The Story
I photographed this Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis) perched on a wax palm in the forests near Cajamarca, Tolima, Colombia, in October 2020, with its green plumage and yellow ear patches. Its name comes from the yellow feathers that run from the forehead down over its cheeks and ear coverts. It was thought to be extinct until April 1999, when researchers found 81 birds in the Colombian Andes. It nests in the hollow trunks of wax palms and leans on the same palms for roosting and food. IUCN lists it as Vulnerable.
I made this frame with a Pentax K-1 and the HD Pentax-D FA 150-450mm f/4.5-5.6, at 1/320 sec, f/5.6, ISO 3200. IUCN moved the Yellow-eared Parrot from Critically Endangered to Vulnerable as its numbers recovered, while Colombia’s 2024 national list, Resolution 0126, still treats it as Endangered.
©2024 Adam Rainoff Photographer
The bird
The Yellow-eared Parrot (Ognorhynchus icterotis) belongs to the family Psittacidae (New World and African Parrots) in the eBird/Clements taxonomy.
Source: eBird.org (opens in a new tab)
Conservation
Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List (assessment published 2020), with the population trend listed as increasing. Source: IUCN Red List