Mystery of Rosy-faced Lovebirds in Phoenix, Arizona

In Phoenix, Arizona lives an interesting parrot species not native to the region: the Rosy-faced Lovebird. These, small and adorable birds have learned to not only survive, but thrive amongst the palm trees and buildings of Arizona. Join the Badgerland Birding crew as they search for these charismatic birds, and learn more about how they live.
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[@karenallan8130]

I’m from Wisconsin too!! Living in Glendale AZ since 2008. My daughter has 2 cockatiels and a lovebird. Back in Dec of 2023, I was outside & heard and saw a lovebird in the neighbor’s tree communicating with our lovebird Mango! I held up a food bowl & he flew into it and stayed until I handed the bowl to my daughter inside my sun porch! We have had Melon ever since AND him & Mango have 7 babies together so far ❤️❤️ So awesome! Thanks for the great video 👍

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Wow! That’s so cool! Melon and Mango are great Lovebird names.

[@christywhidby3187]

I wanted to pass on that I work as an Activity Director in a nursing home in SD and we watch your video's every morning, they love your birding video's! Thank you.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Aw that’s so sweet! Really glad you all are enjoying the videos!

[@Kookbob]

My agapornis died on valentinesday 2020 after he was born in august 1999. He was my best friend ever. