Agapornis roseicollis has a long history of being kept and bred in captivity, but it has not been widely studied in the wild. The first record the peach-faced lovebird in captivity is from 1869.
This lovebird makes a sharp screeching noise. This can be given as a single sound or as a series of squawks. This species also can make a soft, rasping mechanical noise by rubbing its mandibles together. Mates communicate for breeding purposes as discussed in the previous section on mating systems, using visual signals like bobbing. These birds also allopreen as a form of communication and to help maintain the pair bond.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Agapornis roseicollis is not currently considered a threatened or endangered species.
US Migratory Bird Act: no special status
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Agapornis roseicollis also has few negative affects on humans, with the notable exception of the damage it causes to farmers’ seed crops. It is an important pest on millet and other small-grained crops, which has led to a rapid population decline due of persecution by farmers trying to protect their crops.
Negative Impacts: crop pest
Agapornis roseicollis has little positive economic importance for humans apart from its popularity as a cage bird. This species is found all over the world as a pet, and its many color mutations and outgoing personality make it a favorite. A second, and more minor economic value, is tourism. People from around the world take trips to Africa, often to the area around Lake Ngami, now part of this species' territory, to see the beautiful wildlife.
Positive Impacts: pet trade ; ecotourism
Agapornis roseicollis has two known parasites. These are the ectoparasites Pellonyssus viator, a mite, and the feather louse Afrimenopon waar Amblycera. Other ways that this species affects its ecosystem are through its interactions with other species of birds, especially the ones whose nests it uses. As a result of its seed-based diet, A. roseicollis probably has some impact on plant ecology.
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
Agapornis roseicollis typically feeds on seeds, especially seeds native to its habitat, such as those from Albizia and Acacia. It eats the seeds by either picking them off growing plants or by picking them up off the ground, then husking them rapidly using the tongue, mandible and the cutting edge of the maxilla. It feeds on flowers by plucking them from trees and clipping off the petals and stamens with the beak. This species is known to drink water several times per day in order to cope with the demands placed upon it by the hot, arid habitat in which it lives.
Plant Foods: seeds, grains, and nuts; flowers
Primary Diet: herbivore (Granivore )
Peach-faced or rosy-cheeked lovebirds (Agapornis roseicollis) have a range centered on the south-western portion of Africa. They inhabit the north-west corner of South Africa, through the western half of Namibia, and into the southwest corner of Angola. The area around Lake Ngami is quickly becoming populated by A. roseicollis due to natural range expansion. This species is kept as a cage bird in many parts of the world, including the United States and Japan.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
Agapornis roseicollis lives in dry regions near permanent standing water. Habitats used by this species include the outskirts of deserts and woodlands, and poorly wooded areas, as long as the few trees are located near water. Preferred regions vary from sea level to elevations over 1500 m.
Range elevation: 0 to 1500 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: desert or dune ; forest
Other Habitat Features: riparian
The typical lifespan in captivity of A. roseicollis is 15 to 25 years. It is not known what limits the lifespan of this species. It is also not known what the typical lifespan in the wild is, although it is likely to be shorter than that seen in captivity.
Range lifespan
Status: captivity: 15 to 25 years.
Agapornis roseicollis is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful lovebird species. These birds weigh about 55 g, and are 15 cm long. Females tend to be slightly heavier than males. Wingspans range from 98 mm to 102 mm in males, and 99 mm to 106 mm in females. The average wingspans for males and females are 99.6 and 102.6 mm, respectively.
This species shows age-related and, to a lesser extent, sexual variation in coloration. Males have rosy pink foreheads, chins, throats, upper breasts and cheeks. The remainder of the body is typically bright green, although the underside is slightly lighter. The feet are a mix of greenish-grey and the bill is horn-colored. The rump and the feathers covering the tail are bright blue; the tail feathers themselves are green with blue tips, and all but the central feathers have a black band with red patches toward the end. The females of this species are very similar but slightly duller in color.
The young initially have much paler faces than adults. Birghter feathers erupt after their first molt at around 4 months of age. Also, the upper mandible of young birds is black at first, only later becoming the horn-color common in adults.
There are two subspecies of A. roseicollis; these are A. roseicollis roseicollis, and A. roseicollis catumbella. Agapornis roseicollis catumbella can be recognized by its brighter colors. The throat is much redder with a touch of lavender. The green color is much deeper, and the rump is more purple than blue. The beak is also much different than that described above; it is white with green dots. Agapornis roseicollis catumbella is less common than A. roseicollis roseicollis, and it typically inhabits the small region of Benguela, an area of Angola.
