A small parrot native to Africa and Madagascar; inhabits woodland, brush, and open country; eats seeds and berries; forms large flocks; female sometimes larger than male; a popular cagebird. They preen one another, hence the name, which is also used for the budgerigar. (Genus: Agapornis, nine species. Family: Psittacidae.)
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A peach-faced Lovebird |
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Nine - see text |
A lovebird (genus Agapornis, Greek for "lovebird") is a very social and affectionate parrot. Some lovebird species, like Fischer's, black cheeked, and the yellow collared lovebird, have a white ring around the eye.
Only some of the lovebird species are sexually dimorphic. This includes the Abyssinian lovebird, the Madagascar lovebird, and the black-collared lovebird.
There are a total of 9 different species:
Peach-faced Lovebird, Agapornis roseicollis Masked Lovebird, Agapornis personata Fischer's Lovebird, Agapornis fischeri Nyasa Lovebird, Agapornis lilianae Black-cheeked Lovebird, Agapornis nigrigeni Madagascar Lovebird, Agapornis canus Abyssinian Lovebird, Agapornis taranta Red-faced Lovebird, Agapornis pullarius Black-collared Lovebird, Agapornis swindernianaAgapornis as pets
Like with any other pet, it is essential that one make sure the birds that one is about to buy were bred in captivity, and not wild caught.
Housing
Lovebirds are very active and require an appropriately sized cage. They love to take baths almost every day and may sun themselves after bathing in order to dry
Food
Lovebirds require a variety of food, such as pellets, fruits, seeds, and vegetables.
Potential problems
Lovebirds are very vocal birds, making loud, high-pitched noises that can be a nuisance.
As stated above, lovebirds are also very active, and love to chew things.
Lovebirds are all of the genus Agapornis and can produce offspring with other lovebirds within the same genus, these are thus hybrids, and are often sterile.
Video
Lovebird video
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