Lovebird

A Lovebird is one of nine species of the genus Agapornis (Greek: αγάπη agape 'love'; όρνις ornis 'bird'). They are a social and affectionate small parrot. Eight species are native to the African continent, while the Grey-headed Lovebird is native to Madagascar. Their name stems from the parrots' strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods which paired birds spend sitting together. Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat fruit, vegetables, grasses and seed. Black-winged Lovebirds also eat insects and figs, and the Black-collared Lovebirds have a special dietary requirement for native figs, making them problematic to keep in captivity.

Some species are kept as pets, and several color mutations were selectively bred in aviculture. Their average lifespan is 10 to 15 years.

Description
Lovebirds are 13 to 17 centimeters in length and 40 to 60 grams in weight. They are among the smallest parrots, characterized by a stocky build, a short blunt tail, and a relatively large, sharp beak. Wildtype lovebirds are mostly green with a variety of colors on their upper body, depending on the species. The Fischer's Lovebird, Black-cheeked Lovebird, and the Masked Lovebird have a prominent white ring around their eyes. The Abyssinian Lovebird, the Madagascar Lovebird, and the Red-faced Lovebird are sexually dimorphic. Many colour mutant varieties have been produced by selective breeding of the species that are popular in aviculture.

Taxonomy
The lovebird genus comprises nine species of which five are monotypic and four are divided into subspecies. Eight of them are native in the mainland of Africa and the Madagascar Lovebird is native to Madagascar. In the wild the different species are separated geographically.

Traditionally, lovebirds are divided in 3 groups: However, this division is not fully supported by phylogenetic studies, as the species of the dimorphic group are not grouped together in a single clade.
 * 1. the sexually dimorphic species: Madagascar, Abyssinian, and Red-headed Lovebird
 * 2. the intermediate species: Peach-faced Lovebird
 * 3. the white-eye-ringed species: Masked, Fischer's, Lilian's, and Black-cheeked Lovebirds

Species and subspecies:


 * Rosy-faced Lovebird, Agapornis roseicollis, (Vieillot, 1818) — or Peach-faced Lovebird
 * Agapornis roseicollis catumbella, B.P. Hall, 1952
 * Agapornis roseicollis roseicollis, (Vieillot 1818)
 * Yellow-collared Lovebird, Agapornis personatus, Reichenow, 1887 — or Masked Lovebird
 * Fischer's Lovebird, Agapornis fischeri, Reichenow, 1887
 * Lilian's Lovebird, Agapornis lilianae, Shelley, 1894 — or Nyasa Lovebird
 * Black-cheeked Lovebird, Agapornis nigrigenis, W.L. Sclater, 1906
 * Grey-headed Lovebird, Agapornis canus, (Gmelin, 1788) — or Madagascar Lovebird
 * Agapornis canus ablectaneus, Bangs, 1918
 * Agapornis canus canus, (Gmelin, 1788)
 * Black-winged Lovebird, Agapornis taranta, (Stanley, 1814) — or Abyssinian Lovebird
 * Red-headed Lovebird, Agapornis pullarius, (Linnaeus, 1758) — or Red-faced Lovebird
 * Agapornis pullarius pullarius, (Linnaeus, 1758)
 * Agapornis pullarius ugandae, Neumann, 1908
 * Black-collared Lovebird, Agapornis swindernianus, (Kuhl, 1820) — or Swindern's Lovebird
 * Agapornis swindernianus emini, Neumann, 1908
 * Agapornis swindernianus swindernianus, (Kuhl, 1820)
 * Agapornis swindernianus zenkeri, Reichenow, 1895

Nesting
Depending on the species of lovebird, the female will carry nesting material into the nest in various ways. The Peach-faced Lovebird tucks nesting material in the feathers of its rump, while the Masked Lovebird carries nesting material back in its beak. Once the lovebirds start constructing their nest, mating will follow. During this time, the lovebirds will mate repeatedly. Eggs follow 3–5 days later. The female will spend hours inside her nesting box before eggs are laid. Once the first egg is laid, a new egg will follow every other day until the clutch is complete, typically at four to six eggs. Even without a nest, lovebirds sometimes produce eggs.

Feral populations
Feral populations of Fischer's Lovebirds and Masked Lovebirds live in cities of East Africa. Also present there are interspecific hybrids between these two species. The hybrid has reddish-brown on head and has orange on upper chest, but otherwise resemble the Masked Lovebird.

Feral lovebirds are also present in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.