Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
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Maximum longevity: 18 years (captivity)
Observations: One specimen lived for 18 years in captivity (Flower 1938).
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- Joao Pedro de Magalhaes
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- de Magalhaes, J. P.
Biology
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While many parrots form long-term bonds, the lovebird has attained its romantic reputation because the pairs form exceptionally close associations, roosting together and preening one another for hours at a time (5) (7).
Outside the breeding season the red-headed lovebird can be found in large, fast-flying flocks of up to 30 individuals which, during the day, forage over great distances, consuming grass seeds, fruit and some cultivated crops, before returning at night to communal roosts (2). Remarkably, while roosting the red-headed lovebirds may hang upside-down, bat-like, from branches and engage in mutual preening (7).
The Red-headed lovebird's breeding season commences with onset of the rainy season, at which time the birds pair-off and build nests. Incredibly, these are constructed within ant and termite mounds located above the ground in trees. Nest building materials include seed husks and shredded grasses and leaves (2), which the female ingeniously transports by tucking them between her feathers (7). A clutch of five small eggs is laid and incubated for 24 days, with brooding taking a further seven weeks before fledging (2).
Conservation
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The red-headed lovebird is currently listed on Appendix II by the Convention on Trade and Endangered Species (CITES). This means that international trade in this species is strictly regulated, with quotas set for the maximum number of birds that trading countries are allowed to export (3). While currently there appears to be little concern over the abundance of this red-headed lovebird, its population has not been properly assessed (6), and therefore trade may be affecting this species more significantly than is realised.
Description
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The lovebirds are a group of nine species of diminutive parrots (4) favoured by bird keepers for their attractive colouration and strong pair-bonds (5). The red-headed lovebird has a small, yet stocky, body with a short tail (4), a bright, coral red bill and brown eyes (2). Both sexes are mainly bright green, but can be distinguished by the colour of the face, which in the male is reddish-orange, and orange in the female. The male also has a bluish lower back, a black underwing, and a tail which is greenish-yellow above, with bands of red and black underneath. The red-headed lovebird's call is a relatively weak, high-pitched twittering, interspersed with occasional whistling notes (2).
Habitat
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The red-headed lovebird occupies a range of habitats, from lowland savannah to patches of forest and woodland up to elevations of 1,500 metres. It also frequents cultivated land, pasture and abandoned plantations (2).
Range
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The red-headed lovebird has an extremely wide distribution, with populations found in a broad band covering much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Guinea, east to Ethiopia in the north, and from Angola, east to Tanzania in the south (6).
Status
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Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1) and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3).
Threats
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The population status of the red-headed lovebird is currently not well known, and while its range is very large, it appears to be uncommon in some parts (6). Although the main threat to this species is likely to be trapping for the wild bird trade (2), it is not as popular as some other lovebird species due to difficulties in replicating its unusual nesting conditions (5).
Brief Summary
provided by EOL authors
The Red-faced (or Red-headed) Lovebird (Agapornis pullarius) has a geographic distribution that overlaps with that of the Black-collared Lovebird (A. swindernianus) over much of central Africa, with Fischer's Lovebird (A. fischeri) in the area around southern Lake Victoria, and with the Black-winged Lovebird (A. taranta) in southwestern Ethiopia and its range approaches the range of Peach-faced Lovebird (A. roseicollis) in the Cuanza River region of Angola. It is distinguished from these and other lovebirds by the combination of green upper breast with red (or orange) crown, face, and throat.
This species has a broad but patchy distribution across West and Central Africa, inhabiting moist lowland savanna, riverine woodland and scrub, and also more open habitats, including abandoned plantations, cultivated land, and pasture. It is generally found below 1500 m (but up to 2000 m in Uganda). Flocks contain up to 30 birds (usually fewer) but these break into pairs for breeding. Flocks roam widely to find food (mainly grass seeds), but return to a communal roost. In captivity, these lovebirds often sleep hanging upside down. Red-faced Lovebirds nest in tree cavities (usually ones excavated by a woodpecker), in holes dug in the side of an arboreal ant or termite nest, or occasionally in terrestrial termite mounds. Significant numbers of Red-faced Lovebirds are trapped for sale as cagebirds.
(Collar 1997 and references therein; Juniper and Parr 1998 and references therein)
Red-headed lovebird
provided by wikipedia EN
The red-headed lovebird (Agapornis pullarius) also known as the red-faced lovebird is a member of the genus Agapornis, a group commonly known as lovebirds. Like other lovebirds it is native to Africa.
Taxonomy
The red-headed lovebird was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. He placed it with all the other parrots in the genus Psittacus and coined the binomial name Psittacus pullarius.[2] The type locality is Ghana.[3] The red-headed lovebird is now one of nine species placed in the genus Agapornis that was introduced in 1836 by the English naturalist Prideaux John Selby.[4][5] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ἀγάπη agápē meaning "love" and ὄρνις órnis meaning "bird". The specific epithet pullārius is from Latin and means "of young birds" (pullus means "chick").[6]
Two subspecies are recognised:[5]
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A. p. pullarius (Linnaeus, 1758) – Guinea and Sierra Leone to Sudan, DR Congo and Angola
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A. p. ugandae Neumann, 1908 – west Ethiopia to east DR Congo and northwest Tanzania
Description
The red-headed lovebird is a 15 cm (6 inches) long, mostly green parrot. It has a well demarcated red area on its head extending from the top of the beak, over the forehead to mid-crown, and extending to the left and right up to the eyelid margins. It has grey feet. The underside of the wings is a lighter green. The female has orange head colouring, which is less well demarcated than the male's red head. The adult male has a red beak while the female's is a paler red.[7]
Distribution and habitat
It has a patchy distribution across the African tropical rainforest.
Breeding
It makes its nest in a termites nest usually in a tree or sometimes on the ground. To make a nest the female digs a tunnel up to a length of 30 cm (12 in) in the termites nest in a colony with other lovebirds.[7]
Aviculture
It is difficult to breed in captivity because it has to burrow to make its nest and the nest chamber needs to be heated to about 27 °C (81 °F); however, they can be induced to burrow into cork to build a nest. It is a very nervous species.[7]
References
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^ BirdLife International (2016). "Agapornis pullarius". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22685330A93068275. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22685330A93068275.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
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^ Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 102.
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^ Peters, James Lee, ed. (1937). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 3. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. p. 254.
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^ Selby, Prideaux John (1836). The Natural History of Parrots. The Naturalist's Library. Volume 6. Edinburgh: W.H. Lizards. p. 118.
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^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2022). "Parrots, cockatoos". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
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^ Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 36, 324. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.
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^ a b c Le Breton, Kenny (1992). Lovebirds...getting started. USA: T.F.H. Publications. pp. 85–88. ISBN 0-86622-411-4.
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Red-headed lovebird: Brief Summary
provided by wikipedia EN
The red-headed lovebird (Agapornis pullarius) also known as the red-faced lovebird is a member of the genus Agapornis, a group commonly known as lovebirds. Like other lovebirds it is native to Africa.
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