Black-winged Lovebird

Identificazione

The black-winged lovebird, with a length of about 16–16.5 cm (6.25–6.5 inches), is the largest of all the lovebirds. It is sexually dimorphic, as are the red-headed lovebird and grey-headed lovebird of the lovebird genus. The dimorphism becomes apparent in juvenile birds after their first molt at about eight or nine months of age. Both the male and female black-winged lovebird are mostly green, and only the adult male black-winged lovebird has a red forehead and a ring of red feathers around its eyes.<p>The tail is black tipped and feathers below the tail show a yellowish colour. The rump and feathers above the tail are light green. In the male feathers under the wing are typically black, and in the female the feathers under the wing are typically greenish or brownish black. Both sexes have a red beak and gray feet.

Tassonomia

A holotype of Psittacus Taranta Stanley (Salt's Voy. to Abyssinia, 1814, App IV, p.lii(=52)), an adult male, is held in the vertebrate zoology collection of National Museums Liverpool at World Museum, with accession number NML-VZ D704. The specimen was collected in Taranta Pass, Acchele Guzai District, Eritrea in 1809-10 by Henry Salt. The specimen came to the Liverpool national collection via the 13th Earl of Derby's collection which was bequeathed to the people of Liverpool in 1851.

Nome scientifico

Agapornis taranta

Autorità

(Stanley, 1814)

Ordine

Psittaciformi

Famiglia

Psittaculidae

Genere

Agapornis

Areale e habitat

The natural habitat for a black-winged lovebird is typically from southern Eritrea to southwestern Ethiopia and they normally live in either high plains or mountainous regions.

Migrazione

Specie stanziale

Comportamento

Comportamento migratorio: Specie stanziale.

Conservazione

Tendenza della popolazione: in aumento.

Tendenza della popolazione

in aumento