Rosy-faced Lovebird
Agapornis roseicollis
A small, short-tailed parrot with a soft pink face and dark eyes. Native to southwestern Africa, but feral populations occur in Arizona and in Hawaii; a common pet species, and escapees may occur anywhere. Wild birds are leaf green with brilliant blue rumps, but escaped domestic types may be mostly blue or yellow. Inhabits dry forests and river valleys; present in cities in both natural and introduced range. Call is a shrill, high whistle.
Identification
The rosy-faced lovebird is a fairly small bird, 17–18 cm (6.7–7.1 in) long, with an average wing length of 106 mm (4.2 in) and tail length of 44–52 mm (1.7–2.0 in). Wild birds are mostly green with a blue rump. The face and throat are pink, darkest on the forehead and above the eye. The bill is horn-coloured, the iris is brown, and the legs and feet are grey. The pink of the A. r. roseicollis is lighter than that of the A. r. catumbella. Juvenile birds have a pale pink face and throat, a greenish fore crown and crown, and the beak has a brownish base.
Taxonomy
It was described by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1818. It was originally named Psittacus roseicollis but later moved to the genus Agapornis with the other lovebirds.<p>Two subspecies are recognised:
- Scientific name
- Agapornis roseicollis
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1818)
- Order
- Psittaciformes
- Family
- Psittaculidae
- Genus
- Agapornis
Range and habitat
The rosy-faced lovebird inhabits dry, open country in southwest Africa. Its range extends from southwest Angola across most of Namibia to the lower Orange River valley in northwest South Africa. It lives up to 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level in broad-leaved woodland, semi-desert, and mountainous areas. It is dependent on the presence of water sources and gathers around pools to drink.<p>Escapes from captivity are frequent in many parts of the world and feral birds dwell in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, where they live in a variety of habitats, both urban and rural. Some dwell in cacti and others have been known to frequent feeders in decent-sized flocks. Temperatures in Arizona regularly exceed 40 °C (104 °F) and feral lovebirds have been observed perching in large numbers on air-conditioner vents in order to remain cool. Feral rosy-faced lovebird colonies can also be found on Maui and the Big Island in Hawaii. Although they have been observed in the wild in Puerto Rico, they are probably the result of escaped pets, and no reproduction has been recorded.<p>Populations have been reduced in some areas by trapping for the pet trade. However, numbers may have increased in other areas due to human creation of new water sources and the building of artificial structures which provide new nesting sites. Because of this, the species is classed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Schoeniparus rufogularis
Smartly patterned small brown forest-dweller. Warm russet-brown above with smudgy gray-brown underparts. Clean white eyebrow and throat contrast sharply with an orange-brown “chinstrap” and a warm brown crown bounded by black stripes. Active in dense undergrowth, frequently traveling with other species in mixed flocks. Generally not as bold as other small fulvettas, and does not clamber around in the open on exposed trunks and branches. Song is a melodiously bright and brief “chewee-chewee-peeta!” Calls include an explosive “chom-wit!” and softer whistling and churring.
Crozet Shag
Leucocarbo melanogenis
An attractive Southern Ocean crested and pied cormorant with white wingbars, pinkish feet, orange-buff warty caruncles on the forehead, and a blue eye-ring. Juvenile is duller, lacking facial ornaments. Restricted to a handful of subantarctic islands, where it forages in inshore waters; uncommon resident on Prince Edward, Marion and Crozet islands, where it is the only cormorant. Call is a grunting wheeze.
King Eider
Somateria spectabilis
A fantastic sea duck of the high Arctic. Breeding male is particularly shocking, as if you left a child unsupervised with a set of paints; it would be very difficult to mistake this bird for anything else. At a distance, look for black back with “sails” sticking up, powdery-blue nape, and enormous orange knob on the face. Immature male is variable but usually dark brown or blackish overall with paler breast and orange bill. Female is buffy-brown with a blackish bill shaped to look like she’s smiling. Extensive breeding range across the Arctic tundra; winters at slightly lower latitudes, rarely as far south as the mid-Atlantic states of the U.S. Most often seen singly or in small flocks on the ocean, often mixed with Common Eider or other sea ducks. Rare on inland lakes, but more regular inland than Common Eider. Females and young males more regularly seen further south than adult males.
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