There are nine species of Lovebirds; Peachface, Masked, Fischer's, Black Cheeked, Nyasa, Abyssinian, Madagascar, Red-Faced and Swindern's Black-collared, the most popular and easiest to find being the first 3.

Lovebirds are active, playful, inquisitive little parrots from Africa and Madagascar. Peachfaced Lovebirds are about 5-6 inches in length from tail to beak. Their normal "wild color" is a green body, reddish-orange face, bib and browband, a blue rump (the area between the wings), black flight feathers, andmulticolored tail feathers (which are more apparent when they are fanned out). In captivity, Peachfaced Lovebirds come in many different color mutations.

Genetics
The first mutation to be seen in Peachfaced Lovebirds was a Par-Blue color called Dutch Blue (it was first spotted in Holland in a flock of wild and domestically raised aviary birds). Dutch Blue (AKA Aqua or Blue) is an incomplete reduction in the Psittacin pigment, which is responsible for yellow and red pigments. Although most of the Psittacin is removed, not all of it is and this is apparent in the peach colored browband above the birds' beak. The resulting color of the bird is a Blue to Blue-Green bird with a white to cream colored face and bib, and a peach colored browband.

There are 2 incomplete Par-blue mutations in Peachfaced Lovebirds. Dutch Blue and Whitefaced Blue (AKA Turquoise). Whitefaced Blue is closer to a true Blue than Dutch Blue and the bird will have an overall more blue appearance. Whitefaced Blue removes more Psittacin than Dutch Blue and that is apparent in the color of the browband. IN a Whitefaced Blue bird, the browband should be an ivory color. Sometimes a young Whitefaced Blue bird will have a peachy color browband until it reaches maturity with its second or third molt and then the browband will be ivory. When these two Par-Blue mutations are combined on one gene, the resulting mutation is called Seagreen (AKA AquaTurquoise). The resulting bird is more green in color but will still have the white face and bib and the peach browband of the Dutch Blue. The beak of a Seagreen bird is two-toned, the base closest to the face being a more pink color while the tip of the beak being an almost yellow or orange. A Seagreen bird carries one allele of Whitefaced Blue and one allele of Dutch Blue.

Housing
I personally have a different set up than most breeders I know. I have a birdroom that my Lovebirds and Caiques are housed in. This will eventually change so that only the Lovebirds will be in the room. The Lovebirds get a variety of cage sizes but are also free flighted in the room until the go to sleep in their cages at night. The smallest is an 18" X 18" X 22" cage that houses a single Lovebird. The largest is a homemade aviary that is 36"L X 24"W X 60"H. This aviary houses 2 pairs of Lovebirds with their nest boxes.

--BareFoot Aviary
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Toys

The DO's:
My Peachface Lovebirds have a couple of favorite toys:
ANY toy with bells
Wiffle ball floor toys
Happy Huts
Anything shredable
Exercise hoops

The DON'Ts:
My Peachface lovebirds don't like these toys:
Pop bottle lids
Real fruit/veggie toy
Mirrors
--Albeqee


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