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The day before Valentine's Day 1999 I bought a peachfaced
love bird. The bird was born on December 31/1998. It had weaned
itself a few days before I got it. At this age it is very
difficult to tell the sex of the bird so I chose a name that
what gender neutral: Coco.
 I
have had budgies previously and was absolutely not prepared
to the affection this bird gives. It is like a little puppy
and follows me around. Even with clipped wings it is a brave
little bird that jumps from table tops to the floor to come
to me. Coco simply walks over to me and climbs up my leg,
jeans are very hard as they are too slippery and even using
the beak there is nothing to grab on to. Then Coco rests on
my shoulders and goes to sleep or just plays.
What are Lovebirds?
"These small parrots are popular with both companion
bird owners and Professional Aviculturists. The African Love
Bird is unusual in that some species are relatively new to
the world of Aviculture, while others are very old. In fact,
several species were not even discovered until this century,
yet others have been kept by man for over four hundred years.
Love Birds, whose Latin or scientific name of the genus is
Agapornis, acquired their name because of their fondness for
sitting in pairs while preening each other’s feathers. A few
basic facts to remember about Love Birds are, first, they
are small in size, second, they originate from Africa and
its adjacent islands and third, all Love Birds are members
of the parrot family. This stout little parrot with its short
rounded tail, comprises a total of nine different species.
While some species are nearly as common as budgies, others
remain as rare as the most elusive bird in the wild.
Peachfaced Love Bird, Agapornis Roseicollis, has an overall
bright, almond-green plumage, which is yellow on the underside,
with a brilliant blue rump. The frontal band is a deep rose-red,
and the lores, sides of the head, and throat, are a paler
rose-red. The bill is horn colored and greenish toward the
tip. The feet are gray. The Peachfaced is found in the dry
country of South Angola. It was first found in the late 1700’s
but was confused at that time with the Red-faced Love Bird.
In the wild, birds are usually found in groups of ten. In
captivity, the are most prolific, to the point of domesticity."
I got this information from Introduction to Love Birds by:
Roland G. Dubuc.
Here are my experiences and some pictures of the first year
with my lovebird and Coco's
Picture Album as of Nov 2000.
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