Description:

The lovebird is a small stocky parrot between 5.1-6.7 inches (13-17 cm). They have a large bill and a tail that is either round or square. Their average lifespan is between 10-12 years with some living even longer. The different species of lovebird are identifiable by their colors and markings. They vary greatly in their coloring, and each species can be viewed for their unique combinations. Younger birds are duller in color and they have black in their beaks. The young birds coloring intensifies as they reach maturity. Regardless of the species, mature lovebirds are gorgeous parrots!

These are some of my Pied babies they are great aren't they!!!

I presently raise 5 Species of LOVEBIRDS Peachface, Black Masked, Black Cheek, Fischer's and Abyssinian

Lovebirds are small, active, happy birds.

They can also be loud and nippy. A single Lovebird can be a great pet, while a pair of Lovebirds will often bond to each other and not care to spend time with you.

A Lovebird will not sing, and few Lovebirds will learn human speech. But they are a lot of personality packed into a tiny and relatively inexpensive bird.

If you are looking for a small buddy, who will be thrilled to play with you and snuggle with you, a Lovebird may be exactly right for you.

But be prepared for some shrill chirps, a few nips on the finger, and very inquisitive shadow. Distribution:

All lovebirds are native to Africa except the Grey-headed Madagascar lovebird which comes from the island of Madagascar.

Lovebird Species And Mutations

There are 9 different Lovebird Species, which are broken up into three groups: the White Eye Ring group, the Intermediate group, and the Sexually Dimorphic group.

The White Eye Ring Group includes:



Masked Lovebirds

The Black Masked and Blue Masked are the most common of this species, with many mutations including violet, lutino, albinos and pieds, The par Yellow and par White are are much more rare. All of these bird have a black mask. They have a red beak, yellow collar, green body, bluish rump, and black and red band on the tail. The Blue Masked also has a horn colored beak, white collar, blue body and tail. Length: 6-6 ¼ inches



Fischer's Lovebirds

Normal Fischer's have an orange face and throat, red forehead, red beak, green body, and green tail with blue tips. There are also blue, yellow, seagreen, lutino, pied, and spangle mutations. Length: 4 inches

Black-Cheeked Lovebirds

The overall color of these birds is green, with brown/black cheeks and forehead. The back of the head is yellow/green, and the throat is orange. They have a red beak, and green body. While no color mutations are known, many of these birds have been hybri dized with Masked, Nyssa, and Fischer's. Length: 4 ½ inches

Nyasa Lovebirds

Mainly green birds, with a red beak, red forehead, and orange/red throat and cheeks. The tail has a dark band near the tip. There is a Lutino mutation of the Nyasa Lovebird, which has a red head and yellow body. These Lutino are smaller in size. Length: 4 ¼ inches

The Intermediate group consists of only:

Peach-Face Lovebirds

The normal Peach-Face is primarily green, with a red face and throat and horn colored beak. They have blue rumps and a green tail with some black, rust, and red colors in it. There are more than 75 mutations of the Peach-Face. The most popular being the Lotions with the same red head face, but with a yellow body, and the Blues who have a pale blue body and a softer peach colored face. Length: 6-7 inches

The Sexually Dimorphic groups includes:

Abyssinian or Black-Winged Lovebirds Both males and females are green, with the male having a red brow. The eye ring in males is more red, while the females is green. Tails are black tipped, and beaks are red. The underneath of the wings is black on a male, and either greenish or black/brow n on a female. There are a few rare mutations of these birds, including Olives and Cinnamons.

Length: 6-6 ½ inches

Madagascar or Gray-Headed Lovebirds

The male birds have a gray upper body and head, the female has a lighter green where the male is gray. The rest of the body is varing shades of green with black feather tips, and a hazy yellowish color on the chest. The beak is a grayish color. There hav e been a few pied mutations, but they are rare. Length: 5 ½ inches

Red-Face Lovebirds

Primarily a green bird, the males have a bright red face, blue rump, and black tips on the primary wing feathers, with some blue and black on the other wing feathers. The tail is green with red on the side feathers, and a black band before the tip. The fem ales a paler orange face, with a smaller amount of color in the face then the male, and green wing feathers. Both have red beaks. There is a rare recessive blue mutation of the Red-Face Lovebirds. Length: 6 inches

Swindern's Black-Collared Lovebirds

Swindern's are very rare birds. Little is known of them. They have a green head, yellowish throat, blue rump, red and black in the tail, a black band that runs across the back of the head, and a gray beak. Length: 5 inches

The Peachface variety / Species tends to be less flighty in my opinion but the Fishers and Black Mask are also very good one-one pets.

Care and feeding:

A single lovebird will eat 1 1/2 to 2 ounces (45-60 grams) of feed daily. A feed mix of seeds and grains is generally regarded as suitable. Supplement this with fresh vegetables, greens, tree branches for the bark, some fruits, millet spray and a good vitamin supplement. Their food and water dishes are best if earthenware or porcelain as they will get gnawed if plastic. Lovebirds drink a lot of water, so will need fresh drinking water every day. Most lovebirds love a bath either in a flat earthenware dish or by spraying them with a light mist of lukewarm water. If you use a bathing dish, you will see the birds perch on the edge and dip their heads and upper bodies in the water and beating their wings. They prefer this kind of bath to getting into the water. Lovebirds generally maintain their nails and beaks on their own through climbing and chewing. Another good use they make of their tree branches.

Housing:

Lovebirds are very active birds, so a cage best suited to adequately house them must provide a lot of space. As large a cage as you can comfortably afford both financially and due to space constrictions. When you use a small cage, you must let your pet out daily to fly around. If you are housing pairs of lovebirds here are a few guidelines: Try to house only one species of lovebird as mixing species can cause serious fights. House either one pair of lovebirds or three pairs, never two pairs or there will be fighting. Each pair needs about 35 cubic feet of space. If you are looking for the Lovebird to bond with you it should be house singly, otherwise it will most likely bond to the other bird and you will be left out in the cold.

Maintenance:

The basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. Weekly you should clean and disinfect the cage. Wash and completely dry the perches and toys whenever they become soiled.