Agapornis Pullaria (Linnaeus) 1758
Synonym: Orange-headed Lovebird

Now fairly scarce in collections this species was formerly imported in large numbers. In its native habitat it has a wide distribution, ranging from northern Angola and the Gold Coast in the west,eastwards to southwest Ethiopia and the region of Lake Victoria. It mainly inhabits sparsely treed grassland, occurring in small groups of about 20 individuals. Occasionally it reaches plague proportions and may congregate in flocks of 1000 or more, when it becomes a serious agricultural pest and is often culled in large numbers by anxious farmers. The birds are 13 - 15cm (5-6 in) in length and they generally feed on seeding grasses near to ground level; they are extremely alert and will speedily depart at the faintest hint of danger.

The red-faced is a little more delicate than most of the other species, and newly imported species, and newly imported specimens must be acclimatized with the greatest of care. It is a relatively quiet and peaceful bird and may be kept in colonies with less trouble than one would expect from the more aggresive species. However, its breeding habits are rather different from those of other species and it is classed as a "difficult" captive breeder. In its natural habitat, it normally nests in burrows in termite mounds and, in captivity, it will rarely use a standard lovebird nestbox. However, Arthur Prestwich, the first British breeder of this species, had repeated successes during the mid-1950s, when he provided the birds with barrels laid on their sides and rammed with peat, into which the hends excavated a nest chamber. They are being bred in Europe in increasing numbers and, starting in 1974, Herr Blome of Germany bred and reared numerous individuals over a five-year period. He attributed his successes to the provision of heating pads within the nest chambers, which maintained a temperature of 30C (86F) after the chicks had hatched. Red-faced parents are of a nervous disposition and are slow to return to their nests after being disturbed, so the chicks are prone to chills. On hatching, the chicks have a fine, light-reddish down and they fledge at about seven weeks of age. A varied diet should be offered to the adult birds, especially in the breeding season. When rearing chicks, this species will take large numbers of mealworms.
The only documented color variety of this species is, at present, a lutino form, where the green plumage is replaced by yellow. Individuls of this mutation are being bred on the European continent, but can still be considered in relatively short supply.