FEATURE AGAPORNIS PERSONATA


BLUE MASKED LOVEBIRD


Scientific Name: Agapornis Personata / Family: Psittacidae / Forder: Psittaciformes / Fclass: Aves


Habitat: Masked Lovebirds in the wild are found in a relatively small area in the north- eastern territory of Tanzania bounded to the North by Lake Manyara in the Manyara National Park. Lake Manyara is situated south-west of Lake Victoria and the Serengeti National Park in the Great Rift Valley. Masked lovebirds will be found on the high inland plateau, a grassland wooded with acacia trees and feeding on shrubs, mainly grass type seeds and cereal crops if they are in the vicinity.


History:


This species was first discovered in 1877 shortly after the Fischers Lovebird. Both were named by the German ornithologist and explorer Anton Reichenow. They were first imported into the UK in 1925 and in one of these early imports of wild birds was a single Blue Masked mutation.


The first photograph of a Blue masked appeared in the February 1928 issue of the Avicultural Magazine. The bird was sent to London Zoo where it was later found to be a cock. It is reported that the original importer of this bird was a Mr. Chapman. In 1932 three aviculturists in California, USA, were surprised by an explosion of Blue chicks in nests of Masked Lovebirds that were thought to be Normal Greens.


Physical Appearance: Masked Lovebirds and the other eight Agapornis species are considered to be the smallest of the parrots and no separate sub-species of the Masked Lovebird are recognised. They are stocky birds and grow to about fifteen centimetres long. Lovebirds have a larger hooked upper mandible or beak that is hinged to the skull, and a reversible fourth toe. Their natural calls are sharp and loud, but their thick


BIRD SCENE 43BIRD SCENE 07 BY KEITH JONES


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