Black-collared Lovebird
Agapornis swindernianus
Short-tailed, mostly green miniature parrot. The back of the neck has a line of black above a line of color that varies geographically from yellow in the eastern part of the range to red in the center and orange in the east. Also note the blue rump and red patches on the sides of the tail. Found in lowland rainforest, including forest clearings and edge, and sometimes in secondary habitat. Often seen in small groups flying fast above the forest canopy. The call is a quick, high-pitched, silvery “siireee,” often given in flight. Structure and mostly green coloration similar to Red-headed Lovebird, but note the black collar and lack of red on the face.
Identification
It is a mostly green parrot with black-collared nape, brownish red chest, greyish black bill, yellow iris and grey feet. Both sexes are similar. More specifically, the head is mostly green, with a yellow neck and a narrow black hind collar. Its bottom is a royal dark blue, and the rest of its upper body is dark green. The agapornis swindernianus has soft black feathers and orange-red markings on its outer tail feathers. The two genders are similar in their coloring. The young birds do not have the distinct black collar. The Dutch professor Theodore van Swinderen from the University of Groningen named the black-collared lovebird in 1820. The bird gets its name from the 'collar', identifiable from black feathers around its neck that resembles a collared shape. The zenkeri extension of the species contains a blood-orange stripe underneath its distinct collar.
Taxonomy
There are three subspecies of the black-collared lovebird:<p>The black-collared lovebird was discovered by Heinrich Kuhl in 1820. The name commemorates the Dutch professor, Theodore van Swinderen of University of Groningen.
- Scientific name
- Agapornis swindernianus
- Authority
- (Kuhl, 1820)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Agapornis
Range and habitat
The black-collared lovebird is distributed across a wide range in equatorial Africa. It inhabits the forests of Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia and Uganda. They hide high in the forest canopy and are characterized as being very shy.The black-collared lovebird lives mainly in mature and secondary subtropic lowlands. These birds prefer a close-to-sea-level environment where they are not met with mountains or hills. They also enjoy gallery forests, or an environment of trees along a body of water. The black-collared lovebirds particularly favor fig trees and areas cleared of brush. Found commonly in primary forest trees or rarely in secondary growth, depending on the foliage level.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
The black-collared lovebird is not globally threatened. The bird is generally reported as rare or uncommon with an exception in Gabon where they can be commonly found. This might reflect the common observer activity and the sensitization to the black-collared lovebird. The bird is rare in Liberia, but not of concern. The black-collared lovebird is also not uncommon in places such as the Yapo Forest and the Ivory Coast. The bird was also recorded from Azagny and Taï National Parks where you could find flocks of the birds. In Ghana, the species is rare and probably now confined to forest reserves, as well as in Bia National Park. The species is rare in the Dzanga reserves where they subside as well as in the Central African Republic. The agapornis swindernianus has rarely been recorded in East Africa, but is reasonably common, in Bwamba lowlands, Uganda.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
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