Introduction to Lovebirds
These small parrots are popular with both companion bird owners and Professional Aviculturists
The African Love Bird is unusual in that some species are relatively new to the world of Aviculture, while others are very old. In fact, several species were not even discovered until this century, yet others have been kept by man for over four hundred years. Love Birds, whose Latin or scientific name of the genus is Agapornis, acquired their name because of their fondness for sitting in pairs while preening each other’s feathers. A few basic facts to remember about Love Birds are, first, they are small in size, second, they originate from Africa and its adjacent islands and third, all Love Birds are members of the parrot family. This stout little parrot with its short rounded tail, comprises a total of nine different species. While some species are nearly as common as budgies, others remain as rare as the most elusive bird in the wild.
Monomorphics
The monomorphics include sexes which appear visually alike. In Love Birds, it includes two categories, birds with a periophtalmic ring (a ring around the eye) and those without a ring.
Eye-R
ings
Fischer’s Lovebird, Agapornis Fischeri, both cocks and hens appear alike. Fischer’s Love Birds are green, being darker on the wings and back, and lighter on the underparts. The forehead is bright orange-red, suffusing to dark olive, with cheeks and throat a paler orange. The rump and upper tail coverts are violet blue. The bill is coral red, the cere and bare skin around the eye is white and the feet are pale gray.
In the wild, Fischer’s lovebirds are found on the inland plateaus of northern Tanzania. In captivity, they breed freely and have been bred in large colonies.
Nyasa Love Bird, Agapornis Lilianae, is also called Lilian’s Love Bird. Nyasa’a are green, paler on the underparts and darker on the back and wings. The head is bright salmon to orange, brighter on the forehead, and paler on the cheeks, throat and upper breast. The core and ring around the eye are bare white skin. The bill is red, and the feet are gray.
The Nyasa is another Love Bird relatively new to aviculture. It was not described until the late 1890’s by Miss Lilian Sclater, for whom it was named. However, it was not until the 1920’s that it was imported. In the wild, Nyasas are gregarious, and found in groups of twenty to one hundred birds. In captivity, they breed freely in colonies, as well as in cages. They are the rarest eye-ring in captivity.
Black-cheeked Love Bird, Agapornis Nigrigenis, are green, being slightly dark
er than thee throat salmon, the back of the head is yellowish-olive and the wings are darker green. The cere and the ring around the eye are bare white skin. The bill is bright red and the feet are gray.
The Black-cheeked is fond in the most restrictive areas. It is located in two river valleys, one in southwest Zambia and the other in the Victoria Falls area of Zimbabwe. The Black-cheeked Love Bird was similarly not described until the early 1900’s and was imported shortly thereafter. The birds are good breeders, and can be bred in colonies.
Masked Love
Bird, Agapornis Personata, has a generally green plumage, with the head, including the lores and cheeks, brown to sooty black. A yellow collar, about half an inch wide at its narrowest point on the back of the neck, is widest on the breast. The cere, and bare skin area around the eye, is white. The bill is red, and the feet are blackish-gray.
The Masked Love Bird is foind on inland plateaus in northeastern Tanzania. Discovered in the late 1800’s, they were not imported until the 1920’s. Masked Love Birds breed freely in colonies. The blue mutation occured in the wild, and was imported soon after its introduction.
Non-E
ye-Rings
Peachfaced Love Bird, Agapornis Roseicollis, has an overall bright, almond-green plumage, which is yellow on the underside, with a brilliant blue rump. The frontal band is a deep rose-red, and the lores, sides of the head, and throat, are a paler rose-red. The bill is horn colored and greenish toward the tip. The feet are gray.
The Peachfaced is found in the dry country of South Angola. It was first found in the late 1700’s but was confused at that time with the Red-faced Love Bird. In the wild, birds are usually found in groups of ten. In captivity, the are most prolific, to the point of domesticity.
Black-collared Love Bird, Agapornis Swinderniana, is also known as Swindern’s Love Bird. The Swindern’s must be discussed differently from other Love Birds since it also includes a distinct and separate sub-species.
In Agapornis Swinderniana, the main body color is dusky green, lighter on the cheeks and underparts, with a yellow wash on the throat. A narrow black collar on the nape, with a chrome yellow area below, merges into the green of the back. The lower back, rump, and upper tail coverts, are brilliant blue; the underwing coverts are green. The central tail feathers are green, occasionally with a red-orange spot; lateral tail feathers are bright red towards the base, with a black bar and green tips. The iris of the eye is golden-yellow. The bill is blackish-horn and the feet are dark gray. It is a dense forest dweller, found in Liberia and is considered to be rare in the wild.
In Agapornis Swinderniana Zenkeri, the yellow area below the nuchal collar is extended and is colored orange. It is also slightly brighter green and slightly larger in size than A.s. swinderniana. A.s. zenkeri is found in the Cameroons, east of the central part of Zaire. This particular subspecies was kept alive in Africa by a missionary named Father Hutsebour. He was able to keep these birds alive on a diet of sycamore figs. However, when the birds were removed from this diet, they would die within three days. They have never been successfully exported.
Dimorphics
In Love Birds, three of the nine species are dimorphic. A species is dimorphic if the cock is visibly different in color from the hen. The following three love bird species, Madagascar, Red-faced, and Abyssinian, fall into this category.
Madagascar Love Bird, or Agapornis Cana, is also known as the Grayheaded Love Bird. Cocks carry gray on the head, back of the neck and breast; a green body that is darker on the back and wings, black underwing coverts, a whitish gray bill and pale gray feet. Hens differ from the cocks by being completely green.
As might be expected, the Madagascar Love Bird is from the island of Madagascar. It is also found in smaller numbers on some of the neighboring islands and there have been isolated sightings on the mainland of South Africa. These birds have been freely imported for well over a hundred years. Today, because of export regulations out of Madagascar, this species has become very rare.
One reason Madagascars are rare is that they are not prolific breeders. They are usually bred in pairs, which adds to the difficulty of finding sufficient space. In the wild, they are found in very large flocks, however, captive breeding has not been generally successful when colony breeding is attempted.
Red-faced Love Bird, or Agapornis Pullaria, is the second species of dimorphic Love Bird. Cocks are colored birght green, and are more yellowish on the front and underneath. The face and crown are orange-red, the flights and bend of the wing are green, and the shoulder and underwing coverts are black. The bill is red, and the feet are gray. Red-faced Love Bird hens have more orange in the face, which is not quite as bright red, while underwing coverts are green.
The Red-faced has perhaps the longest expanse of territory of any of the love birds. It stretches from the coastal regions of central Africa, all the way to western Ethiopia. The Red-faced is considered to be the first love bird imported into Europe. The Duke of Bedford mentions that it was used in portraits as early as the 16th cetury.
Considering this long period in captivity, one would assume the bird to be well established and certainly, well understood. However, the converse is true. There are few Red-faced Love Birds in captivity, and they have been bred on only a few occasions. Here in the United States, only a handful of have had success with this species. In the wild, Red-faced lovebirds nest in termite sites, however, in captivity, they have been bred using different methods. The key to breeding success appears to be in keeping this species in single pairs.
The abyssinian is a high altitude dweller from Ethiopia. It was little known to aviculture until this century and was first imported into the trade in the early 1900’s. Abyssinians are definitely a "single pair" breeder.
