Black-collared Lovebirds aka Swindern's Lovebirds
Relevant Web Resources:
- Lovebird General Information ... Lovebird Species
- Lovebirds as Pets ... Breeding Lovebirds
- Lovebird Diet: Feeding your lovebird for good health
- Lovebird Diseases (Diseases & Health Problems Lovebirds are Susceptible to)
- Lovebird Photo Gallery (Species Photos & Links)
Books, DVDs and Other Media about Lovebirds (Sold / shipped out of: 
| 
| 
| 
)
Are you looking for a lovebird? Click here for a listing of breeders
The Black-collared Lovebird (Agapornis swinderniana) was discovered by Heinrich Kuhl in 1820 and named after Professor Theodore van Swinderen of Groningen University.
The Black-collared Lovebird is relatively unknown in Europe, America and other countries. It is being described as shy bird that hides high in the forest canopy.
Breeders have tried to integrate this bird into a breeding program, but the very specific diet of these lovebirds made successes rare. Without certain native (fresh) fig seed or fig flesh as a basis of their daily diet, these lovebirds died within days. Many believe that this bird cannot be adapted to life in captivity.
Description:
They average 5 inches (13 cm) in length.
The sexes are similarly marked: the plumage is generally green with a characteristic half collar at the nape. The chest is orange-yellow, merging into yellow on the bell. The rump and tail have blue and red markings. The beak, feet and legs are gray, the iris yellow.
Young / immature birds look like adults, except they lack the black band to nape (lower back of the neck) or it is very faint. The bill is pale grey with a blackish base and the irides (= plural of iris) are brown.
Two subspecies or races are currently recognized:
- Black-collared Lovebirds aka Cameroon - Agapornis swindernianus zenkeri (Reichenow 1895 )
- Ituri Black-collared Lovebird or Emin's Lovebirds - Agapornis swindernianus emini (Neumann, 1908)
Potential Problems / Training and Behavioral Guidance:
Black-collared lovebirds are not readily available in aviculture and little is known about their pet potential. Should captive birds be available, every effort should be made to place them into a well-managed breeding program to conserve this species for future generations.
Little is known pertaining to their personality and pet potential. Should individual birds not be suitable for a breeding program and you are considering it as a pet, the below information may be of value ...
Lovebirds, in general, are pretty easy to manage for most people. They are not as destructive and noisy as their larger cousins. If not properly socialized, however, they will discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us".
It really is important to learn to understand them and to guide their behavior before an undesirable behavior has been established. There are few things to consider ...
Biting: If not properly socialized, however, they will discover their beaks as method of "disciplining us". They can be very aggressive towards other animals (including birds), if they don't know them or are jealous of the attention they are getting from their favorite human. - Noise: Lovebirds are very vocal birds, making loud, high-pitched noises that can be a nuisance. They make noise all day, but especially at certain times of day.
- Chewing: As stated above, lovebirds are also very active, and love to chew things. When they are let out of their cage, it would be wise to watch them carefully, and protect any furniture, electrical wiring or anything else that they could possibly chew on. They are not big chewers - as their preferred medium is "paper."
- Paper: They love to tear up paper -- especially when they are in the "mating" spirit -- which is all-year-round for birds kept indoors (not exposed to the seasons). I have learned not to keep important papers laying around - and even use it as a way to keep my lovebird busy.
Training and behavioral guidance is recommended ...
- AvianWeb Resources: I put together web resources for you to help you understand your pet bird and properly direct him. Please visit this website for valuable tips on parrot behavior and training. If you found a way to resolve a "parrot behavioral issue" please share it with others.
- If you are, as I am, a visual learner and prefer step-by-step instructions to train your pet, I recommend:
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
- Stop Biting
- Perform Tricks &
- Tame ANY SIZE bird you could possibly own
- and/or try the "Teach Your Parrot to Talk" Training Course. (Note: lovebirds rarely learn to talk, but there is a chance they may learn to mimic human speech if taught to at a young age.)
- the Parrot Training Course to teach your parrot to:
If you are considering a conure as a pet, the following web resources might be of interest:
- Procuring your Parrot
- Breeders:
- Breeder Listing by State / Country. Do you breed this species and would like to be listed? Click here to see your options.
- Housing & Caring for Your Conure: Conures love to climb and play and need to be provided with a cage that allows them to move around freely and toys to entertain themselves with. Please refer to the following websites for information:
Breeding
Lovebirds can start breeding when they are as young as ten months of age and may continue until they are five to six years. They are very prolific and may produce several egg clutches within a single year. Due to this, they are usually readily available on the pet market.
During breeding season the behavior between partners will change: the male displays a more aggressive behavior, while the female begins preparing the nest. There are specific nesting boxes for lovebird-size birds, but if not available a cockatiel nesting box will do just fine. Click here for nesting boxes.
The nests are almost entirely made by the females and the three to six eggs are incubated for about twenty-three days. The hatchlings will be cared for by the female until they leave the nest at about six weeks of age. The father then takes over the feeding of the young birds for another two weeks or so until they are weaned.
- For more information on breeding lovebirds, please click here.
Diet:
Lovebirds should be fed a quality seed mix, in addition to providing them with vegetables and fruits. It is recommended to supplement their diet with vitamins and minerals. Bird-specific vitamins are available at the vets or better pet stores.
- Please click here for more information on nutritional requirements.
Species: Scientific: Agapornis swindernianus swindernianus aka Agapornis swinderniana swinderniana... English: Black-collared Lovebird, Swindern's Lovebird ... Dutch: Zwartkraagagapornis, Groenkopagapornis ... German: Grünköpfchen, Von Swinderns Unzertrennlicher ... French: Inséparable de Van Swindern
Sub-Species / Races Including Nominate: swinderniana, zenkeri, emini
Distribution: Liberia and Southern Ghana
Sub-species:
Cameroon Black-collared Lovebirds:
Species: Scientific: Agapornis swindernianus zenkeri aka Agapornis swinderniana zenkeri / Agapornis swinderniana emini ... English: Cameroon Black-collared Lovebird ... Dutch: Zenkers Zwartkraagagapornis ... German: Zenkers Grünkopfchen ... French: Inséparable à collet noire de Zenker
Distribution: Cameroon and Gabon, East / Western Regions of Central African Republic, Congo
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (please scroll down to no. 2)
Emin Black-collared Lovebirds:
Species: Scientific: Agapornis swindernianus emini aka Agapornis swinderniana emini ... English: Emin Black-collared Lovebird ... Dutch: Emin Zwartkraagagapornis ... German: Emin Grünköpfchen ... French: Inséparable de Emin
Distribution: Central Congo, Uganda
Photo, Video and/or Article contributions are welcome! Please click here for info
The Avianweb strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however, mistakes do happen. If you would like to correct or update any of the information, please send us an e-mail. THANK YOU!
