Description
The Fischer's Lovebird has a green back, chest, and wings. Their necks are a golden yellow and as it progresses upward it becomes darker orange. The top of the head is olive green, and the beak is bright red. The upper surface of the tail has some purple or blue feathers. It has a white circle of bare skin (eyering) around its eyes. Young birds are very similar to the adults, except for the fact that they are duller and the base of their mandible has brown markings. They are one of the smaller lovebirds, about 14 cm (5.5 in) in length and 43-58 g weight.
Distribution and habitat
Fischer's Lovebird are native to a small area of east-central Africa, south and southeast of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania. In drought years, some birds move west into Rwanda and Burundi seeking moister conditions. They live at elevations of 1 100-2 200 m in small flocks. They live in isolated clumps of trees with grass plains between them. The population is estimated to be between 290 000-1 000 000, with low densities outside of protected areas due to capture for the pet trade; export licenses were suspended in 1992 to halt any further decline in the species.
Behaviour
Fischer's Lovebird has a fast, straight flight, and the sound of their wings as they fly can be heard. They have a high-pitched chirp and are noisy.
Food and feeding
Fischer's Lovebirds eat a wide variety of foods, including seeds and fruit. They sometimes are pests to farmers, as they eat their crops such as maize and millet.
Breeding
The breeding season is January through April and June through July. The nest is in a hole in a tree 2 to 15 metres above the ground. The eggs are white and there are usually four or five in a clutch, but there could be as few as three or as many as eight. The female incubates the eggs for 23 days, and the chicks fledge from the nest about 38–42 days after hatching.
Aviculture
As is the case with all pets, the capture and breeding of wild caught birds is discouraged. Animals captured and displaced from their natural environment are more likely to get sick, depressed, and/or die.
Both sexes of Agapornis fischeri appear the same. The best way to determine the sex of a bird is through DNA testing. A competent avian veterinarian could perform a DNA analysis from a drop of blood, or a kit can be purchased from an online source. Some experts infer a birds sex by the way the bird sits on its perch. Generally, females sit with their legs further apart than males. Pelvic bone testing and surgical testing is discouraged.
Color mutations
While most of the Fischer's Lovebirds are green in color there have been some bred mutations. The 'blue' mutation is predominant and indicates a lack of yellow pigment. Usually a 'blue' Fischer's Lovebird will have a bright blue back, tail, and chest, a white neck, a pale grey head and a pale pink beak. This mutation was first bred by R. Horsham in South Africa in 1957, and two years later it was bred by Dr. F. Warford in San Francisco, California.
There is a yellow mutation, which first appeared in France. These birds are typically pale yellow with an orange face and a red beak.
Lutino (a mutation that is yellow in color), pied, black or dark eyed white, cinnamon, white, and albino mutations have also been bred.
Housing
Fischer's Lovebirds are very active and require a roomy cage. They also require lots of toys and things to chew on and play with. Without a roomy cage (a minimum of 20 x 20 x 30 inches / 50 x 50 x 75 cm for one bird, 25 x 25 x 30 inches / 65 x 65 x 75 cm for a pair. Do not buy a round cage either, as they do not properly give a lovebird a corner to hide in when they feel insecure). Without enough toys (4-6) and things to play with they may get bored, depressed and may even go as far as feather-plucking, which can be difficult to stop. It is also a good idea to provide a bird bath tub, as they love to take baths almost every day. After bathing they like to sun themselves in order to dry off. However, they should not be near any windows, or they may become sick.
Lovebirds are extremely social birds. It is generally recommended that they be kept in pairs. Otherwise the owner must be willing to spend several hours entertaining their single lovebird for the bird's emotional well-being.
Food
Fischer's lovebirds should have a varied diet of pellets, fruits, seeds, grains, sprouts, and vegetables. Pellets specifically processed for lovebirds are recommended rather than the millet food that is usually sold in pet stores. One should avoid artificial coloring and pellets that contain the preservatives ethoxyquin and BHT/BAT, which are considered toxic. Millet food should be avoided because they contain too much fat and are not nutritionally balanced. While lovebirds like this kind of food, it may decrease their life span. Generally, Lovebirds particularly like grains and different kinds of wild rice, although it is recommended that other healthier foods be mixed in with the grains to ensure that they get the vitamins they need.
An all-seed diet (or really a diet that only consists of one thing) is not sufficient and may lead to health problems, including fatty liver disease.
Personality
Each lovebird has their own individual personality, but some generalizations can be made. At first they are very timid and will get spooked by sudden movements, loud noises, or new things, even small ones. One should be very careful not to scare them too much, which can interfere with their taming. They generally do not like to be touched. Lovebirds are very smart and may even figure out how to open the door of their cage and get out.
Many owners believe the female birds, which are slightly larger, are more intelligent than the males. They are also generally more aggressive, and more likely to be territorial.
