Jump to content

User:Faelomx/taxobox/try

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A lovebird (genus Agapornis, Greek for "lovebird") is a very social and affectionate parrot.

The name Lovebird stems from these birds' affectionate nature. Lovebirds form very close bonds with their mates, usually lasting a lifetime. This is reflected by the birds name in other languages: in German, "die Unzertrennlichen," and in French "les inséparables"- "inseparables." For this reason, many people feel strongly that lovebirds in captivity should be kept only in pairs. Others believe that lovebirds, like other parrots, are social animals who can bond with human companions when given a great deal of care and attention.

Lovebirds are about 13-17 cm in size, 40-60 grams in weight and characterized by a small, stocky build and a short, cute, blunt tail. This puts them among the smallest parrots in the world although their beak is rather large for their overall size. Many lovebirds are green, although color mutations can feature many different colors. Some lovebird species, like Fischer's, black cheeked, and the yellow collared lovebird, have a white ring around the eye. Lifespan is 10 to 15 years.


Species and habits

Eight of the different species come from the mainland of Africa. The ninth species, Agapornis canus, originates from Madagascar. In the wild the different species are separated geographically. Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat mainly fruit, vegetables, some grasses and seed. Black-winged lovebirds also enjoy figs.

Only some of the lovebird species are sexually dimorphic. This includes the Abyssinian lovebird, the Madagascar lovebird, and the black-collared lovebird.

There are a total of 9 different species:

Agapornis as pets

Like with any other pet, it is essential that one make sure the birds that one is about to buy were bred in captivity, and not wild caught. Besides conservational and ethical reasons, wild caught animals are more likely to get sick and to die. Lovebirds, especially when kept individually or brought up hand-fed, make very good pets. Lovebirds can be very interactive with humans, and when comfortable around humans, will willingly perch on human’s fingers and shoulders. Lovebirds rarely talk, but there is a chance they may learn to mimic human speech if taught to at a young age.