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Peach-faced LovebirdRose-faced Lovebird Family: Psittacidae
The Peach-faced Lovebird is a beautiful 'pocket parrot'. They come in a variety of colors and are the most commonly kept lovebirds!The Peach-faced Lovebirds are one of three lovebird species that are very popular, affectionate, and readily available. The others are the Masked Lovebird and the Fischer's Lovebird varieties. If you obtain a hand-raised Peach-faced Lovebird you will have an incredibly affectionate friend. It is a most playful, intelligent, and amusing little bird. This small parrot is also an excellent beginners bird; being relatively hardy, easy to care for, a willing breeder, and reasonably priced. The Peach-faced Lovebirds are very social and love companionship. Their natural behavior is to live closely with a companion so are often kept with another lovebird. Though they make a very fine and affectionate pet when hand-raised, they will need a lot of attention if kept singly. Most are kept in pairs to satisfy their considerable need for constant companionship, mutual preening, and socialization. For more information and the care of Lovebirds see:
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Subspecies: Agapornis roseicollis roseicollis
Agapornis roseicollisi catumbella
There are over a dozen mutations of the Peach-fronted Lovebird. Some of them include yellow mutations such as the Lutino Lovebird and the cinnamon lovebirds; the pied mutations that began with a stunning contrast between the yellows and greens; blue mutations such as the Dutch Blue Lovebird and the Whitefaced Blue Lovebird; olive mutations; and from crossings of these has produced multiple color combinations to form many new varieties.
Distribution:
The Peach-faced Lovebird is native to southwest Africa in
Nambia and southwest Angola. They inhabit dry areas with shrubs or trees
bordering forests, usually near bodies of water.
There are two Peach-faced Lovebird subspecies, the first
being A. r. roseicollis which is thought to
have been found in about 1817. The other A. r. catumbella was not discovered until 1955 and is distinguished from the first species
by it's brighter greens and more pronounced red coloring.
Description:
The Peach-fronted Lovebird is a very small member of the
parrot family, but is greatly admired for it's striking coloration. They
have a general green plumage with more yellowish under parts. The forehead
to behind the eyes, cheeks, throat, and upper breast are a rose-pink,
being reddest on the head. The feathers of the rump and onto the upper
tail are bright blue, and the tail also has occasional orange and black
markings. The eye is dark brown, the beak is horn colored with a tinge
of light green, and the legs are gray.
The young have grayish-green feathers in the plumage. The
rose-pink in front is paler and they don't have red on the forehead. The
beak is often marked with some black. They acquire their adult plumage
at about 4 months.
Size - Weight:
Though they are the largest of the lovebird species, the
Peach-faced Lovebird will only get up to about 6" - 7" (16 -
18 cm) in length.
Care and feeding:
A roomy cage is required as lovebirds are very active. If
you have a tame pet that is kept in a small cage, it needs to be let out
for extended periods to fly about.
In the wild the Peach-faced Lovebird eats seeds and berries
as well as agricultural crops, especially maize and millets. As a pet
they will enjoy a variety of seeds, fruits, vegetables, and commercial
pellets.
See About Lovebirds:
Housing and About Lovebirds:
Care and Feeding for more information.
Social Behaviors:
In the wild they are seen in small flocks, and occasionally
larger flocks when feeding in ripening crop fields.
A lovebird is a very social bird with it's companion, and
it is generally thought to be essential for their good health and happiness
that they be kept in pairs rather than singly. They can, however, be aggressive
towards other birds in an aviary setting.
Activities:
Loves to fly, climb, and play. Provide lots of room and lots
of toys.
Breeding/Reproduction:
The Peach-faced Lovebird is excellent for the beginning breeder.
These birds will breed as either single pairs or in colonies, but they
are much more prone to fighting in a colony setting so must be given plenty
of space and more nest boxes than there are pairs of birds. In the wild
these birds nest in crevices of cliffs or buildings, or take over the
communal nests of weavers. When you provide them with a nest box, be sure
to also provide lots of willow twigs, palm fronds, or other nesting materials
as they will build a small nest of their own inside of the nest box. The
female will carry the nesting materials between her back and rump feathers.
The hen will lay four to five eggs which are incubated for
about 23 days. The young fledge (leave the nest) in about 30 to 38 days
but will still be dependent until about 43 days. When they become independent,
remove the young to their own housing.
See About Lovebirds:
Breeding/Reproduction for more information on breeding.
Potential Problems:
This bird has a moderate but metallic shriek and can be somewhat
noisy for parts of the day.
See About Lovebirds:
Potential Problems for information on illnesses.
Availability:
The Peach-faced Lovebird is very popular and is readily available.
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Comments from people who have kept this pet:
I got little Albie about a week and a half ago during his weening period. He accepts pellet, nibbles on seed, plays in the sink, and is a joy to have around. He's about 9 weeks old. He steps up readily and perches on my shoulder - didn't have to work on that with him. He loves to hide in my shirt and burrows in my armpit. He's very affectionate and enjoyes preening my facial hair. It's my first bird and I love him and the experience very much.
The photo courtesy of Mona Warren is a hybrid of a peach-faced and one of the eye-rings species. Hybridizing between the various lovebird species does not occur in the wild in Africa and importing wild birds to the US has all but stopped. It is also not something that should be encouraged in US aviculture. That's not to say that a hybrid lovebird does not deserve a loving, caring pet home, or that a hybrid lovebird will not make for a wonderful companion.
Our Lovebirds are really great! We just bought them, and they are lovely!!
i have kept and bred most types of lovebirds for many years, mainly without problems. the best pair by far has been a pair of peachfaced, which i paired myself. i can never be sure as to what colour chicks the. will produce! i have had normals, lutinos, blues, greys and one total albino! they do have a flight to themselves, whilst all my other lovebirds are bred in the collony system. all birds are kept outside all year round, inside accomodation is provided in winter, but the birds prefer to stay outside, and (occassionly bread)! all birds are fed on mormal seed mix, plus veg & fruit.
I bought my first lovebird yesterday. I picked him/her out of a small flock and was told that she might be nippy, as he/she was more used to contact with fellow birds rather than human contact. However, I have had absolutely no problems with him/her so far. Taylor rides around on my shoulder, runs from my boyfriend to the other shoulder, etc. Taylor is really rather friendly; I taught him/her to step up in about five minutes. She's still a bit hesitant, but is improving rapidly. She loves her swing, ladder, and a dangling ring toy, which she puts herself through in circles to play with. She is an absolute joy and is very active and it is fascinating to watch her play.
Hi my name is Amanda. I recently purchased a Peach Faced Lovebird. I bought him hand trained. He is very unique in his own little way. His name is Yoshi! We are working on for him not to bite, he doesnt bite hard but still it would be nice to train him not to nibble at all. He loves to sit on his perch on top of his cage and walk around with me while I am doing stuff around the house. He is also a really big kisser, loves to give kisses. I am very glad I have purchased him. The purpose of getting one was for University to give me some company while away from home.
Author: Clarice Brough, CAS
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