Black-collared lovebird facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Black-collared lovebird |
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Agapornis
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| Species: |
swindernianus
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The black-collared lovebird (Agapornis swindernianus) is a small, colorful parrot. It is also known as Swindern's lovebird. These birds are about 13.5 centimeters (5 inches) long. They live in parts of Africa, like Cameroon, Ghana, and Uganda.
You can usually find black-collared lovebirds in thick forests. They like places with big trees and lots of moisture. This lovebird is mostly green. It has a black band on the back of its neck and a dark greyish-black bill. Both male and female birds look very similar. It's rare to see them as pets because they need a special type of fig fruit to eat.
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What Does It Look Like?
This lovebird is mostly green. It has a black "collar" on its neck, which gives it its name. Its chest is brownish-red, and its bill is greyish-black. It has yellow eyes and grey feet.
The head is mostly green, and its neck is yellow. The bottom part of its body is a royal dark blue. The rest of its upper body is dark green. The black-collared lovebird also has soft black feathers and orange-red marks on its outer tail feathers.
Young birds do not have the black collar yet. A Dutch professor named Theodore van Swinderen named this bird in 1820. One type of this bird, called zenkeri, has a blood-orange stripe under its black collar.
Different Types of Black-collared Lovebirds
There are three main types, or subspecies, of the black-collared lovebird:
- The first type is A. s. swindernianus. You can find it in Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, and Ghana.
- The second type is the Cameroon black-collared lovebird, A. s. zenkeri. It lives in Cameroon, Gabon, and Congo.
- The third type is the Ituri black-collared lovebird, or Emin's lovebird, A. s. emini. This one is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
Heinrich Kuhl discovered the black-collared lovebird in 1820. The bird's name honors the Dutch professor, Theodore van Swinderen. He taught at the University of Groningen.
Where Do They Live?
Black-collared lovebirds live across a large area in equatorial Africa. They make their homes in the forests of many countries. These include Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, and Uganda.
They like to hide high up in the forest canopy (the top layer of trees). These birds are known to be very shy. They prefer living in older forests or forests that are growing back. They like places close to sea level, not in mountains. They also enjoy "gallery forests," which are trees growing along rivers or other water bodies. Black-collared lovebirds especially love fig trees.
What Do They Eat?
The black-collared lovebird mainly eats fig seeds. They also eat other African fruits like Rauwolfia, Harungana, and Macaranga. Sometimes, they eat maize (corn) found on the forest floor.
They are known to look for oil palm fruits early in the morning. They feed on seeds, berries, and even insects. This includes caterpillars and beetle larvae. While they do eat food from the ground, they are mostly seen high in the treetops. This makes them very hard to spot!
How Do They Sound?
Scientists haven't recorded much about the sounds black-collared lovebirds make. There isn't one exact sound that is well-known for this bird. The most common sound is a high-pitched, sharp "sri-lee." When they are sitting on a branch, they make different chattering noises. Large groups of these birds tweet constantly.
Are They in Danger?
The black-collared lovebird is not considered to be globally threatened. This means their overall population is not in serious danger. They are often reported as rare or uncommon in some places. However, in Gabon, you can find them more easily.
They are rare in Liberia but not a concern there. They are also found in places like Yapo Forest and the Ivory Coast. You can find flocks of them in Azagny and Taï National Park. In Ghana, they are rare and mostly found in forest reserves. The same is true for the Dzanga reserves in the Central African Republic.
Even though they are rarely seen in East Africa, they are quite common in the Bwamba lowlands of Uganda.
Keeping Them as Pets
Black-collared lovebirds are rarely kept as pets. This is because they need specific fig seeds or fig fruit as a big part of their daily diet. Without these special foods, they usually don't do well or breed in captivity.
