Nombre en español: Periquito carirosado
Nombre en inglés: Rosy-faced Lovebird
Nombre científico: Agapornis roseicollis
Familia: Psittaculidae
Categorías: Escapada no introducida
El inseparable de Namibia (Agapornis roseicollis) es una especie de ave psitaciforme de la familia de los psitácidos que habita en las regiones áridas del suroeste de África, como el desierto del Namib. Son animales muy sociables que frecuentemente se congregan en pequeños grupos en su medio natural. Comen durante todo el día y toman frecuentes baños. Son conocidos como «pájaros del amor», ya que una vez establecen una pareja reproductora, la suelen mantener de por vida.
Taxonomía y subespecies
Fue descrito por el ornitólogo francés Louis Jean Pierre Vieillot en 1818 con el protónimo de Psittacus roseicollis. El nombre Agapornis combina el griego antiguo αγάπη agape (‘amor’) y όρνις ornis (‘ave’), es decir ‘aves del amor’, y el epíteto roseicollis deriva del latín que significa ‘cuello rosado’.
Se reconocen las siguientes subespecies:
- A. r. catumbella Hall, BP, 1952 – sudoeste de Angola
- A. r. roseicollis (Vieillot, 1818) – Namibia, noroeste de Sudáfrica
Descripción
Se trata de un inseparable de tamaño pequeño, de 17 a 18 cm de largo, con una envergadura de 106 mm y una longitud de cola de 44 a 52 mm. Las aves silvestres son en su mayoría verdes con el obispillo azul. La cara y la garganta son de un color rosa o salmón, más oscuro en la frente y encima del ojo. El pico es de color cuerno, tiene un anillo ocular de plumas desnudas de color blanco, que es más fino que el de otras especies de inseparables, el iris es marrón y las patas y los pies son grises. Los juveniles tienen la cara y la garganta de color rosa pálido, una corona anterior y una corona verdosas y el pico tiene una base pardusca.
Distribución y hábitat
El inseparable de Namibia habita en zonas abiertas y secas del suroeste de África. Su área de distribución se extiende desde el suroeste de Angola a través de la mayor parte de Namibia (de ahí su nombre) hasta el valle inferior del río Orange en el noroeste de Sudáfrica. Vive hasta 1.600 m s. n. m. en zonas boscosas de hoja ancha, semidesérticas y montañosas. Depende de la presencia de fuentes de agua y se reúne alrededor de lagos para beber.
Después de que se hayan liberado como mascotas intencional o accidentalmente, los inseparables de Namibia colonizaron Estados Unidos, sobre todo el área metropolitana de Phoenix. Aunque se han observado en estado salvaje en Puerto Rico, probablemente sea también el resultado de mascotas asilvestradas y no se ha registrado ninguna reproducción.
Comportamiento
El inseparable de Namibia tiene varios llamados ásperos y chillones.)
Alimentación
La dieta del inseparable de Namibia se compone principalmente de semillas y bayas. Cuando la comida es abundante, estos loros pueden reunirse en bandadas de cientos de individuos. En ocasiones pueden ser plagas en zonas agrícolas, alimentándose de cultivos como el mijo.
Reproducción
El macho y la hembra, transportando los materiales en el obispillo, construyen su nido en una grieta de una roca o dentro de un compartimento de los grandes nidos comunitarios construidos por tejedores. También se pueden utilizar estructuras artificiales, como los tejados de las casas. Entre febrero y abril la hembra pone un total de 4 a 6 huevos, de color blanco opaco y miden 23,5 por 17,3 mm, que incuba durante unos 23 días. Los pichones empluman al cabo de 43 días después de la eclosión.
Rosy-faced lovebird
The rosy-faced lovebird (Agapornis roseicollis), also known as the rosy-collared or peach-faced lovebird, is a species of lovebird native to the Namibian savanna woodlands. Loud and constant chirpers, these birds are very social animals and often congregate in small groups in the wild. They eat throughout the day and take frequent baths. Coloration can vary widely among populations. Plumage is identical in males and females. Lovebirds are renowned for their sleep position in which they sit side-by-side and turn their faces in towards each other. Also, females are well noted to tear raw materials into long strips, «twisty-tie» them onto their backs, and fly substantial distances back to make a nest. These birds are common in the pet industry.
Taxonomy
It was described by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot in 1818. It was originally named Psittacus roseicollis but later moved to the genus Agapornis with the other lovebirds.
Two subspecies are recognised:
- Agapornis roseicollis, (Vieillot, 1818)
- Agapornis roseicollis catumbella, B.P. Hall, 1952 – Angola
- Agapornis roseicollis roseicollis, (Vieillot 1818) – Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa
Description
The rosy-faced lovebird is a fairly small bird, 17–18 cm (6.7–7.1 in) long, with an average wing length of 106 mm (4.2 in) and tail length of 44–52 mm (1.7–2.0 in). Wild birds are mostly green with a blue rump. The face and throat are pink, darkest on the forehead and above the eye. The bill is horn-coloured, the iris is brown, and the legs and feet are grey. The pink of the A. r. roseicollis is lighter than that of the A. r. catumbella. Juvenile birds have a pale pink face and throat, a greenish fore crown and crown, and the beak has a brownish base.
Distribution and habitat
The rosy-faced lovebird inhabits dry, open country in southwest Africa. Its range extends from southwest Angola across most of Namibia to the lower Orange River valley in northwest South Africa. It lives up to 1,600 metres (5,200 ft) above sea level in broad-leaved woodland, semi-desert, and mountainous areas. It is dependent on the presence of water sources and gathers around pools to drink.
Escapes from captivity are frequent in many parts of the world and feral birds dwell in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona, and New York City where they live in a variety of habitats, both urban and rural. Some dwell in cacti and others have been known to frequent feeders in decent-sized flocks. Temperatures in Arizona regularly exceed 40 °C (104 °F) and feral lovebirds have been observed perching in large numbers on air-conditioner vents in order to remain cool. Feral rosy-faced lovebird colonies can also be found on Maui and the Big Island in Hawaii. Although they have been observed in the wild in Puerto Rico, they are probably the result of escaped pets, and no reproduction has been recorded.
Status and conservation
Populations have been reduced in some areas by trapping for the pet trade. However, numbers may have increased in other areas due to human creation of new water sources and the building of artificial structures which provide new nesting sites. Because of this, the species is classed as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Behaviour in the wild
Feeding
The diet consists mainly of seeds and berries. When food is plentiful, the birds may gather in flocks containing hundreds of individuals. They can sometimes be pests in agricultural areas, feeding on crops such as millet.
Breeding
Lovebirds are monomorphic, meaning the male and female of the species look alike. The nest is built in a rock crevice or within a compartment of the large communal nests built by sociable weavers. Man-made structures such as the roofs of houses may also be used. A total of 4-6 eggs are laid between February and April. They are dull white and measure 23.5 by 17.3 mm (0.93 by 0.68 in). They are incubated for about 23 days. The young birds fledge after 43 days.
Aviculture
Rosy-faced lovebirds are one of the more common parrots kept in captivity, because of their small size and ease of care and breeding. The birds are kept alone or in pairs, although due to their social requirements, they are best kept in pairs. They can be aggressive, and tend to bond towards an individual, either human or avian, and may not get on well with other people or pets. Two lovebirds may not always get along, and may have to be separated, and lovebirds should not be kept with smaller species of birds. Lovebirds require daily exercise.
Fuentes: Wikipedia/eBird/xeno-canto