Question about Lovebird varieties/species

[Tirilliel]

I hope that I found the right topic to post this, I thought maybe breeding/genetics would be a good place but to play it safe Ill post here and if a mod or admin sees it fit they can move it I’m sure :)

Anyway, I thought has been brought to my attention. And that is about the different varieties of lovebirds. I have some confusion as to where they come from originally I thought they all came from Africa, but then there is the Madagascar lovebird species.

I also heard that "masked" lovebirds are smaller then the peach faced variety. Now are these all the same species and just different mutations or is the masked lovebird and peach face different species of lovebird, and if so where does each originate from?

Also in the peach faced varieties if it is based on species then I’m assuming that the dutch blue or "sea green" and creaming and pied ect is a mutation of the original green peach faced lovebird?

Id appreciate it if someone could clarify that for me. In my *bird bible* as I call it titled "You and Your pet Bird by David Alderton” it shows the peach faced love bird masked lovebird and Madagascar lovebird on their own pages with their own quick reference info which I assume means they are different species?

Thank you In advance :)

[Mummieeva]

peach faced and masked are diffrent species. You should not breed a masked and a peach faced together.I have never heard of the Madagascar lovebird species though. There are many, many, many(is that enouhg many's..lol) colors of peach faced lovies. When I was first interested in them I did not know they came in so many colors..lol. There are also many colors to Masked lovies. My masked lovie was smaller then my current lovies. But I am not sure all are smaller.


Steph

[zlatushka]

here's a site that can answer some of those burning questions ;)

http://www.africanlovebirdsociety.com/

[mangotiki]

there are 9 different species of lovebirds. peachface, masked, abyssinian, fischers, and 5 others I cannot remember off the top of my head.
in the peach face species, there are many different mutations. orange face and whiteface are actually peach face mutations, as are seagreen, dutch blue, and creamino, like you mentioned. Seagreen is actually a cross between dutchblue and whiteface blue. Creamino is actually a blue ino; green ino's are called lutino and are bright yellow. orange face can occur with any mutations, but with blue series, they are referred to as yellowface. Any of the mutations can be pied; however, the ino's mask the pied gene becasue the color of the feathers lacks the proper pigment. You can still sometimes see it though because the forehead color will not have an even line across.
Traci

[linda040899]

Traci is right. There are 9 distinct species of lovebird that are native to Africa. They are Peachfaced, Masked, Fischer's, Black Cheeked, Abyssinian, Red Faced, Madagascar, Nyasa and Black Collared. The Madagascar Lovebird is native to the Island of Madagascar, hence its name.

Different colors within species are called mutations. Hybrids are produced when you breed different species together.

[Tirilliel]

Traci is right. There are 9 distinct species of lovebird that are native to Africa. They are Peachfaced, Masked, Fischer's, Black Cheeked, Abyssinian, Red Faced, Madagascar, Nyasa and Black Collared. The Madagascar Lovebird is native to the Island of Madagascar, hence its name.

Different colors within species are called mutations. Hybrids are produced when you breed different species together.

So the different species are able to breed with one another? Why was it said in a pervious post that "You should not breed a masked and a peach faced together" I don’t plan on breeding or anything, just curious to know :p

Also, since they are different species can they be housed/caged together, for example a peach faced and a masked? Or is it best to stick with the same species. And another question, Are their mannerisms pretty much all the same as lovebirds go?

I have this huge lovebird book I probably should read, now that I remembered I have it I’m a bit embarrassed I didn’t think to look before asking lol :rolleyes: Its called "The Professionals Book of Lovebirds by John Coborn" I believe I got it last Christmas from the In-laws

Thanks everyone for the infor, appreciate it, Ill also have a look at that one website that was posted today :)

[Bella]

I am not a breeder. However I have gathered from this board that breeding different species together is undesirable. Whilst offspring may be produced, my understanding is that there could be problems and the offspring are almost certain to be infertile.

[bellarains]

Hi,

Some species can be bred, some are not recommended. A peachface bred with a mask will produce a sterile bird, and in the breeding profession, this is considered taboo. Messing around in the gene pool can produce chicks with health problems, birth defects, etc.... sometimes. It is best to leave things the way that Mother Nature intended. If in the wild, each species chooses his own species for a mate, and I think that's just the way it should be. Hope that helps a bit.

[Tirilliel]

Hi,

Some species can be bred, some are not recommended. A peachface bred with a mask will produce a sterile bird, and in the breeding profession, this is considered taboo. Messing around in the gene pool can produce chicks with health problems, birth defects, etc.... sometimes. It is best to leave things the way that Mother Nature intended. If in the wild, each species chooses his own species for a mate, and I think that's just the way it should be. Hope that helps a bit.


I agree :) But how will two lovebirds of different species get along if caged together? if not for breeding, just as pets, would they get along or would a larger peachface be a bit to heavy and agressive for a smaller masked lovebird? Is that not recomended either?

[Keltoth]

Hi,

Some species can be bred, some are not recommended. A peachface bred with a mask will produce a sterile bird, and in the breeding profession, this is considered taboo. Messing around in the gene pool can produce chicks with health problems, birth defects, etc.... sometimes. It is best to leave things the way that Mother Nature intended. If in the wild, each species chooses his own species for a mate, and I think that's just the way it should be. Hope that helps a bit.

