Lovebird
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lovebirds
A peach-faced
Lovebird
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Psittaciformes
Family:
Psittacidae
Genus:
Agapornis
Selby, 1836
Species
Nine - see text
A lovebird (genus Agapornis,
Greek for "lovebird") is a very social and affectionate parrot.
The name Lovebird stems
from these birds' affectionate nature. This is reflected by the birds name in
other languages: in German, "die Unzertrennlichen," and in French
"les inséparables"- "inseparables." For this reason, many
people feel strongly that lovebirds in captivity should be kept only in pairs. Others
believe that lovebirds, like other parrots, are social animals who can bond
with human companions when given a great deal of care and attention.
Lovebirds are about 13-17
cm in size, 40-60 grams in weight and characterized by a small, stocky build
and a short, blunt tail. This puts them among the smallest parrots in the world
although their beak is rather large for their overall size. Many lovebirds are
green, although color mutations can feature many different colors. Some
lovebird species, like Fischer's, black cheeked, and the yellow collared
lovebird, have a white ring around the eye. Lifespan is 10 to 15 years.
Species
and habits
Phylogeny
of the genus Agapornis based on existing molecular evidence.[1] The species with the red line is currently unplaced in
the phylogeny, but does belong to this genus.
Eight of the different
species come from the mainland of Africa. The ninth species, Agapornis canus,
originates from Madagascar. In the wild the different species are separated
geographically. Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat mainly fruit,
vegetables, some grasses and seed. Black-winged lovebirds also enjoy figs.
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
nigrigenis
- Madagascar Lovebird, Agapornis canus
- Abyssinian Lovebird, Agapornis taranta
- Red-faced Lovebird, Agapornis pullarius
- Black-collared Lovebird, Agapornis
swinderniana
Agapornis
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. Besides conservational and ethical reasons,
wild caught animals are more likely to get sick and to die. Lovebirds,
especially when kept individually or brought up hand-fed, make very good pets. Lovebirds
can be very interactive with humans, and when comfortable around humans, will
willingly perch on a human's fingers or shoulders. Lovebirds rarely talk, but
there is a chance they may learn to mimic human speech if taught to at a young
age. It's important to remember to never expect any bird to talk. If your bird
talks, consider it a bonus.
A lovebird
perched on a finger
Housing
Lovebirds are very active
and require an appropriately sized cage. They require lots of toys and things
to chew on and play with. Lovebirds are extremely social birds, and there is
debate on whether they should be kept individually. However, the consensus
seems to be that they need social interaction, be it with conspecifics or human
companion, for their emotional as well as physical well-being. Without this
interaction, daily exercise, a roomy cage, and many toys to play with, they may
resort to feather-plucking or other behavioral problems. 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. As a regular food,
pellets are recommended, as the millet food generally sold in pet stores has
too much fat in it and is not a significant source of nutrition. Pellets
specially made for birds provide a well-balanced diet. Fresh greens, such as
romaine lettuce, are also extremely beneficial if not essential. (See Leaf
vegetables).
Family of
four lovebirds
Potential
problems
Lovebirds are very vocal
birds, making loud, high-pitched noises. They make noise all day, but
especially during the first morning hours.
As stated above, lovebirds
are also very active, and love to chew things. When they are let out of their
cage, it would be wise to watch them carefully, and protect any furniture,
electrical wiring or anything else that they could possibly chew on.
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. It is recommended to only
place birds of the same species together, or of the same sex, for the sake of
the potentially faulted hybrid offspring.
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lovebird&action=history
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Lovebirds
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A peach-faced
Lovebird |
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Scientific classification |
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Species |
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Nine - see text |
A lovebird (genus Agapornis,
Greek for "lovebird") is a very social and affectionate parrot.
The name Lovebird stems
from these birds' affectionate nature. This is reflected by the birds name in
other languages: in German, "die Unzertrennlichen," and in French
"les inséparables"- "inseparables." For this reason, many
people feel strongly that lovebirds in captivity should be kept only in pairs. Others
believe that lovebirds, like other parrots, are social animals who can bond
with human companions when given a great deal of care and attention.
Lovebirds are about 13-17
cm in size, 40-60 grams in weight and characterized by a small, stocky build
and a short, blunt tail. This puts them among the smallest parrots in the world
although their beak is rather large for their overall size. Many lovebirds are
green, although color mutations can feature many different colors. Some
lovebird species, like Fischer's, black cheeked, and the yellow collared
lovebird, have a white ring around the eye. Lifespan is 10 to 15 years.
Species
and habits
Phylogeny
of the genus Agapornis based on existing molecular evidence.[1] The species with the red line is currently unplaced in
the phylogeny, but does belong to this genus.
Eight of the different
species come from the mainland of Africa. The ninth species, Agapornis canus,
originates from Madagascar. In the wild the different species are separated
geographically. Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat mainly fruit,
vegetables, some grasses and seed. Black-winged lovebirds also enjoy figs.
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
nigrigenis
- Madagascar Lovebird, Agapornis canus
- Abyssinian Lovebird, Agapornis taranta
- Red-faced Lovebird, Agapornis pullarius
- Black-collared Lovebird, Agapornis
swinderniana
Agapornis
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. Besides conservational and ethical reasons,
wild caught animals are more likely to get sick and to die. Lovebirds,
especially when kept individually or brought up hand-fed, make very good pets. Lovebirds
can be very interactive with humans, and when comfortable around humans, will
willingly perch on a human's fingers or shoulders. Lovebirds rarely talk, but
there is a chance they may learn to mimic human speech if taught to at a young
age. It's important to remember to never expect any bird to talk. If your bird
talks, consider it a bonus.
A lovebird
perched on a finger
Housing
Lovebirds are very active
and require an appropriately sized cage. They require lots of toys and things
to chew on and play with. Lovebirds are extremely social birds, and there is
debate on whether they should be kept individually. However, the consensus
seems to be that they need social interaction, be it with conspecifics or human
companion, for their emotional as well as physical well-being. Without this
interaction, daily exercise, a roomy cage, and many toys to play with, they may
resort to feather-plucking or other behavioral problems. 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. As a regular food,
pellets are recommended, as the millet food generally sold in pet stores has
too much fat in it and is not a significant source of nutrition. Pellets
specially made for birds provide a well-balanced diet. Fresh greens, such as
romaine lettuce, are also extremely beneficial if not essential. (See Leaf
vegetables).
Family of
four lovebirds
Potential
problems
Lovebirds are very vocal
birds, making loud, high-pitched noises. They make noise all day, but
especially during the first morning hours.
As stated above, lovebirds
are also very active, and love to chew things. When they are let out of their
cage, it would be wise to watch them carefully, and protect any furniture,
electrical wiring or anything else that they could possibly chew on.
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. It is recommended to only
place birds of the same species together, or of the same sex, for the sake of
the potentially faulted hybrid offspring.
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lovebird&action=history