The southern Ecuadorian population of "Ara ambiguus" ssp. "guayaquilensis" is mostly protected in the Cerro Blanco Forest just west of the city of Guayaquil, a private reserve administered by the Ecuadorian NGO Fundación Pro-Bosque, which is expanding the plantings of native trees on the grounds. The Jambeli Foundation undertakes captive reproduction near the city, and a number of municipal organisations such as Parque Historico, the Urban Parks and Public Spaces Administration and the Guayaquil Botanical Garden undertake educational activities related to this bird. It is used as a flagship species for conservation of the fragmented remnants of the dry forest ecosystem only found near this city.