Not only that, but America is a country that abides by the terms of the CITES agreement (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). What this means is that since the 1990's, the USA has agreed that it will not traffic in wild-caught birds which are listed in the CITES agreement, so what that all boils down to is that countries are limited to the birds that the different countries already have in thier possessions; thre are no more "pure" wild variants being brought into the existing captive genepool.

The concern among breeders is that it people start breeding hybrids and then introduce those hybrids into the existing captive geenpool, the ability to produce pure examples of a given species becomes more and more suspect and difficult, due directly to crossed genetic lines. Additionally, once hybridization is introduced into a genepool, it makes it much more difficult to differentiate between what is a hybrid quality and what is a legitimate color mutation arising from within a species itself.

Hybridization is BAD, m'kay?

P.S.- Incidently, in 2004, the Peachfaced Lovebird was totally removed from the CITES agreement altogether, and the request of NAmbia and the United States, and was approved by general consensus of the governing body without the need for a counted vote. Pretty neat stuff. :happy:

[Tirilliel]

Very interesting stuff Keltoth, thanks you :)

And I got that down.. Hybridization is BAD, ;) I dont plan in breeding like I said but its interesting to know, all of it is, it just makes me feel like a more leet lovebird expert hehe >o And I can pass that information on if I see someone ask about it someplace esle.

[BarbieH]

Hi Tirilliel;

You could house two lovebirds of different species together if they are both males, and they get along together. Whether or not they would get along depends on the birds' personalities, and although males are more likely to get along, there is no guarantee. You could also house two hens together, but there is a greater risk of the hens being territorial toward each other and potentially hurting each other.

[Tirilliel]

Thanks for the info BarbieH :)


Now is there a species that is a bit more agressive then the others? Someone has recently told me that the black masked lovebirds are more agressive, of course iv owned only one lovebird so I really dont know, so im hoping some of you can answer that question that have more first hand experiance. Are any of the lovebird species more agressive then others?

I seem to have lots of questions :p

[Mummieeva]

Yes two diffrent species can be together if they are same sex. But just like with same species it is hit or miss. I said the no breeding thing as a auto response..lol. I did not mean you planned on it.



Steph

[BarbieH]

Are any of the lovebird species more agressive then others?

Peachies are said to be easier to handle and work with than other species, but I have a Peachie hen (Gracie) who can be ultra-territorial. :omg: It depends a lot on individual birds' personalities.

[Tirilliel]

Ya I agree about the bird personality playing a big role, but I also think aggression can be avoided and if there is serious aggression then the owner has done something or other wrong, be it intentional and non-intentional. I have heard that lovies are territorial by nature, my Houdini was a great bird up until she matured and her full plumage came in, after that she was a little green monster from ****! *can we say ****? :confused: * Anyway she was like that for a long time, but when I came down to my last straw I made some big changes in her life and she’s like a different bird now! Ill have to post the inspirational story sometime on the forum :)

But anyway, still I wondered if people seemed to think a certain species was more prone to aggression then the others.

[Tirilliel]

Opsey, well seeing my post I guess certain words are bleeped out >o "takes note of that"

[Elle]

But how will two lovebirds of different species get along if caged together? if not for breeding, just as pets, would they get along or would a larger peachface be a bit to heavy and agressive for a smaller masked lovebird? Is that not recomended either?

Carla (Kikii )has a lutino, a peach face and a black mask. From her posts, they all seem to get a long well.
I have a blue fischer which are much smaller then peach face and currently am birdiesitting a lutino. They are getting along amazingly well. No fighting (until I typed this sentence then the lutino went after the fischer's toes :omg: ), a lot of playing, preening and cuddling. They are sleeping in seperate cages since Bo is here temporarly. During the day they travel from one cage to the other together.
Now that I am looking at a peach face and a blue fischer, I noticed how gentle and passive my blue fischer is. She doesn't bite hard compared to a peach face or a lutino peach face ( I have bruises from a different peach face to support what i am saying from the weekend). She has been like that since day one. No real biting, just warnings. It could be her own personality, just a sweet little thing. I am basing this on one fischer only. I gues the level of agressiveness can depend on the lovebird's own pesonality. Lori says that her Lacey doesn't bite at all and it's a peach face. :eek: So many factors to look at when we talk aggressiveness!

Elle

[linda040899]

Hi Candace and welcome to our new site!
I've bred 5 of the 9 species of lovebird and I can tell you for a fact that personalities are very, very different. I've seen different species housed together but it's never something I recommend.

Eric mentioned the Wild Bird Conservation Act of 1992 and that's the piece of legislation that effectively put an end to most of the importation of wild caught exotic birds into the US. Interestingly enough, to import wild color lovebirds (green), you have to belong to an approved breeding partnership but mutations are still relatively easy to obtain.

[kimsbirds]

Only breed peachies with peachies
Only breed masked to masked
Only breed fischers to fischers
Etc
Etc
....

Thats about as plain as it's gonna get:) !!!