Fun Lovebird Facts For Kids

In this article, we will learn about the lovebird (Agapornis). This bird has stood out to many avid bird watchers for its romantic behavior toward their partners. In the animal kingdom, it is mammals who often dominate the imaginations of people, as animals that develop deep intimate relationships. Yet, it is in fact that the lovebird takes the cake in this aspect, being named after the emotion of love. Lovebirds are native to the continent of Africa and its neighboring island of Madagascar. Lovebirds are types of parrots that make up a small group in the family Psittaculidae. Their social behavior and intelligence, in addition to their small size and sweet appearance, have long tempted people to keep them as pets. Although they are generally green, lovebird colors are more diverse in captivity where they are selectively bred. In captivity, they may be peach, teal, white, violet, or even blue. Read on to learn more about the lovebird!

If you find this article fascinating, check out Peach-Faced Lovebird Facts and Fischer's Lovebird Facts.

What type of animal is a lovebird?

Lovebird is a type of small parrot species and belongs to the family Psittaculidae. The genus Agapornis is commonly called a lovebird.

What class of animal does a lovebird belong to?

The lovebird belongs to the class Aves. Lovebird is a genus that is made of nine species.

How many lovebirds are there in the world?

According to some estimates, there are fewer than 20,000 lovebirds in the world.

Where does a lovebird live?

In terms of distribution, the lovebird is almost exclusively native to Africa and Madagascar. In terms of country-wise distribution, there are significant lovebird populations in South Africa, Zambia, and Tanzania. The only exception to this rule is the gray-headed lovebird, which is native to the island of Madagascar. These bird species are very common in the field of aviculture, which makes it difficult to estimate the extent of their distribution outside of their wild populations.

What is a lovebird's habitat?

Lovebirds inhabit many types of habitats. They may be found in woodlands, forests, savanna, and even at desert edges. This bird may even be found living close to humans in cities, parks, and farms.

Who do lovebirds live with?

Lovebirds are renowned for the dynamics of their cohabitation. This bird often spends its time in a romantic pair, sitting close to its mate, and bonding. This bird stays in monogamous relationships and loves to spend time with its partner. Notably, their relationships may fall out leading to even separation of lovebird couples, which is not too rare. Apart from their romantic companions, lovebird species live in small flocks and develop intimate bonds with other members. Such is their bond and emotional connection. Captured lovebirds may mourn the absence of their flocks and mate for days.

How long does a lovebird live?

The lovebird's lifespan is observed to be about 20-30 years. As compared to the wild, in captivity, these birds may have a much longer lifespan. This could be due to factors like access to food and lack of predators, such as the lanner falcon.

How do they reproduce?

Named lovebirds, their behavior and courting rituals are something to admire. The male lovebird would try to impress the female by feeding her as the breeding season commences. The females build nests and within three to five days of mating the eggs are laid. It takes about 23 days for the lovebird eggs to hatch.

Lovebird breeding habits vary in captivity as opposed to the wild. In captivity, these birds may breed any time of the year as opposed to the wild, where the breeding season is different for each species. For instance, the peach-faced lovebird breeds in April, October, or between February and March, and Fischer's lovebirds breed from January to July.

What is their conservation status?

Of the nine lovebird species, most are listed as of Least Concern in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List. The black-cheeked lovebird is listed as Vulnerable. The Nyasa lovebird and Fischer's lovebird are listed as Not Threatened. In Zambia, there has been a ban on the trade of wild-caught lovebirds since the '30s. The United States has also banned any import of wild-caught lovebirds. Many lovebirds are being bred in captivity, which is an encouraging sign for the conservation of the wild lovebird population.

What do lovebirds look like?

You may have mistaken the swift lovebird from the popular videogame 'World of Warcraft', but lovebirds in real life are drastically different. Lovebirds have an appearance similar to that of small green parrots. These birds are generally green in color and are about 5 in (10cm) long. They have big hooked upper beaks and short tails. Some species of lovebirds have a distinct white eye ring.

How cute are they?

Lovebirds are adorable birds that may form intimate bonds with people in captivity. The cuteness of lovebirds is not limited to their appearance. Their tendency to spend quality time with their partners makes them truly endearing. Watching these birds perched on treetops, singing inspires the hopeless romantic in us all.

