Birds
Peach-Faced Lovebird
Agapornis roseicollis · also called rosy-faced lovebird
Tucking a strip of bark into the feathers of its own rump rather than carrying it by bill, a peach-faced lovebird transports nesting material in a way shared by only a handful of related species, its soft peach-pink face a gentle contrast against an otherwise green body.
Overview
The peach-faced lovebird, Agapornis roseicollis, is a small, hardy parrot native to desert and savanna habitat across southwestern Africa, including Namibia and Angola. Its distinctive method of carrying nesting material tucked into its rump feathers, tight affectionate pair bonding that helped name the whole lovebird genus, and strong adaptation to arid conditions make it one of the most behaviourally distinctive small parrots found anywhere in Africa.
An unusual way to carry a nest
Most birds gathering nesting material carry it in the bill, but the peach-faced lovebird instead tucks strips of bark and leaves into its own rump feathers, an unusual transport method that sets it and a few close relatives apart from nearly every other bird.
Status
Least Concern, remaining widespread across suitable desert and savanna habitat throughout southwestern Africa.
Peach-Faced Lovebird: common questions
Why is it called the peach-faced lovebird?
This species has a soft peach-pink face and throat contrasting with a mostly green body, a gentle colour combination that gives rise to its common name, distinguishing it from other lovebird species with differently coloured facial patches.
How does the peach-faced lovebird carry nesting material?
This species carries strips of nesting material, such as bark or leaves, tucked into the feathers of its rump rather than carrying them in its bill, an unusual transport method shared by only a small number of related lovebird species and quite different from how most other birds gather nest material.
Why are lovebirds called lovebirds?
This species forms notably tight, affectionate pair bonds, with paired birds spending much of their time perched close together, a behaviour observed across the wider lovebird genus that helped inspire the common name applied to the whole group.
How does the peach-faced lovebird survive in such dry habitat?
This species is well adapted to hot, dry, arid conditions, tolerating significant water scarcity better than many other parrot species, an adaptation that allows it to thrive across the desert and savanna habitat of southwestern Africa where many other parrots could not survive.