Lovebirds live in small flocks and eat fruit, vegetables, grasses, and seeds.

They are among the smallest parrots, characterised by a stocky build, a short blunt tail, and a relatively large, sharp beak.

[citation needed] As of 2019[update], there are 30 known plumage colour variations among lovebirds, which are caused by pigments called psittacofulvins.

[5] The type species is the black-collared lovebird (Agapornis swindernianus),[6] which was originally placed into the genus Psittacus within a section called Psittacula by naturalist Heinrich Kuhl.

[4] Selby contended that this placement rather than a separate genus was "artificial" and done "without regard to the structure, habits, or distribution of the species.

[11] There are two feral colonies present in the Pretoria region (Silver Lakes, Faerie Glen and Centurion) in South Africa.