Black-collared Lovebird


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Black-collared-Lovebird

Black-collared Lovebird 13 cm, 39–41 g. Head green, with narrow black hind-collar and yellow neck; rump deep blue; rest of upperparts dark green with blackish flight-feathers; outer tail feathers with broad orange-red markings against a black subterminal bar.

Immature lacks a collar. Race Zenker replaces yellow with red on the neck and below hind-collar, mini with less intense red than Zenker.

Systematics History

Editor’s Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

The original description contained dual spellings of species name; present spelling selected by First Reviser. Three subspecies were recognized.

Subspecies

SUBSPECIES

Agapornis swindernianus swindernianus Scientific name definitions

Distribution

patchily distributed in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, and Ghana.

SUBSPECIES

Agapornis swindernianus zenkeri Scientific name definitions

Distribution

S Cameroon and Gabon E to SW Central African Republic and W DRCongo.
SUBSPECIES

Agapornis swindernianus emini Scientific name definitions

Distribution

C and E DRCongo E to extreme W Uganda.

Distribution

Editor’s Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the ‘Subspecies’ article above. In the future, we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Black-collared Lovebird

Habitat

Mature and secondary lowland and gallery forest, 700–1200 m, particularly favoring fig trees and cultivated clearings. Found high in primary forest trees or low in secondary growth, depending on foliage level.

Movement

Flock sizes larger in the dry season, Gabon, but no evidence of migration.

Diet and Foraging

Black-collared Lovebird Fig seeds, especially from stranglers, and the fruit of RauwolfiaHarungana, and Macaranga, and ripe maize on the ground; repeatedly observed coming in small flocks (5–10) at dawn to feed on the fruit of oil palm, and noted at red flowers of Spathodea tree.

Two stomachs contained seeds and berries; insects, including caterpillars and beetle larvae, were also found.

Sounds and Vocal Behavior

Not well documented. The commonest vocalization of the Black-collared Lovebird is a shrill disyllabic “sri-leee”. When perched, makes a variety of chattering noises. Large flocks maintain continuous twittering.

Breeding

Nestlings Jan–Feb in Gabon. No other information, though nesting in E Zaire and Uganda is likely in Jul.

Conservation Status

Not globally threatened. CITES II. Generally reported as rare or uncommon except in Gabon, where common; this perhaps reflects observer activity and sensitization to the species.

Rare, Liberia. Not uncommon, Yapo Forest, Ivory Coast, was also recorded from Azagny and Taï National Parks. Rare Ghana, was probably now confined to forest reserves, also Bia National Park.
 Rare in Dzanga reserves, Central African Republic. Rarely recorded in E Africa, but reasonably common, Bwamba lowlands, Uganda.

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