Critically Endangered

The Yellow-Eared Conure (Ognorhynchus icterotis) may be one of the most endangered parrots in the world. This large, macaw-sized South American parakeet once was numerous and commonly seen in the high Andes mountains of Ecuador and Colombia. However, due to habitat destruction and being hunted for food, the Yellow-Eared Conure now is on the brink of extinction.

A small population of 110 birds is clinging to existence in a remote, unprotected area of Colombia. Many bird species are threatened due to pressures of trapping for the pet trade, but this is not the case with the Yellow-Eared Conure. In fact, it is essentially not kept in captivity and no successful breeding has ever been achieved in captivity. This very fact makes it the parrot most threatened with extinction in the Americas. If it cannot survive in the wild state, it will disappear from the planet forever.  The Yellow-Eared Conure is listed as "Critically Endangered" and appears in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

ICA Joins the Fight for Survival