The Black-cheeked Lovebird (<i>Agapornis nigrigenis</i>) as an agricultural pest in Zambia

Abstract

This study investigated the status of the Black-cheeked Lovebird (Agapornis nigrigenis) as a pest of agricultural crops by quantifying flock-size, the crops on which they foraged and the level of damage to the crops. Lovebirds fed on two agricultural crops, Millet (Eleusine coracana) and Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), in village areas of Zambia that practice subsistence agriculture. Lovebirds preferred feeding on ripening crops, in early morning and late afternoon. Feeding bouts were longer and flock-size larger when Lovebirds fed on Sorghum rather than Millet. Analysis of transect data showed <30% of the total Millet crop was damaged, with 18% of seed-heads suffering >20% damage. Local farmers perceived the Lovebirds as a serious agricultural pest and attempted to protect their crops in a variety of ways but these were largely ineffective and rarely lethal to the Lovebirds. As the long-term survival and conservation of the endangered Black-cheeked Lovebird is closely allied with local people, particularly in relation to water sources during the dry season, the importance of elevating local tolerance to the species through education programs is highlighted.