Skip to main content

Lovebird

Peach Faced Lovebird
Phylum : Chordata
Class : Aves
Order : Psittaciformes
Family : Psittacidae
Genus : Agapornis

Length : 5-7in (12.5-18cm)

IUCN Status : The Black-Cheeked Lovebird is listed as Vulnerable. Lillian's and Fischer's Lovebirds are Near Threatened. All other species are of Least Concern.

Happy Valentines Day! What better animal to talk about then one that has the word love right there in its name? There are nine different species of Lovebird, all of whom are found natively in Africa, though they are now very popular in captivity. There are now also several feral populations in the United States.

Fischer's Lovebird
Lovebirds are small parrots, but don't let their size fool you! They can be just as intelligent and active as their large family members. Lovebirds can mimic human voices, but it is not a common practice. In the wild, each species of Lovebird has its own distinct markings. Captive breeding has brought out even more color possibilities.

Lovebirds get their name from the incredibly strong bond that monogamous mated pairs make. They show fierce loyalty and affection toward their mates, are are best kept in pairs. Captive Lovebirds can be kept alone, but they will consider their human owner to be their mate and will need a great deal of attention in order to stay happy and well socialized.

Lovebird commonly live 10-12 years, though there are those who have lived over 20. Most species of Lovebird are in a good condition in the wild, but others, like the Black-Cheeked Lovebird, are listed as vulnerable due to habitat loss.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!

Banggai Cardinalfish

Pterapogon kauderni The Banggai Cardinalfish is a small tropical fish that is becoming very rare in the wild, even though it has been successfully bred in captivity. You will only find these small, 3in long fish around the Banggai Islands of Indonesia. They are the only members of their genus, and you can tell them apart from other Cardinalfish by their three-striped bodies, tasseled first dorsal fin, long second dorsal, and their deep-forked tail fins. Banggai Cardinalfish are diurnal and live in small groups of about a dozen members. They are opportunistic feeders who dine on whatever smaller plants and animals they can find. Courtship and mating is pretty interesting for these guys-- females are the ones who initiate. They isolate a male and the pair will perform various courtship rituals before spawning. The Cardinalfish are mouthbrooders, which means that the males take the fertilized eggs (up to 90 of them) into their mouths and incubate them for up to 30 days. During t...