Subspecies
Genus | Species | subspecies | Region | Range |
Agapornis | lilianae | AF | se |
Genus
Agapornis, an African genus of parrots allied to Loriculus of Asia, has usually been classified in nine species. Five species in the African lovebird genus Agapornis are the only parrots, other than Monk Parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus), that construct nests. Four species (A. personata, A. fischeri, A. lilianae, and A. nigrigenis) build domed nests within cavities, and a fifth (A. roseicollis) builds a cup-shaped nest within a cavity. The other members of the genus have nesting behavior that is more typical of other parrots: A. cana and A. taranta nest in cavities that are lined with nesting material, and A. pullaria excavates burrows in arboreal ant or termite nests. Eight species are native to the African continent, while the Grey-headed Lovebird is native to Madagascar. Their name stems from the parrots’ strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods which paired birds spend sitting together. Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat fruit, vegetables, grasses and seed. Black-winged Lovebirds also eat insects and figs, and the Black-collared Lovebirds have a special dietary requirement for native figs.
Physical charateristics
Listen to the sound of Lilians Lovebird
[audio:http://www.planetofbirds.com/MASTER/PSITTACIFORMES/Psittacidae/sounds/Lilians Lovebird.mp3]
Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto
recorded by Derek Solomon
wingspan min.: | 0 | cm | wingspan max.: | 0 | cm |
size min.: | 14 | cm | size max.: | 15 | cm |
incubation min.: | 22 | days | incubation max.: | 23 | days |
fledging min.: | 40 | days | fledging max.: | 46 | days |
broods: | 1 | eggs min.: | 3 | ||
eggs max.: | 8 |
Range
Habitat
Reproduction
Feeding habits
Conservation
Its population has been reduced considerably by flooding of a large section of the Zambezi valley by Lake Kariba, and very likely also by the Cahorra Bassa Dam in Mozambique. It is considered a pest by small-scale farmers. In addition to legal trapping of large numbers for the international cage-bird trade (over 10,000 since 1981 when it was listed on CITES Appendix II3), many are captured and sold locally in Mozambique, and the species is also captured and traded in Zimbabwe and Zambia.