habitat Fragmentation Effects

Decline has been worsened even when large areas of historical habitat remain, as the remaining current habitat is the most impacted.

Host Palm Dependence

The yellow-eared parrot depends heavily on the Quindio wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense), a palm species native to the humid montane Andean forests of Colombia.

Wax Palm Usage

The parrot uses this palm for roosting, nesting, and feeding on its fruits, nesting 25–30 meters above the forest floor inside the palm's trunk.

Wax Palm Threats

The Quindio wax palm itself has become highly threatened because its fronds are used to adorn Palm Sunday processions.

Additional Anthropogenic Threats

Additional threats to the yellow-eared parrot include residential and commercial development (such as housing and urban areas), plus logging and wood harvesting.

Local Hunting Pressure

The yellow-eared parrot is hunted for food at local and national levels.

Wildlife Trade Pressure

Internationally, capture for use as a pet or display animal has also contributed to the species' decline.

Ecuador Extirpation Cause

Previous hunting for food, especially in Ecuador, is the reason very few to no individuals of this species are found in Ecuador today.