Grey-headed Lovebird

1 Grey-headed Lovebird Breed Overview

Many people love the Grey-headed Lovebird, mainly for these reasons: 1. It has beautiful feathers, with large areas of green that are very soothing to look at; 2. It is a devoted bird — paired birds usually do not leave each other, and their loyalty is a joy to see; 3. It is very quiet and not as noisy as many other birds.

Many people keep the Grey-headed Lovebird. Although it is a small parrot, that does not mean a tiny cage is enough; an appropriately sized cage is very important. Because it is naturally shy, in captivity it will try to hide where people cannot see it.

The Grey-headed Lovebird has many aliases, such as Gray-headed Lovebird, Madagascar Lovebird, and Red-faced Lovebird. With proper care it can live about 12 years.

Chinese name: Grey-headed Lovebird

Binomial: Agapornis canus

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Subphylum: Vertebrata

Class: Aves

Subclass: Neornithes

Order: Psittaciformes

Family: Psittacidae

Tribe: Agapornithini (African parrots)

Genus: Agapornis

Subspecies: 2

2 Physical Characteristics of the Grey-headed Lovebird

Compared with many parrots, the Grey-headed Lovebird’s appearance seems rather plain; its body is mainly green, and it rarely shows ‘vivid reds and purples.’ Because of sex differences, male and female Grey-headed Lovebirds show different physical traits — the female’s head is green, while the male’s head is gray-white, so we can determine sex by looking at the head.

3 Grey-headed Lovebird Habitat

The Grey-headed Lovebird comes from Africa and has a broad habitat; you might see it in shrubland, at forest edges, or in dry grassland, and usually when you see them they appear in groups. Besides these places, they also appear in farmland, where there is food they like, so local farmers are not fond of them.

Generally, the Grey-headed Lovebird forages on the ground and does not seem to mind spending a long time at it. But because it is sensitive by nature, even if you see them you cannot get too close, because at any sign of movement they fly off immediately. When startled and flying away, you can also hear their sharp cries.

Because the Grey-headed Lovebird is quiet and shy, in captivity it may need some time to adapt to a new environment. During the adjustment period it stays alert; when the owner approaches it may feel uneasy, so try not to disturb it. Also, if you want to keep them in a group, you must have enough space, otherwise group keeping is not recommended. For the cage, besides ensuring spaciousness, pay attention to material — a metal cage is a good choice.

After keeping a Grey-headed Lovebird, the owner should regularly clean the cage; a clean environment keeps the bird healthier.

4 Grey-headed Lovebird Care

Grey-headed Lovebirds on the market usually come from two sources — directly caught in the wild and captive-bred. Birds from different sources show slightly different traits: wild-caught birds are more disease-prone and have higher mortality, and usually take longer to adapt to captivity.

Although the Grey-headed Lovebird is quiet and introverted, it also needs social interaction, otherwise psychological problems easily arise, eventually leading to feather-plucking and the like. To avoid this, the owner can prepare suitable toys, which also satisfy its chewing needs. Because it likes to chew, if let out of the cage it may bite furniture. Also, the Grey-headed Lovebird likes to bathe, so the owner should provide clean water for bathing.

In captivity the Grey-headed Lovebird can also breed. Although in the wild they do not breed year-round, captive birds can, and with scientific care breeding several times a year is possible. After the female lays eggs, some owners frequently check the nest box out of concern, but the Grey-headed Lovebird minds this; if checked too often, they may end their offspring’s lives themselves.

5 Grey-headed Lovebird Feeding Guidelines

To survive better, the Grey-headed Lovebird tirelessly searches for food every day, and grass plant seeds are absolutely its favorite. Besides grass seeds, it also eats fruit. Although to many it represents loyal love, farmers where it lives do not buy into that, because it eats the crops they worked hard to grow.

One might wonder how wild Grey-headed Lovebirds ensure a balanced diet. In nature they seek various edible foods — plant seeds and fruit are among their targets. With the seasons, food sources change, and through this change they obtain needed nutrition.

In captivity, how can the owner ensure a scientific diet? As more birds are kept by humans, many bird-specific products have appeared; the owner can buy suitable feed based on the actual situation. Besides feed, the owner can appropriately offer beneficial fruit or vegetables.

Many owners change the diet during special periods (such as breeding). Note that diet changes must be scientific and cautious to avoid problems such as obesity. Also, as with many birds, regularly check the water container — first to ensure enough drinking water, and second to check for contamination; if contaminated, replace promptly.