The bird species: Peach-faced Lovebirds

Peach-faced Lovebirds are known to bond with other love bird species and other bird species, though with peach-faced lovebirds they are most notorious and have aggressive behavior. They weigh 55 grams and are about 17 cm to 18 cm from their head to the tip of their tail. Their wingspan is 9 cm for each wing. They have the sharpest beak among all love birds and a narrow and short tail. They have grey feet. It’s an ancestral habit of these birds to protect themselves by biting rather than flying. They love shredding a lot more than other smaller parrots such as budgies and small conures. They are scientifically called “Agapornis Roseicollis”.

Birds Habitat:

Peach-faced Lovebirds are found in southwestern African’s arid areas. Just as most lovebirds they prefer dry and less bird populated areas. Their color helps them hide in plump blue and green leafy trees. Some have even settled in Mexico, Brazil and have been spotted in New York.

Birds Food Habits:

In the wild, Peach-faced lovebirds feed on seeds, berries, fruits such as apple, figs and watermelons, grains such as- millets, wild scraps and canary, leaf buds, and agricultural crops like corn, maize, and sunflower seeds. However, the ones in captivity eat agricultural seeds and man-made pellets (vitamin and mineral powder’s such as calcium, protein and anti-fungal clubbed together in a shape of a seed.) They also feed on non-native crops such as coriander, spinach, sprouts, carrots, and zucchini.

Birds Breeding:

Peach-faced Lovebirds are very friendly and can easily breed. These birds breed from November to March; however, they do not breed throughout and only for 3 months in a clutch. A lovebird is an adult after about 10 months. A characteristic of these parakeets is to stick nesting twigs in their tail and dropping them after in their nest unlike other lovebirds. They also use nests of wood peckers. There is no visible difference between most of the male and female lovebirds, but female lovebirds have a more rounded head and are usually not very vocal like male lovebirds and also the female's belly touches the perch or the ground when sitting and they keep their legs spread apart unlike males who barely even have more than two two nails touching the ground. Chicks often shed the middle tail feather and fly with their tail open for holding on better. The cross off-springs are also fertile.  These birds always end with their opaline gene. Example- Turquoise opaline, Green opaline, Lutino opaline, etc. They also have a variation called Split opaline, but it is mostly a fisher lovebird genetic which can be noticed if two tail feathers face in the opposite direction.

Do’s:

·         Provide enriched experience by giving soft wood toys such as a bird kabab, crinkled paper and swings

·         Do train them and allow them to fly for 20-45 minutes at-least ever alternate day

·         Do provide a wooden box or a mud pot in their cage corner so that they feel safe

Do Not’s:

·         Never keep an odd number of birds once they become adult, as they bond for life and will fight for each other which can lead to death of one of them

Never feed them avocados. The leaves of the avocado plant contain persin that is harmful. Avocado skin and pits are suspected of causing cardiac distress and eventual heart failure in pet bird and parrots Do not take your bird in front of a mirror as they have a tendency to think of it as another pair-mate which may lead to death of one of them.