Lovebirds
Lovebirds are small, multi-hued parrots that get their name from their habit of pairing for life. If separated, they are believed to pine away!
There are nine species of lovebirds and they are native to sub-Saharan Africa with one species, the grey-headed, found only in Madagascar. Also known as short-tailed parrots, they are popular aviary birds as well as pets. One can find feral (a domesticated animal that returns to the wild after being released or escaping captivity) populations in the United States, Australia and South Africa.
Like parrots, lovebirds have bright green plumage on their bodies but different colours on their heads, ranging from crimson and orange, to deep rust and greyish white. They have hooked bills and zygodactyl feet, which means that two toes point forward and two toes point backward. Unlike parrots which can grow to around 100 cm in length, lovebirds range from 12 to 15 cm long.
Four species—the masked, black-cheeked, Nyasa and Fischer’s lovebirds—have distinctive white eye rings. They are monogamous, choosing to be with one mate for their lifespan of 15 years. Since parrots in general are social, gregarious birds that move about in big flocks, the lifelong pairing is believed to keep the group stable. It has been observed that if separated from its flock or if its companion dies, a lovebird shows signs of stress and behaves differently. If reunited, one will feed morsels of food to the other to rekindle the bond they shared!
In the wild, lovebirds like most parrots, live in cavities, such as tree holes, or niches in rocks and shrubs. They may nest together as a flock or as individual pairs. In cities, feral birds choose crevices in buildings or trees in urban parks to nest. Peach-faced or rosyfaced lovebirds in Phoenix, Arizona, often make their homes in cacti.
The nests are typically constructed of grass, stalks and bark. Some even build a domed roof over the nest. If the lovebirds are feeling lazy, they often occupy communal nests abandoned by weaver birds.
The birds may not be lovey-dovey all the time as their name suggests! Parrots are territorial and lovebirds, too, will attack other species and each other, especially during the breeding season.
Lovebirds eat seeds, berries, fruits, and occasionally insect larvae in the wild. In Africa, farmers consider them pests, as they love to feast on maize and millet crops.
Fact File
● Their closest relatives are hanging parrots found in Asia. The vernal hanging parrot is native to India.
● Fossils of ancient lovebird species dating as far back as 1.9 million years ago, have been unearthed in South Africa.
● In some species, the females sport different colours but in others, it is difficult to tell the two sexes apart.
● Lovebirds are affectionate, sociable and intelligent, making them ideal as pets. Fischer’s lovebird, the peach-faced lovebird and the black-masked lovebird are favourites. In fact, Fischer’s lovebird was so widely traded that its population declined drastically in the 1980s.
● Unlike other parrots, lovebirds cannot talk or mimic sounds. They are very noisy birds, though, twittering and chirping the livelong day!
● Unusually, after moulting, a lovebird’s feathers may grow back in a jumble of colours it didn’t have before!
