Yellow-collared Lovebird

Agapornis personatus

Content

Among 13 and 15 cm.. length and a weight between 43 and 47 g., the Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus) They are surprisingly beautiful.

They have head, the throat and the top of the nape blackish brown, merging into yellow at the bottom of the nape and top of the the mantle, forming a distintivo collar. The remaining the mantle, scapulars and rump, are green; uppertail-coverts blue. Upper, the wing-coverts green; primaries green, darker in vane inner; vane outside of secondaries green, the vane internal black.

Under, wing-coverts green; underside of flight feather grey-black. Top of the chest bright lemon yellow; belly and undertail- coverts pale green. Tail mostly green, but all feathers, except the central pair, labeled orange opaque; subterminal band negruzca.

Bill coral red, white at the base of the upper jaw; cere white; irises brown; eye ring white (2mm wide); legs pale grey.

Both sexes are similar.

Immature and adults, but the head it is less dark and bright; neck yellow duller; black markings, sometimes at the base of the upper jaw.

• Sound of the Yellow-collared Lovebird.

The Yellow-collared Lovebird They are distributed in well wooded pastures, including the cultivated areas, with Acacia, Commiphora and, above all, Adansonia, at altitudes between 1,100-1,800 m. Avoid miombo woodland.

Usually observed in small flocks of 4-5 birds but sometimes they can meet up to a hundred.

The nests of the Yellow-collared Lovebird they find, normally, in tree cavities, with a strong preference for Adansonia. They can also use free domed nests of other species. In Dar-es-Salaam, the nest, sometimes, They build it in the cavity of a building or in a free nest Little Swift (Apus ajffinis).

The nest is a complex domed structure built from long stems and strips of bark, carried by the female at the peak. The Eggs are laid in the dry season (March-April and June-July). The laying is of 3-8 in captivity. The egg incubation hard 23 days. During the first six weeks after hatching, the females they feed the young. Then, Once the young birds leave the nest, the males They take care of feeding pigeons During two weeks, or until young birds achieve independence.

The Yellow-collared Lovebird feed of grass seeds, the millet and the sorghum, Also seed Cassia. They require regular access to water and can drink several times a day.

Size of its range (breeding/resident): 224.000 km2

Except track in southwest Kenya (in Taveta), the Yellow-collared Lovebird appear to be limited to the plateau in eastern and southern Tanzania, from northern, Mount Meru south to Morogoro and west on Región de Rukwa and Mbeya Region.

In Kenya, there are considerable feral populations in Naivasha, Nairobi and Mombasa; smaller in some highlands and the coastal towns (6.000 birds in 1.986.); in Tanzania, in Dar-es-Salaam and Thong.

Sedentary, in general, common and sometimes abundant. Wild population probably in decline due to the large scale capture for the bird trade. One large number in captivity.

• Current Red List of UICN: Least concern

• Population trend: Stable

Until this year (2007) It was included in Appendix II (o anexo B) convention C.I.T.E.S.. Not globally threatened, but still vulnerable by presenting a reduced distribution area. Importation is no longer necessary to be a sufficient number in captivity.

The population size World has not been quantified, but the species according to sources is locally quite common.

The Yellow-collared Lovebird It, next to the Rosy-faced Lovebird and the Fischer's Lovebird, one of the most Lovebird bred in captivity.

The Yellow-collared Lovebird (Agapornis personatus) It is a bird very sociable with his kind and can live in a group.

Its aggressiveness does not reach the limit of being able to kill a fellow, as if they would Rosy-faced Lovebird.

Very common, available in all pet stores. A bit less noisy some other Lovebirds, their cry is less annoying. Like all Lovebirds, the Yellow-collared Lovebird they are very agile, Dynamic, good climbers and skilled in all kinds of acrobatics. After the breeding period, Some couples prefer to be alone if they spent this time with other couples of their species.

The Lovebirds rarely talk, but there is the possibility that learn to imitate human speech if they are taught since very young. It is important to remember that you should never have the expectation that a bird can speak.

With regard to its feeding, We provide our Yellow-collared Lovebird a set of seeds, such as millet, mixture of canary, sunflower and hemp. Alternatively, we can provide insect, ears of corn and an abundance of fruit, vegetables.

Give them opportunity to bathe and change the water regularly.

The Yellow-collared Lovebird are very easy to play, at humidity 70%. Three nidadas by year. The female tends to lead twigs on his rump to decorate your nest.

A cage of 80 x 40 x 40 cm.. It is suitable for these Lovebirds. The nest It must be a horizontal box height 25cm, 18cm wide and 18cm deep. The laying is of 3 to 6 eggs. The time of incubation of these eggs is 23 days and the chicks leave the nest 4 to 5 weeks after hatching.

– Yellow-collared Lovebird, Black-masked Lovebird, Masked Lovebird, Yellow collared Lovebird (English).
– Inséparable masqué, Inséparable personata (French).
– Schwarzköpfchen (German).
– Inseparável-mascarado (Portuguese).
– Inseparable Cabecinegro, Inseparable de Mascara, inseparable enmascarado (español).

– Order: Psittaciformes
– Family: Psittaculidae
– Genus: Lovebirds
– Scientific name: Agapornis personatus
– Citation: Reichenow, 1887
– Protonimo: Agapornis personata

“Yellow-collared Lovebird” (Agapornis personatus)

Sources:

Avibase
Parrots of the World – Forshaw Joseph M
Parrots A Guide to the Parrots of the World – Tony Juniper & Mike Parr
Birdlife
Wikipedia

Photos:

(1) – Masked Lovebird (Agapornis personata) at Auckland Zoo By Chris Gin (originally posted to Flickr as Masked Lovebird 2) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(2) – A Yellow-collared Lovebird in Serengeti, Tanzania By Demetrius John Kessy from Arusha, Tanzania (Serengeti(Fisher Love Bird)) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(3) – The blue colour mutant of the Masked Lovebird, at Častolovice Castle, Czech Republic By Mistvan (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
(4) – Several Yellow-collared Lovebirds at Kansas City Zoo, Missouri, USA By KCZooFan from Olathe, KS, U.S.A (Black-masked Lovebirds) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(5) – A Yellow-collared Lovebird at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand By Virginia McMillan from Wellington, New Zealand (yellow breasted bird) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(6) – A Yellow-collared Lovebird at Honolulu Zoo, Hawaii, USA. It is perching by the entrance to a nestbox By Daniel Ramirez from Oakland, USA (Masked Love Bird) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(7) – A pet Yellow-collared Lovebird in a cage with toys By Mike Fernwood from Santa Cruz, California, United States (Laura’s prisoner) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(8) – Lovebird hybrids (Fischer’s Lovebird x Masked Lovebird) in a back garden near Bangkok, Thailand By krisprachant [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
(9) – The blue mutant of the Masked Lovebird Agapornis personata. This variety is called blue Masked Lovebird By Autor: norasuered [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Sounds: Stein Ø. Nilsen (Xeno-canto)