Yellow-eared parrot  (Ognorhynchus icterotis)

Once numerous, the yellow-eared parrot has declined dramatically in the face of hunting for food and habitat destruction for farming and cattle ranching (4) (5). Wax palms, on which this species appears to rely so heavily, have become endangered. For centuries, Colombian Christians have used wax palm fronds for Palm Sunday processions, and peasants fell the wax palms just to strip the highly prized young emerging fronds for sale to worshippers (6). Recruitment of new trees is extremely low due to livestock browsing on young seedlings, thus preventing the natural replacement of the forest, and logging in adjacent areas is increasing the tree's susceptibility to disease. In addition, hunting of the parrots for food was prolific in Ecuador, and trapping has had some impact in Colombia (4).

Thankfully, due to cooperative conservation efforts the yellow-eared parrot and the wax palm have been given a new lease of life and are well on their way to recovery with a population of 660 birds, a remarkable increase from an estimated 144 just a few short years ago (4) (6). A powerful alliance forged between Conservation International (CI), its partner Fundación ProAves and the Roman Catholic Church has ended the use of wax palm fronds in Palm Sunday services in much of Colombia and the U.S., hailed as one of the most successful biodiversity conservation campaigns in Latin American history. In 1999, Fundación ProAves with the support of CI, American Bird Conservancy, and Loro Parque Fundación began an intensive conservation project, which included the creation of 25 private nature reserves and the reforestation of 36,000 trees, including 10,000 wax palms (6). Breeding sites are being fenced to allow wax palm regeneration and artificial nest boxes are being provided (4). In addition, national television campaigns in Colombia have helped educate the public about the problems the parrot and its habitat face, and government, police, military, and even rebel guerrilla forces now prohibit the sale or exploitation of both wax palms and yellow-eared parrots (6). The historical roosting site in Ecuador has also recently been bought and is being reforested, and it is hoped that a public awareness campaign within the locality will stop hunting for food (4).