It feeds on and nests in wax palms (Ceroxylon quindiuense), and the large-scale clearance of these trees has precipitated a major decline. Small numbers still persist in Colombia and it is extinct in the northern Ecuador. This is in part due to the nomadic movements of these birds, as flocks wander the landscape in search of fruiting palms. It is rather large, long-tailed and green overall with a contrasting yellow face, cheek, and breast.