Lovebirds a Guide to a Frica's Smallest Parrots
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Lovebirds a guide to A frica's Smallest Parrots © Text and photographs: Cyril Laubscher, Kent, Eng/and Introduction Lovebirds have, justifiably, for many years been popular aviary birds. In the last 20-30 years, their popularity has increased tremendously and today there are around 250 different muta tions recorded - spread among six of the eight species that are generally available to bird breeders. This article will deal with the gener al ornithological aspects of the nine species in the genus Agapomis. Eight of the species inhabit the African con tinent with the ninth found only in Madagascar. I have followed the classification of the nine species and subspecies as list ed in Parrots ofthe World by Joseph M. Forshaw. Howard and Moore in A 77Jefourth "eye-ring " speCies, the small (5 in) Nyasa Lovebird has a Rreen rump with Complete Checklist ofBirds ofthe World some yellow. Breeders have difficulty in obtaining pure-bred wild stock of the Nyasa Lovebird, because some avicultunsts have, unfortunately, hybridized the Nyasa with tbe 1991 have also accepted this classifica Black-cheeked, and in some instances, with Fischer's Lovebird. It is rare in USA collec tion. The nine species are: tions. • A . roseicollis - Peach-faced lovebirds are preening each other, about to land with its tail spread. Lovebird they are male and female. Not neces Thr ee Gr oups • A . pul/aria - Red-faced Lovebird sarily so! The two birds, or even a Eye-ringed. There are two well • A. taranta - Abyssinian Lovebird group sitting together may well be of defined groups in this genus. The firs t, • A. cana - Madagascar Lovebird the salne sex. the "eye-ring" group, consists of the • A . fischeri - Fischer's Lovebird The nan1e lovebird could be four species - Masked, Fischer's, • A. lilianae - Nyasa Lovebird thought to be a misnomer, because Black-cheeked, and Nyasa Lovebirds, • A . personata - Masked Lovebird anyone who keeps and breeds love all of whOln are sexually monomor • A . nigrigenis - Black-cheeked birds will know how spiteful they can phic and impossible to sex visually. Lovebird he among themselves. It is therefore These four have a naked, broad white • A. swindemiana - Black -collared not a good idea to mix different ring around the eye, which is a diag Lovebird species together. nostic feature - hence the nalne "eye The only species that has never General Ornithological Notes ring" grou p. been kept in captivity (outside of the Lovebirds are small green, stocky, Sexually Dimorphic. The second Congo) is the Black-collared Lovebird. short-tailed parrots between 5" to 6.6" group consists of three species that are The other eight species have all been (13cm to 16.5 cln) in length - with one sexually dilnorphic Red-faced, kept and bred by aviculturists around distinguishing feature - a suh-terminal Madagascar, and AbYSSinian Lovebirds. the world with varying degrees of suc black band on the velY short, rounded The Red-faced and Abyssinian, have cess depending on the species. tail. The colored barring on the lateral feathered rings around the eyes, but The English name lovebird was feathers above the black sub-tenninal the Madagascar does not. The differ probably bestowed because of the band is red, yellow, orange, or a com ence in the sexes is dealt with under habit of two birds sitting side by side, bination of these colors. The color each individual species. Even though while indulging in mutual preening, an marking is best seen when the bird it is easy to sex thIS group, they have act that may lead the uninitiated new fans its tail when excited or displaying, a reputation of being more difficult to comer to believe that because two or is either in flight after taking off, or breed than the four sexually 16 September/October 2000 monomorphic "eye-ring" species. occurs in Cameroon and Gabon east wards to the Central African Repu blic Our 69th·Bird Mart The Remaining Two Species. Of the and the Congo. The third subspecies EVERYBODY'S remaining two species - the Peach A. s. emini is found from the central faced Lovebird is an intermediate Congo through to western Uganda. species, while the Black-collared The only record of Black-collared BIRD MART Lovebird is a little known, aberrant Lovebirds being kept in captivity was November 26, 2000 species. recorded in Forshaw's Parrots of the L.A. Co.unty Fairplex, Bldg.