Masked Lovebird
Also known as:
Yellow-collared Lovebird, Black-masked Lovebird, Black-faced Lovebird, Black-headed Lovebird
Also known as:
Yellow-collared Lovebird, Black-masked Lovebird, Black-faced Lovebird, Black-headed Lovebird
DID YOU KNOW?
The scientific name for Masked Lovebird is Agapornis personata. “Agapornis” is from the Greek “agapein” which means “to love” and the Latin “ornis” which means “bird.”
Size:
14.5 cm (5.6 in)
Weight:
43-50 g (1.5-1.75 oz)
Subspecies including nominate:
one
Colour Adult:
Both adults brown/black crown and face; dusky olive green rest of head; red/orange throat; yellow breast and wide collar around neck; dull blue upper tail coverts; green tail, with the lateral feathers dull orange at base and banded near ends with black. Beak deep red. Eye dark brown.
Colour Juvenile:
In general are duller than the adults, in particular the more brown head. Upper mandible black at base.
Call:
Calls are high-pitched and twittering while in flight or perched.
More Information:
Content Sources:
CITES
Avibase
BirdLife International
Cornell Lab of Ornithology/Birds of the World
A Guide to Parrots of the World, Juniper and Parr, 1998
Parrots of the World, Forshaw and Cooper, 1977.
Parrots of the World, Forshaw, 2006.
Parrots in Aviculture, Low, 1992.
Captive Status:
Common
Longevity:
18-20 yrs
Housing:
Enclosure or aviary, indoors or outdoors (in warm climates), minimum length 1.2 m (4 ft).
Diet:
Small seed mix such as: canary, millet and oats; small amounts of hemp seed in cold weather; apple, green leaves such as: Swiss chard, lettuce, sowthistle, dandelion; willow catkins; spray millet; rearing food (when rearing young) made with hard-boiled egg, wholegrain bread and carrot, ground to crumbly consistency.
Enrichment:
Bird-safe chew toys such as: fir and pine wood toys and branches, vegetable-tanned leather toys; ladders, swings, noise makers, foraging and puzzle toys. Also avid bathers, so provide overhead misters or shallow water bowls.
Nest Box Size:
Vertical box 8″ x 8″ x 9″ (20.3 cm x 20.3 cm x 22.8 cm).
Clutch Size:
4-5
Fledging Age:
6 weeks
Hatch Weight:
—
Peak Weight:
—
Weaning Weight:
—
World Population:
Unknown, but thought to be fairly common. Stable.
IUCN Red List Status:
Least Concern
CITES Listing:
Appendix II
Threat Summary:
Population is suspected to be stable in the absence of threats.
Range:
N and C Tanzania with a single sighting in SE Kenya. Introduced to Tanga and Dar es Salaam, coastal Tanzania and Nairobi, Mombasa and Naivasha, Kenya.
Habitat:
Found from 1100-1800 m (3608-5904 ft) in well-wooded grasslands with Acacia, Commiphora and Adansonia plant species.
Wild Diet:
Feeds on grass seeds, millet and sorghum.
Ecology and Behaviour:
Seen in small flocks of 4-5 individuals but sometimes will congregate in groups of up to 100. Breeds in colony. Nest is complex and domed, utilizing long stalks of grass and bark strips.
Clutch and Egg Size:
4-5 rounded eggs, 23.5 x 17.0 mm (0.9 x 0.7 in).
Breeding Season:
Dry season (March-April and June-July); nest is a bulky structure of bark strips and long stems in a tree cavity.
Related Links:
—
