Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus)

Yellow-collared Lovebird

[order] PSITTACIFORMES | [family] Psittacidae | [latin] Agapornis personatus | [authority] Reichenow, 1887 | [UK] Yellow-collared Lovebird | [FR] Inseparable maque | [DE] Schwarzkopfchen | [ES] Inseparable Cabecinegro | [NL] Zwartmaskeragapornis | [copyright picture] Adam Scott Kennedy

Subspecies

Genus Species subspecies Region Range
Agapornis personatus AF Tanzania

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

The Yellow-collared Lovebird is a mainly green small parrot about 14.5 cm (5.5 in) long. Its upper parts are a darker green than its lower surfaces. Its head is black, and it has a bright red beak and white eyerings. Yellow on the breast is continuous with a yellow collar and an expansion of yellow over the nape of the neck. Male and female have identical external appearance

Listen to the sound of Yellow-collared Lovebird

[audio:http://www.planetofbirds.com/MASTER/PSITTACIFORMES/Psittacidae/sounds/Yellow-collared Lovebird.mp3]

Copyright remark: Most sounds derived from xeno-canto


wingspan min.: 0 cm wingspan max.: 0 cm
size min.: 13 cm size max.: 15 cm
incubation min.: 21 days incubation max.: 23 days
fledging min.: 41 days fledging max.: 45 days
broods: 1   eggs min.: 3  
      eggs max.: 6  

Range

Africa : Tanzania. No evidence of natural occurrence in Kenya, although ecological barrier unclear and feral populations exist in Mombasa

Habitat

The Masked Lovebird is found in open habitats ? grasslands dotted with trees such as Acacia and Baobab. It apparently does not enter the heavily forested areas that border its range or the thick scrub that separates it from nearby populations of Fisher?s Lovebirds. Flocks, ranging in size from 6-100 birds, forage over large areas and may attack crops. Masked Lovebirds rarely roost in the open, preferring instead small crevices within baobab trees and similar locations.

Reproduction

Masked Lovebirds breed colonially, from March through August. The female uses twigs and bark strips to construct a dome-shaped nest. The nest is located within an enclosed space, such as a tree cavity or building crevice, or within the abandoned nest of another bird. They have been recoded nesting below metal roof tiles fully exposed to the African sun, in spaces as narrow as 2.8 inches. It is theorized that fresh bark strips are periodically added to the nest to increase the humidity in such situations. Brooding is apparently carried out by the female only, but the male often sits next to her, within or close to the actual nest. The 3-6 eggs hatch in 21-23 days, and the young birds fledge (leave the nest) after 41-45 days.

Feeding habits

Seeds of grasses and shrubs, sprouting plants, buds and some fruit.

Video Yellow-collared Lovebird

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwAxQo3Va4g

copyright: Jeremiusz Trzaska


Conservation

This species has a very large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.
Yellow-collared Lovebird status Least Concern

Migration

Sedentary

Distribution map

Yellow-collared Lovebird distribution range map

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