#4 The Black-collared Lovebird is only World. Father Hutsebout - a Belgian Pomona, California 5" (13cm) long and is the smallest of missionary in the Congo - could only 9:30 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. the lovebirds. It has apparently never keep thetn alive on wild figs, which, if Admission $5.00 been seen alive outside of the Congo. not available, resulted in their dying Very little is known about this species within three or four days. They would Kids under 12 free in the wild. They inhabit lowland ever not accept any substitute foods, even The Pomona Bird Mart has green forests but are easily overlooked though they are said to feed on tnillet become the marketplace for beca use they blend in with the foliage occasionally in the wild. buyers and sellers. when feeding in the treetops. Small It is therefore highly unlikely that BIRDS· CAGES· FEEDERS flocks are generally seen and it is their the Black-collared Lovebird is ever to NEST BOXES· VITAMINS soft twittering calls that often give be seen in aviculture. SEED·PERCHES·GIFf ITEMS away their presence. Their nest has yet parking $4.00 to be described, but is either in arbo Beak, Leg, Eye Coloration real termite mounds, or holes in trees. Most of the lovebirds have fairly Use White Ave. parking lot (Tram service from parking lot to building G) There are three different areas of dis wide and large beaks, which vary in tribution. The nominate race A. s. color depending on the species. The Everybody's Bird Mart swinderniana is found in the forests of Peach-faced Lovebird has a horn-col PO. Box 1465, Thousand Oaks, CA 91358 Liberia. The subspecies A. s. Zenke1'1 ored beak with a green tinge on the (805) 494-1499 The Orginal, The # 1 Bird Mart 8990 Cerritos Ave. Anaheim, CA 92804 (714) 527-3387 12200 Magnolia Ave. Riverside, CA 92503 (909) 278-0878 (closed for vacation, first 2 weeks of August) A n endangered species in the Wild, the Black-cheeked Lovebird is reasonably well estab OPEN 9 TO 5 DAILY lished in t:uropean collections, with many mutations recorded - a number of which are Closed Sun., Mon. & holidays transmutations within the "eye-ring" group. It is 1'are in USA collections. the afa WATCHBIRD 17 cutting edge of both mandibles. In the "eye-ring" species, the Masked and Fischer's have bright red beaks, while . ~ the Nyasa and Black-cheeked beaks () £ are bi-colored - horn-colored at the V) o (5 base and midway through the upper .r:. a.. mandible, the hom color gradually becolues bright red towards the tip. The Black-collared Lovebird has a blackish beak. Both the Abyssinian and Red-faced Lovebirds have bright coral-red beaks. Their legs are generally gray, gray ish-brown, or grayish-white, except for the Black-collared, which has dusky greenish-yellow legs. Eight species have brownish irides - the only species that is different is the Black collared, which has a yellow iris. Natural Distribution and Habitat Even though it is a sexually dimorphic speCies, the Red-faced Lovebird from west Africa The different species inhabit a vari is undoubtedly the most difficult of the eight lovebird speCies to breed. The f emale has a ety of habitats. The following is a sum duller orange head and grayish-green under Wing-coverts. Males have black under Wing-coverts and brighter red heads. This is a rare speCies in Europe and the USA . mary of the habitats frequented: • Peach-faced Lovebirds frequent ent, and most species search for seed and occasionally telTestrial - termite arid, semi-desert country from sea on the ground among grasses, and mounds in which to excavate a tunnel level upwards. also in grass clearings. and nesting chamber, which is then • Madagascar Lovebirds are found Agricultural land is an important fea lined before eggs are laid. in coastal plains and mountain slopes, ture for lovebirds. Millet crops are raid Some lovebirds, (along with their and also in arid countly. ed by a number of species, as is maize. close relatives, the hanging parrots) • Abyssinian Lovebirds frequent What is of greater concern is that the have an unusual nesting habit. A highland forest habitat. crops are occasionally those of African female Peach-faced Lovebird nips off • Red-faced, Masked, and Fischer's villagers, who try to eke out a subsis small pieces of nesting material, picks Lovebirds are seen in savannah grass tence living on the land. This presents them up in her beak, places them in land with acacia trees. social problems for the villagers' sur the lower back and rump feathers, • Black-collared Lovebirds live in vival, but it is not only the lovebirds that before flying to the nest. However, evergreen tropical rainforest. add to the problem because there are a feluales of the four "eye-ring" species • Nyasa and Black-cheeked number of seed-eating species, includ only carry nesting material in their Lovebirds inhabit luopane and acacia ing Red-billed Quelea, Quelea quelea, beaks, and not in the body feathers. woodland, interspersed with grass that wreak havoc on cereal crops when Madagascar, Red-faced and AbYSSinian land. they descend in their millions - com Lovebirds all carry small pieces of nest Lovebirds are gregarious by nature, pared to the limited flocks (20-100) of ing material - placed in various parts and can often be seen in small (5-20) lovebirds.