The Islander

Bird of the Day Series, Social Media Content

In medieval tradition, February 14th marks the beginning of mating season for birds—it is thought to be the day that birds choose their mates. Which is why Lovebirds are the symbol of Saint Valentine's Day. 

Photo: Sheau Torng Lim

Lovebirds are social, affectionate little parrots, who mate for life and spend long periods of time sitting together. People think it’s charming or romantic to keep them in their homes, despite the fact that they are busy, noisy, and like to chew things. They are widely bred, widely sold and widely mistreated. They are, in fact, among the world’s most abused animals.

There are nine species of Lovebirds and all are native to Africa, except this one, the Madagascar Grey-Headed Lovebird. The Grey-headed Lovebird is the most primitive of the genus, having been isolated on Madagascar, although it was successfully introduced to other Indian Ocean islands. They are smaller than other Lovebirds—5”, rather than 7”. They live in holes in dead, leafless trees, dart around at high speed, and feed on the ground. Flocks of them often raid crops and they can do quite a bit of damage to rice fields. 

Fortunately for these birds, they cannot live in captivity. They are shy and nervous in the wild; extraordinarily so in captivity. And they will not mate—numerous breeding programs have failed. They also can’t stand cold temperatures, or any kind of draft, nor can they withstand being transported. So bird traffickers know that they can’t be sold as pets. And they are now protected.