Masked lovebirds (Les inseparables masqués)

Masked Lovebirds (Agapornis personata)


C'est un article de base sur Lovebirds masqué. Rappelez-vous svp que ceci offre seulement les nécessités et les conditions de base pour garder ces oiseaux, ainsi avant de garder ou multiplier, je recommanderais davantage de recherche détaillée pour apprendre plus.


Introduction


Lovebirds masqué, connaissent également comme Lovebirds masqué noir ont été découverts en 1887 dans leur région indigène de la Tanzanie dans le nord-est de l'Afrique. Ils sont l'une de neuf espèces du genre Agapornis et relèvent d'un groupe secondaire se composant de quatre des neuf espèces. Ceci s'appelle le `le groupe d'oeil-anneau', baptisé du nom du blanc, anneau charnu autour de l'oeil.



Ils font la moyenne de 5-6 pouces de grand et pèsent autour 40-60 grammes. Ils sont légèrement plus petits que les autres espèces de Lovebird, bien que pas aussi petit que le Nyasa Lovebirds (lilianae d'Agapornis). Certains croient qu'elles ne sont pas comme noisey comme visage commun Lovebird (roseicollis de pêche d'Agaponis) mais il y a également des réclamations qu'elles ne sont pas comme sociables. Les sources expertes ont réclamé que le groupe d'anneau d'oeil font les meilleurs animaux de compagnie de Fédéral de main, particulièrement Lovebirds masqué et Cheeked noir Lovebirds (nigrigenis d'Agapornis) jeune Lovebirds masqué sont connus pour être à effort enclin, plus ainsi que d'autres espèces d'Agapornis. Il est tout à fait facile multiplier Lovebirds masqué.



Le vert (couleur sauvage) Lovebird masqué a une tête noire pleine avec un collier jaune circulant le cou et avale le sein. Les ailes et le dos sont verts, avec un dessous vert plus léger. Ils ont une culotte bleu-foncé sur une base verte et un rouge-foncé au bec rosâtre. Leurs pieds sont gris avec les griffes noires et ils ont l'anneau blanc distinct autour de l'oeil.


Green (wild-type) Masked Lovebird


Mutations

Il y a beaucoup de mutations de personata, le plus généralement été le bleu masqué. Cette mutation partage le mêmes anneau d'oeil et masque noir du type sauvage vert, mais avec un collier blanc, des ailes et un dos bleu et un dessous de turquois. Le Lovebird masqué par bleu a été identifié dans leur habitat indigène et sauvage et le Lovebird masqué bleu d'abord sauvage-attrapé a été importé en l'Angleterre en 1927.


Le bleu en pastel et les verts alors suivis et le facteur d'ino ont été présentés du Nyasa Lovebird ayant pour résultat les lutino (jaune) et l'albinos (blanc). Les changements de la structure interne des plumes mènent aux facteurs foncés et les mutaions violets sont apparus. Il y a beaucoup d'autres mutations maintenant disponibles.


Blue (left) and Cobalt (right) Masked Lovebirds


Sexing

Lovebirds masqué, comme les autres speices, sont sexuellement dimorphe. Ceci signifie que vous ne pouvez pas faire la différence entre un mâle et une femelle par aspect physique. Il y a des caractéristiques qui peuvent donner des conseils du sexe, mais ils ne sont jamais très précis. En vérifiant les os pelviens des oiseaux mettez en boîte donnent de bons résultats. S'ils sont distants large, c'est probablement une poule, car elle a besoin de l'espace pour passer des oeufs. S'ils sont étroits ensemble, il est pour être un mâle. Ce n'est jamais 100% mais beaucoup de sélectionneurs expérimentés souvent comptent sur cette méthode et obtiennent des résultats très précis. La manière vraie de sexing votre Lovebird est avec un essai d'ADN. Il y a beaucoup d'endroits qui offrent ce service, il est bon marché, vite et facile et ne soumettra pas à une contrainte votre oiseau dehors.


