Wednesday, August 23, 2017

LOVEBIRD Species and Their Amazing Characteristics

The genus Agapornis or the African lovebird has nine species. Eight of these lovebird species originated from mainland Africa while the remaining one originated from the Madagascar region. Three species are common varieties while five species belonging to the rare kind.

The common varieties of the lovebird include the masked lovebird, the peach-faced lovebird, and the Fischer's lovebird species. On the other hand, the uncommon or rare ones comprise the bright red-faced lovebird, the Nyasa lovebird, the Madagascar lovebird, the black-collared, the Abyssinian lovebird and the black-cheeked lovebirds.

Peach-faced lovebird
Photo  by Tambako the Jaguar 
The masked lovebird species are identified through their face that is covered with green mask-like color. Wild ones have blue mask or cobalt. Meanwhile, peach-faced lovebirds are the most popular and most common in terms of captivity. They are noisy lovebird species. If you have one at home, be careful in picking a cage as they need to be safe. They can weigh up to sixty grams. The peach-faced is both inquisitive and vibrant by nature.

Fischer's lovebird is also a very common lovebird species. It was named after the person who discovered it, German explorer Gustav Fischer. It is identified with its green wing, chest and back and its bluish rump. It is a native east-central Africa and Northern Tanzania. It inhabits remote trees with grass plains. It has the ability to fly straight and speedily.

Nyasa Lovebirds typically come in green color. They have different mutations such as the bluish Nyasa and the lutino Nyasa. Another rare variety is the Madagascar lovebird species which is also known as Maddies to many lovebirds experts and enthusiasts. This species originated Madagascar, making it unique from the rest of the species which came from Africa.

Compared to the other lovebird varieties, the Maddie is very small which can only weigh as much as grams and not reaching kilos. It has an apprehensive and delicate looks and has somewhat finches rather than the hook bills which birds have in common. It has a small beak and usually chooses Finch and/or canary seeds over sunflower or safflower seed blends as their staple food.

Black-collared species are withdrawn and not competent in terms of breeding in captivity. The Abyssinian Lovebird is very rare that they are not normally preferred as a pet while the black-cheeked African lovebird species, on the other hand, can consist of the bluish variation aside from the black which is more common.



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