1.
Characteristics
Lovebirds are warm-blooded, feathered animals. Lovebirds are 13-17
cm long (5.1 - 6.7 inches) and are among the smallest parrots in
the world. They have round heads; egg-shaped, proportioned bodies;
big, alert eyes; short tails; soft feathers; and brilliant colors.
Most lovebirds have green feathers, but lovebird mutations can
have feathers of all types of colors. The body temperature of
lovebirds averages about 106 °F. (41 °C), which is about 7 °F. (4
°C) higher than the average body temperature of humans.
The bodies of lovebirds are adapted for flying. Their bodies
developed as a result of adaptations for getting food, avoiding
enemies, and attracting a mate. According to books, lovebirds can
fly swiftly and expertly, and make sharp turns. This is not the
case for Melody, who flutters all over the place and has a hard
time landing. Perhaps a lovebird's flight ability depends on
whether the lovebird is clumsy or not.
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2.
Beaks
The bills of birds differ because each bird species eats
different foods. Since lovebirds are seed and fruit eaters, they
have a strong, hooked, "cracker" beak. Most lovebird have
orange-yellow beaks, but some have red or pinkish beaks. The
colors of the lovebird's bill are unrelated to feeding; they serve
mainly for courtship display.
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3.
Legs and Feet
Like all birds, lovebirds have two legs and two feet. Lovebirds
spend most of their time in trees or flying, so their legs are
quite short. Lovebirds have four toes on each foot. Like most
parrots, two of their toes point forward and two point backward.
The hind toes help provide an extra grip for the birds as they
climb. All birds have a claw at the tip of each toe. The claws of
lovebirds are quite short. Lovebird claws feel ticklish when your
lovebird runs over your bare skin, but the claws are not sharp
enough to pierce your skin.
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4.
Skeleton and Muscle
A bird's skeleton is lightweight but strong. Many bones that are
separate in mammals are fused, or joined together, in birds. The
fused bones give the skeleton exceptional strength. The skeleton
is lightweight chiefly because many of the bones are hollow.
The wings of a bird correspond to the arms of a human being. Each
wing has three main parts: the outermost part, or hand; the middle
part, or forearm; and the part nearest the body, or upper arm. The
primary flight feathers are attached to the hand. The secondary
flight feathers are attached to the forearm. The upper arm carries
the muscles that move the bird's wing. The largest muscles in
lovebirds are those that move the wings. Lovebirds also have
strong leg muscles. Small muscles at the base of each feather
enable a lovebird to maneuver its feathers, fluff them, or display
them.
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5. Feathers
Thousands of feathers cover all of the external parts of a
lovebird's body except the eyes, bill, legs, and feet. Lovebirds
have several different types of feathers, as shown in the photo
above. Your lovebird's feathers can make quite an interesting
collection.
Each feather rests in a follicle. Although lovebirds are
completely covered by feathers, feather follicles do not
completely cover the bird's skin like pores. The follicles follow
lines called feather tracts, which determine how the feathers will
lay on the bird.
Most feathers have a stiff central shaft, or quill. On each side
of the shaft is a flat vane. The vane consists of thousands of
slender parallel branches called barbs. Lovebirds preen their
feathers to smooth back barbs that became separated or ruffled.
A lovebird's longest feathers are the flight feathers of the
wings. The flight feathers near the tip of the wing are called
primaries, and those closer to the body are known as secondary. A
layer of smaller feathers, called coverts, covers the base of the
flight feathers. The rounded tail feathers of lovebirds are
shorter than those of other parrots. Their tail feathers aid them
in flight.
Contour feathers cover the body, wings and tail of a lovebird. If
the air is cool, the bird will fluff out the feathers to trap
warmer air and keep out fresh cold air. When the air is too warm,
lovebirds keep their feathers very close to avoid trapping warm
air close to the body.
Lovebirds have soft, fuzzy down feathers at the base of some of
their contour feathers and under their wings. Down feathers have a
short shaft and fuzzy barbs that are not connected into vanes.
Pinfeathers, or blood feathers, are new feathers that are covered
by a thin fingernail-like sheath. They almost look like little
white sticks, and appear when your lovebird molts after the old
feathers are shed and new feathers have started grow in. If this
type of feather is broken or damaged, it may bleed and cause pain
your bird.
In some lovebird species, the male's feathers are more brightly
colored than the female's. In others, the two sexes look alike.
Lovebirds shed their feathers at least once a year and grow a new
set. This process, called molting, generally occurs after the
breeding season. Lovebirds do not have a different feather
coloring for different seasons.
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