Lovebirds are actually parrots. The name Lovebird stems from these parrots’ strong, monogamous pair bonding and the long periods of time in which paired birds will spend sat beside one another. This is reflected by the bird’s name in other languages: in German, “die Unzertrennlichen”, and in French “les inséparables”, both meaning “the inseparables”.

Lovebirds vary in size from about 13 to 17 centimeters in length and from about 40 to 60 grams in weight. They are among the smallest parrots in the world, and they are characterized by a stocky build, a short blunt tail, and a relatively large beak for their overall size. Some species of the genus are amongst the most popular parrots kept as pets, and several colour mutations have been selectively breed in aviculture. Their average lifespan is 10 to 15 years.

There are nine species of the Lovebird; the Peach-faced Lovebird, Masked Lovebird, Fischer’s Lovebird, Lilian’s Lovebird, Black-cheeked Lovebird, Madagascar Lovebird, Grey-headed Lovebird, Abyssinian Lovebird or Black-winged Lovebird, Red-faced Lovebird or Red-headed Lovebird and the Black-collared Lovebird.