Jul 23

Bird of the day

Black-winged lovebird

Agapornis taranta

The black-winged lovebird (Agapornis taranta) 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.

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. The rump and feathers above the tail are light green. In the male, feathers under the wing are typically black, and in the female the feathers under the wing are typically greenish or brownish black. Both sexes have a red beak and gray feet.

Aliases

Agapornis taranta

Data retrieved on October 15, 2025 at 5:54 AM