Logement



Les préférences de logement sont identiques que d'autres espèces de Lovebirds. La taille minimum de camp serait 18 pouces x18. Pour une paire d'oiseaux, une bonne taille de camp aurait une mesure horizontale de 24-36 pouces, d'une taille de 20-30 pouces et d'une profondeur de 18-25 pouces. Ils ont besoin d'un bon nombre de jouets pour stimuler leurs esprits et pour les maintenir actifs. Au moins 3 jouets par camp, et les commutent regurally autour pour empêcher les oiseaux d'obtenir alésés. Une certaine réclamation qu'une seule chute de `de bidon d'oiseau dans l'amour' avec lui est réflexion dans un miroir. Bien que quelques autres certains puissent être en désaccord, il est encore quelque chose intéressant observer dehors pour. Évitez de plus petits jouets conçus pour de plus petits oiseaux, car Lovebirds sont des chewers agressifs et volonté destory ils rapidement, en laissant probablement les petits fragments qui pourraient être dangereux.



Le positionnement du camp est important. Maintenant ils parti des ébauches et évitent l'exposition aux températures excessives, si haute ou bas. Ils auront besoin de lumière normale afin de traiter la vitamine D, Cruciale pour des oiseaux. Place the cage on a sturdy foundation where it can’t be knocked over or accessed by other animals. Keep them away from any fumes which could damage the delicate respiratory system of the birds, including over heated teflon (not stick pans) and air-freshners, detergents, ciggarrete smoke etc.



The cage should have a variety of perches in different sizes. Natural tree branches, such as willow, make excellent perches and the uneven size and shapes help maintain the claws of the bird and exercise the muscles in the feet, which is very important. A lot of people are in favour of adding ‘concrete perches’ to help maintain the claws on the bird(s).



Masked Lovebirds also do very well in a colony in an aviary. Many breeders prefer to breed them in colonys, claiming better results, although others may disagree. You can mix different species of Lovebirds in an aviary as part of a colony but care must be taken as not to cross-breed the different species – this is not recommended and best left to the highly experienced and knowledgeable breeders. On this note, it would be best to colonise only one species of Lovebird together, as the chances of them cross-breeding is very high. If creating a colony of Lovebirds, it’s recommened to stick with an un-even number of paired-birds. Example; 1 pair, 3 pairs, 5 pairs etc. This greatly reduces any chances of the birds attacking and bullying the weaker pair, which can often lead to the death of the bird(s). Aviaries will ideally have a sheltered area for the birds to rest in and avoid exposure to weather conditions. Think about it when you build a wooden aviary, as Lovebirds love to chew, especially wood.



The cage/aviary should ideally have 2 or more food and water points, to prevent competition between the birds. Might be a good idea to position internal dishes high up so they cant expel their waste into their food/water. They will also require something to bathe in daily, whether it’s a dish/bowl or a conventional clip-on bird bath.



Newspaper and wood-chips are commonly uses on the bottom of cages/aviaries. Exercise is important, so if the bird is caged, it’s recommended to allow some free flight time to allow the bird to excersise it’s muscles. If the bird is released from the cage, ensure all doors and windows are closed, fans are switched off and a just be aware of anything in the room that could be a hazard to your bird(s).





Diet



Like most animals, diet is very important for Lovebirds. A balanced diet is needed, offering all the essential nutrients and supplements the bird require. Fresh food and water should be provided everyday and the dishes/containers cleaned at a minimum of once per week.



Fresh fruits and vegetables (no avacado) should be offered at least 3-4 times a week. Favourites are broccoli, apple, carrots, corn on the cob and spinach. Be sure to completely wash them off before feeding them your bird(s0 to avoid any contaminations/pesticides that may may be present.



A seed mix for Cockateils will be fine for Lovebirds, try and get a good quality mixture of seeds and avoid ‘cheap’ mixes. Sunflower seeds can be added in the seed, but they are very fatty so try and limit the amount you feed, or use them as a treat.



Pellet foods are very good for Lovebirds, and many of the known brands offer all the nutritional requirements the birds need. It can be difficult to convert seed-eating birds into pellet eaters; so time and patience will be needed.



Cuttlefish bone should always be available to provide the crucial supply of calcium the birds require. A mineral block could also be added.



