It was thought to be extinct up until April 1999, when a group of researchers that were sponsored by ABC and Fundación Loro Parque, discovered a total of 81 individuals in the Colombian Andes.

The origin of the common epithet "yellow-eared" derives from the yellow patch of feathers that extends from the forehead down to its cheeks and ear-coverts.

[5] The yellow-eared parrot nests and lives among wax palms in a few areas of Western and Central cordilleras of Colombia, which are northern sub-ranges of the Andes, where it inhabits cloud forests about 1800–3000 meters above sea level.

[6] Some other threats include residential and commercial development such as housing and urban areas, as well as logging and wood harvesting.

[1] From 1998, Fundación ProAves with the support of Fundacion Loro Parque, American Bird Conservancy, CORANTIOQUIA, and local environmentalists like Gonzalo Cardona Molina[7] have undertaken an intensive conservation project across Colombia that has led to one of Latin America's most successful recoveries of an endangered bird.

As a result of the initial finding of this small population, Fundación ProAves Yellow-eared Parrot Bird Reserve has been founded to focus on recovering this species, along with the wax palm.

Currently in Colombia, there are awareness raising events to reduce hunting pressure and the impact of Palm Sunday processions which involve poster campaigns, environmental education, community workshops, school visits, and radio.

A significant increase in the population can be attributed to the implementation of fencing and breeding sites to allow wax palm regeneration and habitat restoration and provision of artificial nest boxes.

With protection and community support, the yellow-eared parrot population has climbed to over 1500 individuals by 2012, with one of the most successful recovery projects for an endangered bird.

There has also been talk of purchasing and protecting further habitats in these regions, along with making wax palm nurseries in order to replant those that were destroyed.

At this event forty women researchers shared their inspiring stories about how they are changing the world through their loves for science and the environment.