Rosy-faced lovebird

Rosy-faced Lovebird
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Superorder	Psittacimorphae
Order	Psittaciformes
Family Information
Family	Psittacidae
Sub-family	Psittacinae
Tribe Information
Tribe	Psittaculini
Genus Information
Genus	Agapornis
Species Information
Species	A. roseicollis
Population statistics
Population	Unknown (2018 est.)
Conservation status	Least concern

The rosy-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis) is a species of parrot of the family Psittacidae, and found in southwestern Africa. One of the more popular cage birds, trapping for this trade has resulted in a loss in numbers overall for the wild population; conversely, it has also resulted in the establishment of several feral populations, with the most notable located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Description

The rosy-faced lovebird is a small parrot, with a body length of 5.9 inches, a wingspan of 9.5 inches, and weighs 1.6 to 1.8 ounces. The sexes are indistinguishable. The main body plumage is a pastel green, with the face, cheeks and throat salmon pink down to the upper breast. The upper tail-coverts and the rump stand out from the rest of the plumage by their bright blue color. The beak of the rose-head is horn-colored, the iris dark brown. A blue mutation has been known to occur both in the wild and among captive birds.

Subspecies

• Agapornis roseicollis catumbella; southwestern Angola
• Agapornis roseicollis roseicollis; Namibia to South Africa (northern Cape Province)

Range and habitat

The rosy-faced lovebird is found in southwestern Africa, from the northern Cape Province of South Africa via Namibia and Botswana to Angola. In the north-west of Angola and southern Luanda the species was introduced in Quiçama National Park.

It occurs to an elevation of up to 4,500 feet and inhabits mainly dry forested areas or semi-deserts, steppes and savannas with sparse trees. It is also found near forest edges and rivers as well as areas near arable land.

Reproduction

The rosy-faced lovebird is monogamous and mates for life. It has an unusual method of carrying the nesting material to the breeding site, transporting branches, bark and other parts of plants by clamping them within the plumage of the upper tail feathers. They set up their nests in crevices in the rock, or under the roofs of low houses.

In the breeding season from February to March and from April to October, four to six eggs are usually laid, which are then incubated by the female alone for about 21 to 23 days, with the male bringing food. After another five to six weeks, the young are fledged. They are completely independent after a further 14 days.

Threats

The pet trade has made this species among the most popular of cage birds due to its size, beauty, and color variability; it has in the past also made them a target for exportation, and prior to 2000 it was believed that the trapping of birds for the pet trade had eroded their wild numbers considerably. However, a 2004 proposal to remove the species from Appendices I and II of CITES cited the possible increase in numbers, in part due to the creation of natural and man-made waterholes in Namibia in an effort to increase eco-tourism. Locally, the species is also impacted by persecution from farmers, as it is known as a pest to millet crops.

Phoenix, Arizona population

Only one parrot species was native to the United States, the Carolina parakeet (Conuropsis carolinensis), which became extinct in 1918. Very few parrot species have established themselves successfully upon escaping, the most notable being the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus). The rosy-faced lovebird is one of the very few which has an established colony, located in the greater Phoenix area of Arizona. First documented in the 1980s, the population is an estimated 2,000 birds, nesting within made-made boxes or natural cavities in rocks and saguaro cactus. A study has also noted that these birds take advantage of the many air conditioning systems within the city during hot summer days when the temperatures are above 100 degrees.