Facts About Love Birds

Valentine's Day.Love is in the air.Human(for some,at least).Humans around the globe will express their love today through chocolate,greeting cards,and a cacophony of stuffed animals.

But no animal represents the sentiment of valentine's Day more than the lovebird.The petite ,brightly plumed parrot is a favorite among bird enthusiasts and a popular pet.Lovebirds have inspired scientists and poets alike.Without further ado here are some fun facts about lovebirds. 

                                         

1.Lovebirds mate for life.

The monogamous birds reach sexual maturity when they're about ten months old. Mating beings with courtship behavior,and can continue throughout their roughly 15-year lifespans.Monogamy is essential to the social stability of flocks and underlies much of their social behavior.

2.Lovebirds pine for each other.

If a mate dies or gets separated from the flock,its companion exhibits erratic behavior that some have likened to depression.Birds kept as pets often don't like being alone and will exhibit similar behavior in captivity.

3.Like overly affectionate couples in restaurants on Valentine's Day,lovebirds feed each other.

Often after a long separation or stressful period of time,breeding pairs of lovebirds feed each other to re-establish their bond,One bird transfer food to the mouth of its mate,a feeding ,technique reminiscent of affection in humans hence the inspiration for the parrot's name.

                                                

4.There's more than one species of lovebird.

The nine species classified as lovebirds come all from the genus Agapornis.Most lovebirds have a green body and sport different head father coloration.Their closest relatives are hanging parrots,found in Asia.

5.Lovebirds are from Africa.

Lovebirds are native to the forests and savannas of Sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar.Fossils of ancient lovebird species have been unearthed in South Africa,dating to as far back as 1.9 million years ago.

6.But you might see a lovebird at your backyard birdfeeder.

That's if you live in the America southwest, San Francisco or cities in Africa.These areas are home to feral population,flocks that likely either escaped from an aviary or are the remnants of an abandoned aviary.

                                                     

7.Lovebirds live in holes.

Lovebirds are cavity dwellers they make their home in holes trees,rocks or shrubs in the wild.Some species nest in groups,while others pair off to build their nests away from the flock,In urban settings,they might rely on anything from a tree to a crevice in a building.Peach-faced lovebirds in Phoenix,Arizona,often make their homes in cacti.

8.Lovebirds don't eat chocolate.

It might seem like common sense,but save your chocolate and give it to a human.Lovebirds survive on a healthy diet of seeds,berries,fruits and occassionally insects larva in wild.In Africa they're also known as crafty crop pests,as they feast on millet and maize farms. 

9.Some lovebirds might become endangered in the next decade.

The black-cheeked lovebirds (Agapornis nigrigenis), native to Zambia and found in parts of Zimbabwe and Botswana,is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN Red Listing of Threatened which is dying up regional water sources that flocks rely on.The latest survey puts the black-cheeked lovebirds population at around 10,000 birds in total.

10.Lovebirds(sort of) inspired Valentine's Day.

Scholars typically cite a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer as the first evidence of the connection between the religious celebration of Saint Valentine's day and romantic love.The poem,"Parliament of Foules" happens of feature two birds which exhibit all the marking of human love.