FEATURE


Nyasa Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae)


for their future survival. The Nyasa Lovebird (Agapornis lilianae) is now classified as ‘Near Threatened’ due mainly to unsustainable levels of trapping for the international cage-bird trade and local sale in Zimbabwe and Zambia. Furthermore, in KAZA its population has been substantially reduced by flooding by Lake Kariba of a large section of the Zambezi valley. The only other area of occurrence in KAZA is further north in Zambia along the Luangwa River. Other reported threats are predation by invasive species and unintentional mortality from pools poisoned by hunters to catch larger birds. The total population is estimated to number less than 20,000 birds. The Nyasa Lovebird is strongly association with mopane woodland in the south of its distribution, but also inhabits tracts of Acacia in alluvial and riparian forest.


Black-cheeked Lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis)


It feeds on grass seeds, including thatching grass, wild rice and millet, sometimes acquiring pest-status by small- scale farmers. Last but not least, the Black-cheeked Lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis) is a threatened species, classed as ‘Vulnerable’ principally due to the gradual drying out of pools within its very restricted


BIRD SCENE 11


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