Peachfaced Lovebirds aka Rosy-faced Lovebirds
If you are starting out with lovebirds, I would also recommend visiting the following webpages:
- Lovebird General Information
- Lovebirds as Pets
- Keeping Your Pet Happy & Healthy
- Breeding Lovebirds
- Lovebird Diseases (Diseases & conditions lovebirds are susceptible to)
- Lovebird Species
- Lovebird Photo Gallery
- Lovebird Books
The Peach-faced Lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis) is endemic to South-west Africa, and is commonly seen in large flocks of 20 to 30. However, there are sizable feral populations in Phoenix, Arizona - which has as a similar climate. They are known to nest in palm trees and saguaro cacti.
This is probably the best-known and most popular lovebird species here in the U.S. and maybe worldwide.
They have a fun personality and are easier to tame than most lovebirds (please refer to the "Lovebird as Pet" website for information). Their intelligence is equivalent to that of larger parrots - although most never learn to talk, but are able to mimic and imitate noises and whistles. They are known to be aggressive with other birds (and even other pets, much larger than themselves!). Lovebirds may pack the personality of the larger parrot, but due to their small size they require less space and are less noisy or messy than the larger species.
Peachface Lovebirds may live over 20 years, provided they are provided with the nutrition and care they need.
Description:
A small parrot, the average adult Peach Faced Lovebird measures 15cm long. Since the Peachface Lovebird is so popular in aviculture, numerous color mutations have arisen, including: Creminos, Lutinos, Orange-faced, Pieds, Fallows, Whitefaced, Violets and Cinnamons. The original Peacface colored lovebird has a green plumage, a peach-colored face, a blue rump, gray feet and a horn-colored bill.
Both males and females look alike. There are some visual signs that an experienced breeder may use to identify the sex of a lovebird -- but they are most certainly not 100
% accurate.
Potential Problems / Training and Behavioral Guidance:
Lovebirds 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 prefered 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 roseicollis roseicollis ... English: Peach-faced Lovebird ... Dutch: Perzikkopagapornis, Rozeborstagapornis ... German: Rosenköpfchen, Rosenpapagei ... French: Inséparable à tête rose
Sub-Species:
roseicollis, catumbella
Sub-species:
Species: Scientific: Agapornis roseicollis catumbella ... English: Angola Peach-faced Lovebird ... Dutch: Angola Perzikkopagapornis ... German: Angola Rosenköpfchen ... French: Inséparable à tête rose du Angola
Distribution: Benguella district in southern Angola
Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (please scroll down to no. 2) ... Papageienzucht (in German / in Deutsch)
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with the AvianWeb visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the AvianWeb Webmaster.
Photo contributions and articles are welcome!
