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Trafficking Pushes Emblematic Bird Toward Extinction |
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By María Isabel García*
The yellow-eared parrot is a symbol of the critical situation of 112 bird species in Colombia.
BOGOTA - Hunting and illegal trade threatens the existence of a fifth of the 53 parrot species in Colombia, including the 'orejiamarillo', or yellow-eared parrot, which nests in the cloud forests of wax palm.
The yellow-eared parrot, Ognorhynchus icterotis, is named for the yellow plumage surrounding its face and ears, in contrast with the green that covers most of the rest of its body, which measures an average 46 cm long.
This endangered bird is a symbol of the critical situation faced by 112 of the 1,800 types of birds in Colombia, the country with greatest diversity of avian species.
Parrots are one of the most threatened fauna groups in the world, researchers from Proaves Foundation, in the northwestern Colombian city of Medellín, told Tierramérica.
The multiplying effect of the National Plan for Parrot Conservation, in which Proaves is participating, is evident in the fact that these birds inhabit zones in which another 51 threatened species live, and benefit from the conservation measures.
Consequently, Proaves researchers believe that efforts aimed at protecting parrots "assure the survival of 66 percent of all threatened bird species" and of some of the country's most vulnerable ecosystems.
The current population of yellow-eared parrots stands at around 600, concentrated in the central Andean range, one of the three arms that extend into Colombian territory, covering the departments of Tolima and Antioquia.
Early descriptions of the bird, dating to the early 20th century, describe the forests of Andean wax palms (Ceroxylon quindiuense), in which the yellow-eared parrots make their nests.
The relationship between these birds and the expansion of the Colombian national tree is a close one, as the parrots disseminate the tree's seeds.
The preservation of the wax palm as the last habitat of the yellow-eared parrot is highlighted in the "Reconcile with nature" which urges the Roman Catholic faithful not to use this tree's fronds in Palm Sunday ceremonies, held during Holy Week.
The Proaves Foundation also directs Project Ognorhynchus, which tracks the state of the yellow-eared population and other endangered parrots: the Hapalopsittaca amazonina, which inhabits the Andean regions of Colombia and Venezuela, and the Hapalopsittaca fuerttesi, also known as the blue-winged parrot, native to Colombia.
The progress made so far in protecting these birds has been due in large part to the sensitivity of the local communities, and the support of nature reserves managed by civil society groups, as well as the participation of environmental groups and the communications media.
Gustavo Bravo, of the governmental Humboldt Institute, says one of the greatest risk factors for the parrots is that they are "in very high demand as pets."
The Institute published the "Red Book of Birds of Colombia", which contains descriptions of the 112 endangered species, their habitat, behaviors and proposals for their conservation.
* María Isabel García is an IPS correspondent.
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