Yellow-eared parrot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Yellow-eared parrot |
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| Genus: |
Ognorhynchus
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| Species: |
icterotis
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The yellow-eared parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis) is a special type of parrot. It lives in the Andes mountains of Colombia. This bird is considered a vulnerable species. This means it is at risk of disappearing forever.
People once thought this parrot was extinct, meaning completely gone. But in April 1999, researchers found 81 of them in Colombia! Since then, many people have worked hard to protect these parrots. Their numbers are now growing, which is great news. These parrots love to live near a tree called the wax palm.
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About the Yellow-Eared Parrot
The yellow-eared parrot is a fairly large bird with a long tail. It is about 42 cm (17 in) long and weighs around 285 g (10.1 oz). Its body is mostly green. The feathers on its belly are a lighter, lime green color.
This parrot has a strong black beak. It also has a ring of black skin around its eyes. The name "yellow-eared" comes from the bright yellow feathers. These feathers stretch from its forehead down to its cheeks and cover its ears. When these parrots call, they sound a bit like geese.
Where Yellow-Eared Parrots Live
Yellow-eared parrots make their homes in wax palms. They live in a few parts of the Western and Central mountains of Colombia. These areas are high up in the Andes. They prefer cloud forests, which are misty forests, about 1,800 to 3,000 meters above sea level.
These parrots build their nests inside hollow wax palm trunks. Their nests are usually very high up, about 25 to 30 meters off the ground. They were also found in northern Ecuador a long time ago. However, no one has seen them there since the mid-1990s.
In 1999, only 81 yellow-eared parrots were counted in Colombia. Their numbers dropped because of hunting. Also, their homes were destroyed, especially when wax palms were cut down. People traditionally used these palms for Palm Sunday celebrations. Today, there are about 212 adult parrots. But it is believed that there are around 1,408 parrots in total in the wild. You can also find them in Riosucio, Caldas in Colombia.
Parrot Life and Habits
Diet and Food
Yellow-eared parrots depend a lot on the wax palm tree. The fruit of the wax palm is one of their main foods. They also eat other fruits and seeds. Sometimes, they eat bark, buds, and ferns. They nest in the hollow trunks of these tall trees. This is why they live in the cloud forests and elfin forests of Colombia.
Breeding and Social Life
Yellow-eared parrots are social birds. They often gather in groups of 10 to 20 birds. Sometimes, several parrots work together to raise their young chicks. This teamwork helps more chicks survive. These birds can have up to two groups of babies each year.
Dangers to the Yellow-Eared Parrot
The yellow-eared parrot has faced big problems. Their homes have been broken up and lost. Over 90% of the mountain forests in Colombia have been cleared. This land was used for farming or building towns. Even where their old homes used to be, the forests are still shrinking.
The Quindio wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense) is very important to these parrots. This palm grows in the humid mountain forests of the Andes in Colombia. The yellow-eared parrot needs this palm for resting, nesting, and eating its fruits. They nest inside the trunks, usually 25 to 30 meters high. This palm tree has become very threatened. Its fronds (leaves) were traditionally used for Palm Sunday parades. Other dangers include new houses and buildings. Logging and cutting down trees for wood also hurt their habitat.
Hunting and Trade
The yellow-eared parrot has been hunted for food by local people. At an international level, people also wanted these parrots as pets or for display. This also caused their numbers to drop. They were especially hunted in Ecuador. This is why there are very few, if any, of these parrots left in Ecuador today.
Helping the Yellow-Eared Parrot
Since 1998, many groups have worked together to save these parrots. Fundación ProAves, Fundacion Loro Parque, American Bird Conservancy, and local environmentalists have done a lot. Their efforts have led to one of the most successful recoveries of an endangered bird in Latin America.
Because of the small number of parrots found, the Fundación ProAves Yellow-eared Parrot Bird Reserve was created. This reserve focuses on helping the parrot and the wax palm recover. In Colombia, there are now events to teach people. These events help reduce hunting. They also teach people not to use wax palm fronds for Palm Sunday. They use posters, school visits, and radio to spread the word.
A big campaign helped people learn about the parrot's problems. This included TV and radio ads, music concerts, and a "Parrot Bus" that traveled around. This campaign brought together over 35 groups, including the Catholic Church. With the Church's support, people stopped using wax palm fronds for Palm Sunday in much of Colombia. They started using other plants instead.
The parrot population has grown a lot. This is because people put up fences and created breeding sites. This allows wax palms to grow back. They also restored habitats and put up artificial nest boxes. Fundación ProAves owns two reserves for these parrots. One is near Jardín, and the other is in Roncesvalles-Tolima.
In 2009, several groups created a protected area of over 16,000 acres. This area helps the yellow-eared parrot and other threatened parrots in Colombia. Artificial nests were also put in place in San Luis de Cubarral in 2011. With protection and community help, the yellow-eared parrot population grew to over 1,500 by 2012. This is one of the most successful projects for an endangered bird. In the future, people want to find more parrot groups, especially in Ecuador. There are also plans to buy and protect more habitats. They also want to grow wax palm nurseries to replant trees that were destroyed.
In 2021, Sara Inés Lara, who leads Fundación ProAves, spoke at a special event. She talked about how ProAves helped the yellow-eared parrot population grow from 81 in 1999 to over 3,000 today. ProAves also works with Women for Conservation. They protect the parrots and help women in Colombia find ways to earn a living. Women for Conservation creates networks for women in communities. They offer workshops, environmental education, and training as reserve rangers.
What Still Needs to Be Done
To keep helping the yellow-eared parrot, we need to keep protecting their homes. This means buying and protecting more land where they live. We also need to continue the successful work in Colombia. It would also be great to extend these efforts to Ecuador. This would help any parrot groups found there in the future.
Researchers also need to find out more about the parrot's population. They need to know its size, where it lives, and how its numbers are changing. This means searching for more parrot groups. They especially want to check the Intag Valley in Ecuador. They also plan to map the homes of parrots around the Volcán Ruiz-Tolima mountains.
Images for kids
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Yellow-eared parrot in Colombia
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Panorama of the Cocora valley with wax palms
