Lovebirds

 Overview

Lovebirds are small, adorable parrots from the genus Agapornis. Nine species occurs in Africa whilst the grey-headed lovebird is native to Madagascar.

In nature, small flocks of lovebirds group together and are monogamous, with pairs bonding for life. They can be seen petting each other, whilst the male will feed the female. There diet includes vegetables, fruit, grasses and seeds. Black-winged lovebirds include figs and insects in their diet, whilst black-collared lovebirds are difficult to keep as they feed on native figs in a special diet, which is not available in other countries.

The average lifespan of lovebirds are 10 to 12 years.

Species include :

· Rosy-faced lovebird, Agapornis roseicollis, (Vieillot, 1818)—or peach-faced lovebird

o Agapornis roseicollis catumbella, B.P. Hall, 1952

o Agapornis roseicollis roseicollis, (Vieillot 1818)

· Yellow-collared lovebird, Agapornis personatus, Reichenow, 1887—or masked lovebird

· Fischer's lovebird, Agapornis fischeri, Reichenow, 1887

· Lilian's lovebird, Agapornis lilianae, Shelley, 1894—or Nyasa lovebird

· Black-cheeked lovebird, Agapornis nigrigenis, W.L. Sclater, 1906

· Grey-headed lovebird, Agapornis canus, (Gmelin, 1788)—or Madagascar lovebird

o Agapornis canus ablectaneus, Bangs, 1918

o Agapornis canus canus, (Gmelin, 1788)

· Black-winged lovebird, Agapornis taranta, (Stanley, 1814)—or Abyssinian lovebird

· Red-headed lovebird, Agapornis pullarius, (Linnaeus, 1758)—or red-faced lovebird

o Agapornis pullarius pullarius, (Linnaeus, 1758)

o Agapornis pullarius ugandae, Neumann, 1908

· Black-collared lovebird, Agapornis swindernianus, (Kuhl, 1820)—or Swindern's lovebird

o Agapornis swindernianus emini, Neumann, 1908

o Agapornis swindernianus swindernianus, (Kuhl, 1820)

o Agapornis swindernianus zenkeri, Reichenow, 1895

There are also hybrid colonies which differ in colour. A reddish-brown head and orange upper chest masked lovebird are found in East Africa’s suburban areas, Arizona and Southern California, whilst white, yellow as well as blue hybrids are found in Southern Africa.

Pets

Whilst lovebirds are adorable pets and will also preen a human, however, it is preferred that young chickens are left to be raised by the parents for at least 55 days. It is important that the lovebirds have sufficient space to move around and aviaries should be as large as possible. Birds that are kept indoors need a lot of attention and have to be watched as they untie knots, chew everything, climb over and under every object and are real hyperactive clowns. Birds kept outside, need provision for shelter, nests and plenty of space, toys and ropes to hang, climb and chew.

They enjoy sitting in the sun and waiting for the winter sun to comfort them early morning and wait quietly in the late afternoon for the sun to set. 

At the same time, they also enjoy a summer shower or if you put the sprayer on, they will enjoy a bath if it is not too late in the afternoon. They also take a bath in their water bowl, therefore it is necessary to have fresh water available continuously. I supply them from a water tank that is permanently coupled and set to slow feed the water supply.

Males and Females

Male lovebirds regurgitate and feed the females, whilst females will stuff their feathers with nest building material. Some people also believe that they can sex the lovebirds by feeling the pelvic bones. When the points are nearer together it indicates a male, whilst the wider points indicate a female as she needs more space for the eggs to pass through. However, the only sure method is a DNA test.

Diet

They love to eat fruit such as apples; vegetables like cabbage, sweet potato, cauliflower, spinach; mixed grains, seeds and nuts. One can also feed them parrot pellets for a more balanced mix of food. They are vegetarian and enjoy weeds from the garden, especially grasses, purslane, thistle, milkwood leaves, etc.

Aggression

Lovebirds are very territorial and will harm other birds if they are together in an aviary. Their favourite is to bite toes and they will bite it off with their sharp beaks. The chickens’ feet are also bitten when they teach them to fly and you need to keep a close eye on them as they may also be treated a bit rough! I remove a chicken and keep them indoors for a few days if there is any injury on it, as it will not survive the onslaught from the adults.

Source : Wikipedia, own