Fun Grey-headed Lovebird Facts For Kids

The grey-headed lovebird is a small parrot, belonging to the genus Agapornis. Lovebird is the common name given to the parrots belonging to the Psittaculidae family. There are nine species present in this genus, and eight of them are native to Africa. The grey-headed lovebird is endemic to Madagascar. These parrots harbor a strong, affectionate, and monogamous bonding with their companions. These parrots are sexually dimorphic. The gray head, through which they got their names, is absent in females. In terms of size, these are the smallest of the lovebird species. They have a wingspan larger than their body and are efficient fliers with a very flexible head and body.

Continue reading this article to know more about these lovebirds. For more relatable content, check out these Fischer's lovebird facts and peach-faced lovebird facts for kids.
 

What type of animal is a grey-headed lovebird?

Agapornis canus is a Madagascar lovebird from the parrot species known as Agapornis. These are noticeably different from parrotlets, which are related to lovebirds. The parrotlets are 2 in (5 cm) smaller than the lovebirds.

What class of animal does a grey-headed lovebird belong to?

Agapornis canus belong to the class of Aves.

How many grey-headed lovebirds are there in the world?

This grey-headed lovebird species are barely used for the pet trade as they are difficult to breed. Their exact number is not yet recorded, but they are found to be plentiful around their areas of origin.

Where does a grey-headed lovebird live?

The grey-headed lovebird (Agapornis canus) is native to the island of Madagascar which lies off the coast of southern Africa.

What is a grey-headed lovebird's habitat?

The grey-headed lovebird's habitat includes scarcely wooded scrublands, forest edges, forest clearings, rice fields, towns, and villages. It mostly remains restricted to lower altitudes, only occasionally at 4,922 ft (1,500 m) or more from the ground level.

Who do grey-headed lovebirds live with?

The grey-headed lovebird lives in small flocks. Two lovebirds share a lifelong companionship.

How long does a grey-headed lovebird live?

This grey-headed lovebird species (Agapornis canus) lives for a maximum of 10-20 years in Madagascar.

How do they reproduce?

The grey-headed lovebird has a breeding season in and around autumn, in the month of March in Madagascar.  These lovebirds are monogamous and they choose one potential mate for their entire life. These birds nest in tree cavities of dead trees. The female carries the nest material in her feathers and builds her nest. Next, she lays around three to six eggs. The incubation period is a 20-23 days long and the young ones begin to fledge after 44 days.

What is their conservation status?

This species of Madagascar lovebirds (Agapornis) are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. This species is endemic to the islands of Madagascar and are abundantly localized in that region.

What do grey-headed lovebirds look like?

The grey-headed lovebird parrot is a mix of gray, pale gray, and dark green. This lovebird species displays sexual dimorphism. The adult male has a gray upper body whereas an adult female is entirely green. True to its name, the adult male has a gray tone to its head, chest, and back of the neck. They have white wings on the outside with their surface being blackish brown. The adult female lacks gray markings. A young grey-headed bird is very similar to adults. They have a pale gray top which modifies into a proper gray head as they mature. Their common species include the black-collared lovebird also known as Swindern's lovebird.

We've been unable to source an image of a grey-headed lovebird  and have used an image of a green backed lovebird instead. If you are able to provide us with a royalty-free image of a grey-headed lovebird, we would be happy to credit you. Please contact us at [email protected].

How cute are they?

The grey-headed lovebird is quite a beauty to watch and observe. Their chitter-chatter and friendly disposition with humans adds to their cuteness. These birds remain shy in captivity as well as in the wild.

How do they communicate?

The grey-headed lovebird shrieks out high-pitched notes when alarmed. They are profound chatterboxes. It squawks and produces a 'plee...plee' sound during the night and while flying. However, they remain sedentary during the time they spend on the island of Madagascar.

How big is a grey-headed lovebird?

Grey-headed lovebirds are tiny parrots of about 5.1 in (13 cm) long and 3.2-5.1 in (8-13 cm) in height. These are even smaller than robins and bigger than hummingbirds.

How fast can a grey-headed lovebird fly?

Grey-headed lovebirds are proficient in flying. They can catch a good speed quite quickly. These lovebirds have set records of rapidly turning their heads as fast as 270 degrees per second, similar to the insects.

How much does a grey-headed lovebird weigh?

A grey-headed lovebird weighs around 1.1-1.3 oz (30-36 g). They are two to four times smaller than bowerbirds.

What are the male and female names of the species?

The grey-headed lovebird (Agapornis canus) does not have distinct names for a male and female of this species. Their name is rooted in their appearance and so they do not have specific names based on their sex.

What would you call a baby grey-headed lovebird?

The baby grey-headed lovebird is called a hatchling or it can be called a baby grey-headed lovebird.

What do they eat?

The grey-headed lovebird (Agapornis canus) has a dietary regime that includes canary seeds, vegetables, and fruits. They also like oats, millets green leaves, and chickweed. A black-collared lovebird eats native figs which makes them unsuitable for aviaries.

Are they dangerous?

This Madagascar lovebird is not dangerous at all. However, they are rarely captive and the reason being  is the difficulty of breeding. Otherwise, this species is harmless as its name suggests. They live a peaceful life.

Would they make a good pet?

They are wild birds, therefore not suitable to be kept as pets.

Did you know...

A grey-headed lovebird (Agapornis canus) shows signs of grief when its partner passes away. The popular myth which has been in circulation is that a lovebird dies right after losing its partner. This is, however, not completely true.

There is another species of Agapornis called the blue-grey-headed lovebird which is one of the most unique mutations of lovebirds occurring naturally in the wild.

In research, it was found that these birds are significantly intelligent and their IQs were found to be similar to a three to five year-old child.

What are the characteristics of grey-headed lovebirds?

When kept in an aviary, this Madagascar lovebird tends to be frightened and shows some signs of nervousness. Through their chit-chat, you may be able to tell if they are happy or not. They develop a deep affectionate bond with their companion gray-head bird and are often seen eating and sleeping together. In captivity, even if they are bred in their respective breeding season, there are very rare instances of their survival, hardly one or two generations have survived. These birds are some of the smallest variants of the lovebird species and have lots of symbolic meanings attached to them. They symbolize love, commitment, loyalty, and care.

How to identify grey-headed lovebirds?

The male Madagascar bird is differentiated from the female bird on the basis of its prominent gray head. The females are generally fully green. A young grey-headed lovebird parrot (Agapornis canus) has a pale gray head that intensifies as it grows.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our kea parrot facts and Frigatebird facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable grey-headed lovebird coloring pages.