Adding to their intelligence, once they are tame and comfortable, they are very curious. If they are allowed outside their cage, one should take great care to safeguard the house by not letting them fly around the kitchen with the stove on, around any wires, around places where they could get stuck, such as behind the refrigerator, etc. A house can be a very dangerous place for lovebirds; additionally lovebirds can be rough on a house. They are avid chewers, have strong beaks and can quickly cause damage.
They also like to be clean, often preening their feathers and regularly taking baths. If let outside their cage, they may even fly to other places in order to defecate. Newspaper should be placed below their favorite areas for easy cleanup.
Fischer's lovebirds when tame make engaging pets. They are lively, curious and playful, and when out of their cage constantly explore their environment. While they are not cuddly, and do not like to be touched, they can become affectionate and quite attached to humans. They can enjoy perching on their owners, "preening" their hair and clothing, and, of course, chewing on clothing, buttons, watches, and jewellery. They are nippy, and will bite fingers and hands, sometimes aggressively, though more often simply for the pleasure of chewing something new. For some people their constant energy and constant nibbling can be off-putting, and some consider Fischer's to be better aviary birds than companion pets. Others are smitten by their single-minded exuberance.
If kept in cages it is vital that they are provided new toys on a regular basis, and frequent opportunities to explore outside of their cages, and to stretch their wings. Because of their intelligence they are liable to boredom and deression if not interacted with regularly.
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Taming
Buying hand fed Fischer's lovebirds can be quite expensive, but if one wants pets to interact with, it is recommended. Because they are very timid at first, great patience is required to tame non hand fed lovebirds. With females they are much easier to tame as the males can be very timid and stubborn. Taming them enough to climb on your finger (which they don't like very much) or to get them to fly to your shoulder (which they prefer) can take years.
Lovebirds (in general) are not known for their talking ability, although there are some lovebirds that do learn words - the females are usually the ones that do this. As is the case when many smaller parrots, the "voice" of lovebirds is high-pitched and raspy and it may be difficult to understand their speech.
Potential problems
Lovebirds are very vocal birds, making loud, high-pitched noises that can be a nuisance. They make noise all day, but especially at certain times of day. That said, Fischer's are not quite as loud as some other lovebird varieties, and while they cheep frequently, they do not scream like the larger parrots. Their noise level increases substantially when they are engaged in pre-mating rituals.
As stated above, lovebirds are also extremely active, and love to chew things. It is wise to observe the birds carefully when let out of their cage, and to protect any furniture, or anything they have access to.
Fischer's Lovebirds, like many captive birds, can suffer from feather-plucking if they get bored or stressed. This is more likely to occur with single lovebirds than those kept in pairs or groups. To prevent this, the lovebirds should be provided with a wide array of toys to play with and chew on. They should have a roomy cage, and should be shown affection if they enjoy it. After feather-plucking starts, it is very hard to stop the habit. Some lovebirds do not respond to attempted treatments, and will continue to pluck their feathers for life. Providing them with plenty of toys and giving them more opportunities for entertainment will often reduce or stop the habit.
Lovebirds are notorious for attempting to build nests, especially during mating season - for this reason, loose material such as shredded paper and fabric do not make suitable toys at certain times of year, as the lovebirds could see it as nest-making material and attempt to mate. Breeding is not something that should be attempted by someone without lots of experience. "Huts" or hiding places and small enclosures are also not good for the same reason.
Fischer's Lovebirds are prone to a mysterious disease characterized by having brownish to creamish patches in their feet and legs, which is probably an infection as a result of their obsessive biting of those areas. It is not known what causes this disease. One hypotheses is that they suffer from hormonal problems caused by changing light levels and the inability to perform things Fischer's lovebirds in the wild would naturally perform, such as building a nest. Another hypothesis is that it is caused by a pathogen. If the signs are detected, fischer's lovebirds should immediately be taken to the vet. Treatments usually involve antibiotics for the wounds, and some way to stop them from continuing the biting of the area. This can sometimes be accomplished with sedatives. Use of the Elizabeth collar should be an option of last resort, as wearing them is extremely stressful both to the bird wearing the collar and to the birds around it. Some lovebirds may start feather-plucking as a result of the stress.
Female lovebirds are prone to egg-binding, an often fatal condition in which an egg cannot be laid as it gets caught in the reproductive tract. It is thought that egg binding often occurs due to a lack of liquid calcium in the diet, which causes a softer shell. To prevent this females, particularly those kept in pairs, should be given calcium supplementation in their water from a young age. Additionally, egg binding appears more likely amongst younger birds; to avoid egg binding females in captivity should be prevented from engaging in mating behaviours until at least one year of age.
Lovebirds are also known to be nippy and bossy. Although this can be seen as amusing and endearing by many owners, some do not like it; a lovebird, while a nice pet, is not for everyone. They bite very hard and love to test their limits - if the owner does not set them early on, he or she will have a bird that bites to get their way.
Sexual morphism
Fischer's Lovebirds show no sexual dimorphism, and it is impossible to tell whether an individual is male or female through plumage alone.
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