Rosy-faced Lovebird
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The rosy-faced lovebird (''Agapornis roseicollis''), also known as the rosy-collared or peach-faced lovebird, is a species of lovebird native to the Namibian savanna woodlands. 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.


Taxonomy

It was described by the French ornithologist
Louis Pierre Vieillot Louis Pierre Vieillot (10 May 1748, Yvetot – 24 August 1830, Sotteville-lès-Rouen) was a French ornithologist. Vieillot is the author of the first scientific descriptions and Linnaean names of a number of birds, including species he collected ...
in 1818. It was originally named ''Psittacus roseicollis'' but later moved to the genus ''Agapornis'' with the other lovebirds. Two
subspecies In Taxonomy (biology), biological classification, subspecies (: subspecies) is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (Morphology (biology), morpholog ...
are recognised: *''Agapornis roseicollis'', (Vieillot, 1818) :*''Agapornis roseicollis catumbella'', B.P. Hall, 1952 -
Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...
:*''Agapornis roseicollis roseicollis'', (Vieillot 1818) -
Namibia Namibia, officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country on the west coast of Southern Africa. Its borders include the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south; in the no ...
,
Botswana Botswana, officially the Republic of Botswana, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana is topographically flat, with approximately 70 percent of its territory part of the Kalahari Desert. It is bordered by South Africa to the sou ...
, and
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...


Description

The rosy-faced lovebird is a fairly small bird, long, with an average wing length of and tail length of .McLachlan G. R. & Liversidge, R. (1981) ''Roberts Birds of South Africa'', John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town. 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''. Juvenile birds have a pale pink face and throat, a greenish fore crown and crown, and the beak has a brownish base.Forshaw (2006). plate 45.


Distribution and habitat

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 The Orange River (from Afrikaans/Dutch language, Dutch: ''Oranjerivier'') is a river in Southern Africa. It is the longest river in South Africa. With a total length of , the Orange River Basin extends from Lesotho into South Africa and Namibi ...
valley in northwest South Africa. It lives up to 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 Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...
, and New York City 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. Temperatures in Arizona regularly exceed and feral lovebirds have been observed perching in large numbers on air-conditioner vents in order to remain cool. Feral rosy-faced lovebird colonies can also be found on
Maui Maui (; Hawaiian language, Hawaiian: ) is the second largest island in the Hawaiian archipelago, at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2). It is the List of islands of the United States by area, 17th-largest in the United States. Maui is one of ...
and the Big Island in
Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
. Although they have been observed in the wild in
Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...
, they are probably the result of escaped pets, and no reproduction has been recorded.


Status and conservation

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 A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...
by the
International Union for Conservation of Nature The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. Founded in 1948, IUCN has become the global authority on the stat ...
(IUCN).


Behaviour in the wild


Feeding

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 Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae. Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...
.


Breeding

Lovebirds are monomorphic, meaning the male and female of the species look alike. The
nest A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold Egg (biology), eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of ...
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 . They are incubated for about 23 days. The young birds
fledge Fledging is the stage in a flying animal's life between egg, hatching or birth and becoming capable of flight. This term is most frequently applied to birds, but is also used for bats. For altricial birds, those that spend more time in vulnera ...
after 43 days.


Self-recognition

Rosy-faced lovebirds are the first Psittacidae species to pass the mark test, which means they are able to self-recognize their image reflected in a mirro
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Aviculture

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. 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. File:Agapornis roseicollis (Wroclaw zoo)-2.JPG">Pair at nestbox File:2006-05-21 Lovebird Pi-yan.jpg, A pet chick File:Newly hatched Agapornis roseicollis in nest -4.jpg, An adult Lutino rosy-faced lovebird mutation, lutino in nestbox with eggs and chicks File:RIP Taiko von Rosenhodet.jpg, Pet playing File:Agapornis roseicollis -Arizona -garden bird feeder-8.jpg, Feral lovebirds eating seeds from a garden feeder in Arizona, USA File:Lovebird Humping.jpg, Lovebird playing with toy File:Peach-faced lovebirds.jpg, Pair in captivity


Mutations

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. Image:Agapornis roseicollis -Peach-faced Lovebird pet on perch.jpg, Wild type Image:Agapornis roseicollis- Peach-faced Lovebird and yellow mutant.jpg, Left: Wild type
Right: Lutino mutation Image:Skittles and Peach.jpg, Left: Wild type
Right: Pied Green mutation Image:DenglerSW-Peach-faced-Lovebird-20051026-1280x960.jpg, Aqua Turquoise mutation Image:Lovebird Agapornis Roseicollis Hybrid.jpg, Left: Pied mutation
Center: Hybrid of peach-face and a fischeri
Right: Orange-face mutation Image:Whitefaced Blue Rosy-Faced Lovebird.jpg, Turquoise mutation File:Agapornis roseicollis - Single Violet Opaline mutation.jpg, Green Single Violet factor Opaline mutation File:Agapornis roseicolli tamed.jpg, They can be tamed File:Opaline DD mo.jpg, Opaline Double Dark factor mutation File:Lovebird .jpg, Lutino lovebirds with mutation where facial coloration covers entire head File:Agapornis Roseicolli Aqua Arlequin.jpg, Aqua harlequin File:White face violet African lovebird 01.jpg, Whiteface violet File:Blue agapornis.jpg, Whiteface violet with a bluish tone


References


Citations


Cited texts

*


General references

* *
Rosy-faced Lovebird Bird Observations, Jan–Dec, 2003–2011
eBird.org *


External links


Peach Faced Lovebird mutation information
Information on PFLB mutations

Range Expansion Data in Greater Phoenix, Arizona
African Love Bird Society
An international organization dedicated to the keeping, breeding, and showing of Love Birds. * Rosy-faced lovebird
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
{{Taxonbar, from=Q632213 rosy-faced lovebird Birds of Southern Africa rosy-faced lovebird rosy-faced lovebird