Egg food is a great source of protein, and supplements of this can be beneficial, especially when breeding.



Lots of things can be fed to the birds, but it is advisable to do some research before trying anything as there are a lot of poisonus foods that can kill your birds.



Fresh, clean water is important. Hamster style water bottles are a good, mess-free way of offering clean, fresh water, and the birds will soon figure out how to use one. There are many types of water bottle, troughs and cups available.ater is important. Hamster style water bottles are a good, mess-free way of offering clean, fresh water, and the birds will soon figure out how to use one. There are many types of water bottle, troughs and cups available.




Breeding

Masked Lovebirds are relatively easy to breed, and are an ideal bird for anyone new to breeding birds. They lay an average of 4-6 eggs, every other day and incubation is usually 21-24 days. First thing you need is a true pair of birds, meaning a male and a female. Bear in mind there is a chance the two will not breed, so you may need to switch them around. Both male and female need to be a bare minimum of 10 months old before breeding, preferable 12 months old. Many established breeders will only breed birds of 2 years plus. The reason for this is because it’s very stressful on a young bird, especially hens (females) who have to pass eggs and risk becoming egg-bound. Ensure all perches are stable and not loose, so when they birds mate, the male can connect well.



A nest box should be provided. A good size is 25Lx18Dx18H. Ensure that any doors/lids are easy to open, in order to prevent you struggling to open them and possibly stress the parent birds and chicks. If using an outdoor aviary, ensure the box does not get wet and is sheltered. Some boxes have a special dip and/or platform to prevent the eggs from rolling out the nest, but Lovebirds build quite elaberate nests and usually deal with this problem themselves, but it’s ideal for the lazy nest builders. With a colony, always add more boxes than pairs. Example; 3 pairs, add 5 boxes. Sometimes Lovebirds can get territorial and aggressive when breeding, and bully a weaker pair out of a box.



Nesting material should be provided to make the nest. Opinions differ on what is best to use. I find that willow branches and leaves make a perfect material, and the birds seem to enjoy it. Bamboo leaves are also very good. A lot of people add grass for the birds, which also works well and other common materials include shredded paper, wood-shavings and palm fonds. Humidity plays is vital for successful results, so in warmer temperature, the moistness from willow/bamboo leaves, palm fronds etc helps balance the humidty to create the perfect conditions. Masked Lovebirds will carry the material into the nest with their beak, unlike other species that may tuck it under their feathers. Masked Lovebirds make quite amazing nests, and generally they are larger than other species like Peach Faced. Usually the hen builds the nest. Try and provide fresh material each day, even after the chicks hatch so the parents can freshen the nest up.



Lovebirds will require extra food when breeding and plenty of calcium from a cuttlefish bone. Remember that a good, well balacned diet with the necessary supplements plays a makor role in healthy, quality chicks and parent birds. Supply the birds with egg food to build up protein levels and it ideal for the parents to regurgitate for the young. Offer the usual, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables to provide the necessary vitamins. Wheat grass offers a good supply of vitamins and minerals. Also take into consideration that chicks are known to eat more than adult birds, so you must ensure you keep food and water levels topped up, more than once a day if needed.



If the eggs don’t hatch first time, don’t worry about it. Often first time breeders produce a trial clutch with infertile eggs. Chicks usually fledge the nest around 6-8 weeks old, and are fully weaned around 10-12 weeks old, but this depends on the individual bird and circumstances. Check the chicks regurally, but try not to disturb them too much as it may stress the parents. If the chicks are been plucked by a parent bird, or not been fed they will require hand feeding or fostering. Masked Lovebirds make good foster parents and a pair will often take on other chicks to raise or eggs to sit on. Try and limit fostering to 5 eggs/chicks per pair.









Health



If you suspect any health issues with your bird, it’s highly recommended to consult a vet, preferable an avian vet who specialises in birds. Symptoms to watch out for include puffed out feathers, runny/odd coloured droppings, discharge from the nostrils and/or eyes and other odd behaviours. This is only a basic list of symptoms, so be alert, observe your birds and if in doubt, go see a vet.