A blue mutation occurs in both the wild and in captivity, although it is not particularly common. In captivity, several color mutations of this species have been selectively bred.
Range mass: 48 to 61 g.
Average mass: 54.8 g.
Average length: 15 cm.
Range wingspan: 98 to 102 mm.
Average wingspan: 99.6 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry ; polymorphic
Sexual Dimorphism: female larger; male more colorful
Agapornis roseicollis deals with predators by mobbing. As part of their mobbing behavior, individuals initially stand upright and squawk loudly. If the predator moves closer, they flap their wings wildly, holding their bodies erect, and increase their squawking to even higher-pitched squeaks. They also move toward the attacker as if to attack. If the predator does not back down, large groups of birds will attack.
Known Predators:
In this species pair formation is very rapid and can occur at as early an age as two months. Pairs formed between siblings are not uncommon. Females are dominant and males wait for female approval before approaching. Females show this approval by assuming a fluffed position.
Males feed their mates during courtship. Because feeding is an important component of the interaction between mates, males use head bobbing, similar to the movement used in feeding, to attract females. Scratching is also used during courtship. A male will position himself near a female and scratch her head, especially the area around the beak and the beak itself. When a male is trying to approach a female, he creeps towards her in a sideways fashion known as sidling. If she appears aggressive, he tries to approach from the other side in a process known as switch sidling; however, if she seems receptive he continues sidling toward her.
Mating System: monogamous
Agapornis roseicollis has been observed to be a seasonal breeder in the wild, but in captivity can breed year-round. Its eggs are typically 23.5 x 17.3 mm. On average, 4 to 6 eggs are laid in one season. In captivity as many as 8 have been laid. Eggs hatch after about 23 days of incubation, and young fledge at about 43 days of age. The young begin to form pairs at around 2 months of age, and also begin to seek their own nests at this time.
Breeding interval: Agapornis roseicollis is a seasonal breeder in the wild, and a year-round breeder in captivity. This has led some ornithologists to conclude that the species breeds when conditions are favorable, not at a specific time of the year.
Breeding season: It is hypothesized, though not certain, that breeding takes place between February and May in the wild.
Range eggs per season: 4 to 6.
Average time to hatching: 23.3 days.
Average fledging age: 42.8 days.
Average time to independence: 2 months.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2 months.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; oviparous
Eggs are laid every other day during the breeding season. Beginning when the first egg is laid, a female spends the majority of her time in the nest incubating the eggs. Males often bring their mates food during the period of incubation. The average incubation period is 23.3 days.
After the young hatch, a female regurgitates food brought to her by the male to feed the young. Food that the young eat has therefore been regurgitated twice. Starting midway through the nestling period, which lasts between 5 and 6 weeks, both parents feed the young directly.
Little is known about the behavior of wild A. roseicollis in regards to parental investment after fledging. In captivity, the young remain dependent upon the parents for two more weeks and frequently fly back to the nest to receive food; this happens for as long as the parents permit. When the young leave the nest, after around 42.8 days, they are fully feathered and able to fly.
Agapornis roseicollis shows variability in both nest choice and nest usage. In the wild, these birds commonly breed in the large, communal nests of sociable weavers. They also use the nests of white-browed sparrow-weavers. It is not known if A. roseicollis forces these other birds out of their nests or if they use vacated nests. In captivity A. roseicollis pairs build their own nests. A female prepares strips of bark by cutting them with her beak into relatively uniform shapes and sizes. To carry the bark to the nest site, a female tucks them into the feathers of her rump. Together the male and female build the nest in the shape of a deep cup using bark, leaves, and grass.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Male, Female, Protecting: Male, Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Male, Female); post-independence association with parents
The Peach-faced (or Rosy-faced) Lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis) is found in southwestern Africa in dry, wooded country up to 1500 m. Like many lovebirds, Peach-faced Lovebirds are typically seen in small, fast-flying flocks. The diet consists mainly of seeds, sometimes taken from the ground. Peach-faced Lovebirds are very dependent on water. Capture for the cagebird trade has seriously impacted populations in southern Angola.
(Collar 1997 and references therein; Juniper and Parr 1998 and references therein)
The rosy-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis), also known as the rosy-collared or peach-faced lovebird, is a species of lovebird native to arid regions in southwestern Africa such as the Namib Desert. Loud and constant chirpers, these birds are very social animals and often congregate in small groups in the wild. They eat throughout the day and take frequent baths. Coloration can vary widely among populations. Plumage is identical in males and females. Lovebirds are renowned for their sleep position in which they sit side-by-side and turn their faces in towards each other. Also, females are well noted to tear raw materials into long strips, "twisty-tie" them onto their backs, and fly substantial distances back to make a nest. These birds are common in the pet industry.
It was described by the French ornithologist Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot in 1818. It was originally named Psittacus roseicollis but later moved to the genus Agapornis with the other lovebirds.
Two subspecies are recognised:[2]
The rosy-faced lovebird is a fairly small bird, 17–18 cm long, with an average wing length of 106 mm and tail length of 44–52 mm.[4] Wild birds are mostly green with a blue rump. The face and throat are pink, darkest on the forehead and above the eye. The bill is horn-coloured, the iris is brown, and the legs and feet are grey. The pink of the A. r. roseicollis is lighter than that of the A. r. catumbella.[3] Juvenile birds have a pale pink face and throat, a greenish fore crown and crown, and the beak has a brownish base.[3]
The rosy-faced lovebird inhabits dry, open country in southwest Africa. Its range extends from southwest Angola across most of Namibia to the lower Orange River valley in northwest South Africa. It lives up to 1,600 metres above sea level in broad-leaved woodland, semi-desert, and mountainous areas. It is dependent on the presence of water sources and gathers around pools to drink.
Escapes from captivity are frequent in many parts of the world and feral birds dwell in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, where they live in a variety of habitats, both urban and rural. Some dwell in cacti and others have been known to frequent feeders in decent-sized flocks.[5] Temperatures in Arizona regularly exceed 40°C and the feral lovebirds have been observed perching in large numbers on air-conditioner vents in order to remain cool.[6] Although they have been observed in the wild in Puerto Rico, they are probably the result of escaped pets, and no reproduction has been recorded.[7]
Populations have been reduced in some areas by trapping for the pet trade. However, numbers may have increased in other areas due to human creation of new water sources and the building of artificial structures which provide new nesting sites. Because of this, the species is classed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).[1]
The rosy-faced lovebird has various harsh, shrieking calls.
The diet consists mainly of seeds and berries. When food is plentiful, the birds may gather in flocks containing hundreds of individuals. They can sometimes be pests in agricultural areas, feeding on crops such as millet.
Lovebirds are monomorphic, meaning the male and female of the species look alike. The nest is built in a rock crevice or within a compartment of the large communal nests built by sociable weavers. Man-made structures such as the roofs of houses may also be used. A total of 4-6 eggs are laid between February and April. They are dull white and measure 23.5 mm by 17.3 mm. They are incubated for about 23 days. The young birds fledge after 43 days.[4]
Rosy-faced lovebirds are one of the more common parrots kept in captivity, because of their small size and ease of care and breeding. The birds are kept alone or in pairs , although due to their social requirements, they are best kept in pairs.[8] They can be aggressive, and tend to bond towards an individual, either human or avian, and may not get on well with other people or pets. Two lovebirds may not always get along, and may have to be separated, and lovebirds should not be kept with smaller species of birds. Lovebirds require daily exercise.
An adult lutino in nestbox with eggs and chicks
Feral lovebirds eating seeds from a garden feeder in Arizona, USA
Rosy-faced lovebirds have the widest range of colour mutations of all the Agapornis genus. Generally speaking, these mutations fall into the genetic categories of dominant, codominant, recessive, and sex-linked recessive. While this seems fairly straightforward, it can quickly become confusing when a single specimen has multiple examples of these mutational traits.
Left: Wild type
Right: Lutino mutation
The rosy-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis), also known as the rosy-collared or peach-faced lovebird, is a species of lovebird native to arid regions in southwestern Africa such as the Namib Desert. Loud and constant chirpers, these birds are very social animals and often congregate in small groups in the wild. They eat throughout the day and take frequent baths. Coloration can vary widely among populations. Plumage is identical in males and females. Lovebirds are renowned for their sleep position in which they sit side-by-side and turn their faces in towards each other. Also, females are well noted to tear raw materials into long strips, "twisty-tie" them onto their backs, and fly substantial distances back to make a nest. These birds are common in the pet industry.