Red-faced Lovebird
Latin name
Agapornis pullarius
Subspecies:
A. p. pullarius
A. p. ugandae
Common names
Red-faced Lovebird
Red-headed Lovebird
Description
This species is sexually dimorphic.
It is distinguished from other Lovebird species with red on their faces by the absence of bare white eye rings, black underwing-coverts in the male, and red at the base of the tail. Juveniles are duller than the adults.
In the subspecies A. p. pullarius the adult male has a orange-red face, the lower back and rump are cobalt blue, the upper tail coverts are greenish yellow, and the underwing-coverts black. The tail is green with the lateral feathers being red at the base, subterminally banded black and tipped with yellow. The bill is coral-red, the iris is dark brown and the legs are gray. The female facial colour is more orange than the male and the underwing-coverts are green. The juveniles are like the adults, but with a smaller face mask of orange-yellow and the bill is reddish-brown with black at the base of the upper mandible.
A. p. ugandae is similar to pullarius but the lower back and rump are paler blue.
Mutations
Pied and Lutino mutations have been reported. The lutino is a simple recessive and not sexed linked.
Their call is weak but high pitched.
Size
Length 15cm (6in)
Weight 43g (1 1/2oz)
Wing length 85 - 95mm ( 3 1/2in)
Age at maturity
Lifespan
Distribution
They cover a wide area of equatorial Africa from Guinea to southern Ethiopia and south to Tanzania. They are also found on Sâo Tomé Island in the Gulf of Guinea.
Preferred habitat is secondary forest, savannah woodland and lightly timbered grassland especially near cultivation.
Personality
Housing
Feeding
Breeding
In the 19th Century they were said to breed well, however it is now thought this must have referred to a different species, because these days they are considered a difficult species to breed.
They breed on a colony basis (unlike most other lovebirds species). In the wild they burrow into termite mounds to make their nest. In captivity a nest that provides the ability for the females to tunnel into it is required. Successful breedings happen only occasionally however. The most popularly used nest box is made with a block of cork encased in a wooden chamber of generous proportions. Breeding birds especially enjoy live mealworms.
Clutch size varies from 4 to 6 eggs with an incubation period of 22 or 23 days. The chicks fledge at about 6 weeks of age. They develop their adult plumage at around 4 months old.
This is not considered a beginners species. It is very rare and expensive in captivity due to the difficulties of breeding. It is a nervous species and requires heated flights, as it is susceptible to the cold.
Availability
Difficult and expensive to obtain.
General notes
It is thought that the Red-faced Lovebird was one of the first Lovebird species to be kept in captivity.
Although common in some districts in the wild, they are lightly dispersed and generally uncommon. Their numbers in the wild are thought to be declining.
They tend to be locally nomadic depending on the availability of food, but they return to a preferred roost at night. Flocks are small, up to 20 individuals or just pairs, however large flocks can develop where there is a ripening cereal crop. They tend to feed on the ground or by clinging onto the seed heads of grasses hanging upside down to get at the seeds.
They are a shy species and are difficult to approach.
Living with this parrot
Video clips
Pictures
References and further reading
This page was last modified on Sunday, March 22, 2009