Agapornis Taranta

By Didier Mervilde

The Black-winged Lovebird (Agapornis taranta) also known as Abyssinian Lovebird is a mainly green bird . 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.

It is sexually dimorphic. The dimorphism becomes apparent in juvenile birds after their first moult at about eight or nine months of age. Both the male and female Agapornis taranta are mostly green, and only the adult male Agapornis taranta has a red forehead and a ring of red feathers around its eyes.

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.

The tail is black tipped and feathers below the tail have a yellowisch colour.

 The natural habitat for a Taranta is from southern Eritrea to southwestern Ethiopia and they normally live in either high plains or mountainous regions

There are 2 species in Taranta, Agapornis taranta taranta ( Stanley) and Agapornis taranta nana (Neumamann). The former is slightly larger and the nana has a smaller beak and shorter wings.

It is good to know that the Taranta can tolerate cold weather. In fact they live in the mountains at an altitude between 1500 m and 2000 m. Unique for the Taranta hen is that she lose a part of her breast feathers before laying the first egg. No other Agapornis do the same.

There are usually 4 eggs in a clutch. The female incubates the eggs for 23 –25 days, the chicks fledge for the nest after 45 days.

*Mutations *

In 1999 Mr.Schoon (Germany)had the good fortune that he got in a nest a Young bird with red eyes. Unfortunately, this chick was not fed by the parents so he had to feed it by hand. It developed to the world's first female Pale Fallow Taranta. Unfortunately, it died at the age of 1.5 years. But in March 2005 was again a red eye in the nest. Also this young was not fed by their parents and had to be reared by hand. It evolved into a magnificent cock. In spring 2007, it worked once again and there was again a red eye female in the nest. Mr.Schoon have these two Pale fallow mated with a wild type bird to become split birds. In 2001 the birds died but he was left with some split birds.

Fallow inherit recessive.

In 2005 and 2007 Mr.Schoon bred 6 Pale Fallow Taranta’s out of those split birds. Because of his illness he have to stop with breeding Taranta’s in August 2011. All his birds went to his friends who are now futher breeding with the Pale Fallow.

Other mutations in Agapornis taranta are : * Darkgreen, Olive - Incomplete

Dominant

* Misty - Incomplete Dominant

* Bronze Fallow - Recessive

 I wish to thank Mr.Wilhem Schoon to let me use all the photos of this article. Copyright stay with him