Black-winged Lovebird

Agapornis taranta

Old World Parrots · Psittaciformes · Rare

The Black-winged Lovebird (Agapornis taranta) is a rare old world parrot found in 2 countries, weighing about 57 g. The black-winged lovebird also known as Abyssinian lovebird is a mainly green bird of the parrot family.

Least ConcernRareEats fruitforestcavity nest57 g

About the Black-winged Lovebird

The black-winged lovebird also known as Abyssinian lovebird is a mainly green bird of the parrot family. At about 16.5 cm (6.5 inches) long, it is the largest of the lovebird genus, a group of small parrots. The adult male is easily identified by its red forehead, and the adult female by its all-green head. They are native to Eritrea and Ethiopia, and they are uncommon as pets.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

How to identify it

The black-winged lovebird, with a length of about 16–16.5 cm (6.3–6.5 inches), is the largest species of lovebird. It is sexually dimorphic, as are the red-headed lovebird and grey-headed lovebird. The dimorphism becomes apparent in juvenile birds after their first molt at about eight or nine months of age. Both the male and female black-winged lovebird are mostly green, and only the adult male black-winged lovebird has a red forehead and a ring of red feathers around its eyes. The tail is black tipped and feathers below the tail show a yellowish colour.

Where it lives

When to see it

Best months: January, February, March, April, May, July, August, September, October, November, December, with peak activity in November. It is a resident species across most of its range.

Easily confused with

Quick questions

How do you identify a Black-winged Lovebird?
The black-winged lovebird, with a length of about 16–16.5 cm (6.3–6.5 inches), is the largest species of lovebird. Full identification notes are on this page.
How big is a Black-winged Lovebird?
The Black-winged Lovebird is a small sized bird weighing about 57 g.
Where can you see a Black-winged Lovebird?
The Black-winged Lovebird occurs in 2 countries, including Ethiopia and Eritrea.
What birds look similar to a Black-winged Lovebird?
The Black-winged Lovebird is most easily confused with the Lilian's Lovebird, the Red-headed Lovebird and the Grey-headed Lovebird.
Is the Black-winged Lovebird endangered?
The Black-winged Lovebird is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Learn the Black-winged Lovebird for real

BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.

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