Breeding Lovebirds (Part One)
Lovebirds are especially affectionate parrots. There are nine species of lovebirds, eight from Africa and one from Madagascar:
- Madagascar Lovebird
- Abyssinian lovebird
- A red-haired lovebird
- Lovebird with a peach face
- Lovebird in disguise
- Fischer’s Lovebird
- Lillian’s lovebird
- Black-cheeked lovebird
It is the long monogamous relationships these birds have that led to the name lovebird.
Their exact scientific classification is:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Type: Chords
- Class: Aves
- Order: Psittaciformes
- Family: Psittacidae
- Subfamily: Psittacinae
- Tribe: Psittaculini
- Genus: Agapornis
It is difficult to describe the color of lovebirds because they have been bred in so many different colors, but basically they are mostly green with different colors on the upper body. They are really small birds that grow up to seventeen centimeters in height and sixty grams in weight – along with budgerigars, they are one of the smallest parrots. On average, they live up to fifteen years.
In this three-part series, we’ll look at what goes into raising these lovebirds.
Caring for parrots requires a higher level of commitment when you decide to start breeding. You must have very healthy specimens kept on a special diet and in very clean conditions. Of all these factors, the most important is diet, as it is important not only for fertility, but also for ensuring the very health of the young.
The first step to breeding lovebirds is obtaining a male and a female, which is no easy task as these birds are sexually dimorphic and require scientific sexing to distinguish between males and females. In the next article, we will discuss what special steps owners should take for successful breeding.
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