How do they communicate?

Lovebirds are extremely expressive birds, who communicate with other birds or even humans with a combination of growls, purrs, and high-pitched whistles. In addition, they also use body language to express their emotions. When these birds are annoyed or upset, they growl and when they purr, they express happiness. They also sing and whistle to show their cheerful mood. They may even talk to humans in some cases if they witness enough human interaction from an early age.

How big is a lovebird?

Lovebirds are not small birds in terms of their size. They are modestly sized with a body length of 5-7 in (13-17 cm). Their wingspan may be as long as 9.5 in (24 cm).

How fast can a lovebird fly?

Lovebirds are adept fliers, much like parrots in general. Parrots in general fly at about 40-50 mph (64.4-80.5 kph).

How much does a lovebird weigh?

The weight of a lovebird ranges from 1.5-2 oz (40-60 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Much like other birds, the lovebird females may be called hens, while the males are called cocks.

What would you call a baby lovebird?

A baby lovebird is called a chick.

What do they eat?

Lovebirds are mostly herbivorous and thus, eat a wide variety of plants. They may eat fruit, vegetables, seeds, and grass. They consume mostly seeds that they forage off the ground. Their diet has subtle variance across the nine species, concerning what seeds they prefer and how picky they are.

Are they aggressive?

They are social and affectionate species, but paradoxically are aggressive towards other birds. If kept with other birds, lovebirds may compete for resources and may attack smaller birds of other species. This is rooted in their tendency to be territorial and dominant. Contrary to popular perception, it is the female lovebird that tends to be more aggressive than the male.

Would they make a good pet?

Lovebirds are a social species that are affectionate towards humans, too. Lovebirds may develop behavior issues in captivity. Sometimes, they develop domineering behavior with other pets or humans. So, if you have other pets like cats or dogs, it is something to keep in mind. If you do decide to get a lovebird pet, make sure they have a large enough cage, a lovebird nest box, and toys to play with.

In cages, this bird requires ample room to be able to fly about.

Did you know...

The following are the nine species of the lovebird; gray-headed lovebird (Agapornis canus), peach-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis), yellow-collared lovebird (Agapornis personatus), Fischer's lovebird (Agapornis fischeri), Lilian's lovebird (Agapornis lilianae), black-cheeked lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis), black-winged lovebird (Agapornis taranta), red-headed lovebird (Agapornis pullarius), and the black-collared lovebird (Agapornis swindernianus).

Lovebirds love to shred paper. So, if you own them as pets you can give them dye-free paper to chew and nibble on.

Lovebirds love to play with toys like swings, mirrors, shiny objects, and wooden gnaws. You can entertain them and yourself by giving them these to play with.

Can lovebirds talk?

Lovebirds are intelligent social birds and may rarely be able to talk, although not as well as many other parrot species. In fact, unlike many parrots, most lovebirds do not talk at all. They can learn to mimic human speech if trained from an early age.

Having Your Own Lovebird

A lovebird needs a constant companion, so it is advised that you get these birds in pairs. One lovebird costs between $40-130 in the United States. The decision to keep a pet bird should not be made on a whim, prompted by how affordable the lovebird is. You should invest time and do your research in understanding what it takes to train and nurture this bird in captivity. Wild lovebirds may harbor avian polyomavirus disease, so ensure that your pets are bred in captivity.

Not all species of the lovebird parrot are available as pets. The peach-faced, Fischer's, and masked lovebird are the common pet species. They should not be kept with other small birds as they can be aggressive toward them. In addition to lovebird toys, invest in perches that are made of hardwood. This is to make sure they do not chew on them. They must have another perch that is made up of cement to keep their nails trimmed. As for lovebird food, their diet must consist of a mix of canary seeds, white millet, yellow millet, and peeled oats. This diet may vary in composition depending on their species and size. They consume only about 1.5-2 oz (45-60 g) of food per day. Adult lovebirds are unable to modify their diet too much, so give them the ideal lovebird diet from a young age. It may seem like a lot for novice bird owners, but if you give your lovebird care it will shower you back with affection.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds including Senegal Parrot Facts, or Cooper's Hawk Facts.

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