Hey! We are very cute masked Lovebirds. We are small parrots found in a very small region in Africa. Have a look at some important points about us:
- We are called Lovebirds because of our extreme closeness towards our mates. We are monogamous birds which means we have a single mate for a lifetime. The pair stays very close and often clean each other as well as feed each other.
- The love towards each other in the pair is so much that if one of the bird dies, the other one becomes erratic and often become depressed.
- We are one of the very famous and popular birds that is kept as pets in many households as we are very beautiful and easy to breed.
- Though we are called masked lovebirds, we are available in various mutations like Blue, Albino, Lutino, Cobalt, Slate, Dilute slate, Mauve, and also Violet.
- We don’t speak out much and when we do, we mimic voices we hear from the surroundings. We are also quite intelligent.
- We play a significant role in several cultures around the world. We are one of the main symbols of love. We have been quoted in several poems, music, art, and movies.
SOME QUICK FACTS ABOUT US:
Our Scientific Name: Agapornis personatus.
Identification: Small parrots with green body, yellow throat and black face which is mask- like.
Our Habitat: grasslands, savannas, and woodlands, especially in baobab trees.
Our Range:
Food Habits: Herbivorous; feed mainly on seeds of trees and grasses, vegetables and fruits.
Breeding Period: March, April, June and July.
Number of eggs laid: 3-8 eggs.
Incubation period: about 23 days.
Lifespan: 10-20 years.
IUCN red list status: Least Concern.
CITES: Appendix II.
Indian Wildlife Protection Act: Schedule IV.
SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Psittaciformes
Family: Psittaculidae
Genus: Agapornis
Species: A. Personatus
COMPLETE DETAILS ABOUT US FOR ANIMAL ENTHUSIASTS:
We are also called as Masked Lovebirds or Yellow-collared Lovebirds or Black-mashed Lovebirds. We are scientifically called as Agapornis personatus.
HOW WE LOOK:
We are beautiful small birds with a body length of about 15cm, a tail length of 3.9cm-4.5cm, a wingspan of 9cm-9.8cm and weighing 30gms-60gms. We have a beautiful body that is green in color. Our throat and collar are yellow in color. We have blackish-brown the colored head which is why we are called Black-masked lovebirds. Our tail is green in color with an orange and black band in between. We have grey colored legs, white ring marks around the eyes and a pinkish color beak that points slightly downwards.
Males and females of our species look alike while the young ones are dull in color. In aviculture, we are selectively bred to attain various colored bodies.
WE ARE FOUND IN:
We prefer living in habitats like grasslands, savannas, and woodlands, especially in baobab trees (very large trees that have a trunk with huge diameter).
Our range lies in East Africa, in places like Tanzania, Naivasha, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kenya. We also live in cages and aviaries as pets in ay parts of the world.
WHAT WE EAT:
We are herbivorous birds and mostly feed on seeds of trees and grasses available in our range. We also eat various kinds of vegetables and fruits.
OUR REPRODUCTION:
We are monogamous birds (having a single mate in a lifetime). We form pairs early in our lives and stay together. We stay very close to our mates all the time and tidy each other often (preen). This is the reason we are called Lovebirds.
Our breeding season is in March, April, June, and July. During this time, males of our species become agitated while females build the nest. The female lays 3-8 eggs at a time and the incubation period is about 23 days. The incubation is done by female alone while the male defends and feeds the female.
The young ones are taken care of and fed by both the parents. These young ones become independent in about 44 days. They reach sexual maturity at about 10 months of age. Our expected lifespan is 10-20 years.
MORE ABOUT US:
We are very social birds and our grooming and greening of each other gave us the name lovebirds.
Unlike how we look, we can be aggressive towards other bird species.
We have a high-pitched call and we call while we fly.
We are one of the famous pet birds. In captivity, we can mimic human voices.
OUR CONSERVATION:
We are abundantly available in our range and we are listed as “Least Concern” in the red list of IUCN. We are listed as CITES Appendix II and also protected under Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Schedule IV.
Pic Credits: animals.net
