Gray-headed Lovebird
Agapornis canus
Dinky, short-tailed green parrot. Males have a gray head, while females are plain green. Found most commonly in dry forest at low elevation in the north and west of Madagascar. Occurs much less commonly in the east and center, and at higher elevations. Uses open forest, scrub, plantations, and other fairly open habitats. Call is a zesty “vhit,” often given in flight.
Identification
The grey-headed lovebird is one of the smallest species of the lovebird genus, being 13 cm (5 inches) long and weighing about 30–36 grams. Its beak and feet are pale grey. The species is sexually dimorphic: the adult female is entirely green, with a dark green back and wings, a bright green rump, and a paler green chest; the adult male are similarly colored, except that their entire head and upper chest are a pale grey.
Taxonomy
In 1760 the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson included a description and an illustration of the grey-headed lovebird in his Ornithologie based on a specimen collected in Madagascar. He used the French name La petite perruche de Madagasgar and the Latin Psittacula Madagascariensis. Although Brisson coined Latin names, these do not conform to the binomial system and are not recognised by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. The lovebird was subsequently described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in 1779 and the English ornithologist John Latham in 1781, but neither author included a binomial name. When in 1788 the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin revised and expanded Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae, he included the grey-headed lovebird. He placed it with all the other parrots in the genus Psittacus, coined the binomial name Psittacus canus and cited the earlier publications. The grey-headed lovebird is now placed with seven other lovebirds in the genus Agapornis that was introduced by the English naturalist Prideaux John Selby in 1836. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek αγάπη agape meaning "love" and όρνις ornis meaning "bird". The specific epithet canus is the Latin word for "grey".<p>Two subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Agapornis canus
- Authority
- (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Agapornis
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Grey-headed lovebirds are strong fliers, and when open, their wings seem larger in relation to their bodies than those of the peach-faced lovebird. They can develop good speed quite quickly and effortlessly, and turn smoothly, though they are not as nimble in the air as the peach-faced lovebirds.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Bronze Parotia
Parotia berlepschi
A fairly large, short-tailed bird of mid-mountane forest canopy in the Foja Mountains. Male is mainly black with white flanks, bronzy-scaled chest and 6 antennalike feathers projecting from the back of the head. Note the blue eye. The female is dull brown above with rufous in the wing, strongly-barred underparts and pale bands above and below the eye. The male dances at a terrestrial display court. There are no other similar birds-of-paradise that co-occur. Vocalizations include loud rasps, rattles or a single or double-note squeak “wi-dik!”.
Blue-masked Leafbird
Chloropsis venusta
The smallest and most unique-looking of the leafbirds. Stout-bodied, with a relatively long, faintly curved bill. Both sexes have a blue face and yellowish-green belly; males also have an orangish chest and purplish throat. Endemic to Sumatran foothill forests, where it is typically encountered in pairs up in the canopy. Songs include a high-pitched jumble of notes and a repetitive squeaky “tsi’wee, tsi’wee”; calls include a dry “chit” and a sputtering rattle.
Hispaniolan Oriole
Icterus dominicensis
A sleek forest bird that sometimes ventures into gardens and parks in search of flowers and fruit; prefers areas with palms. The adult is distinctive—clothed in black except for patches of yellow on lower belly, shoulders, and rump. No similar species occur within its range. Immatures are muddled yellow, orange, and olive, developing adult plumage over the course of a year. This plumage resembles that of female and young Baltimore Orioles, a scarce migrant and winter visitor to Hispaniola. Similarly attired Baltimore Orioles can be distinguished by their orange underparts and white wingbars. The song is a rapid jumble of squeaky and metallic notes. Calls include a buzzy “jrrrt” and a metallic “zhwee.”
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.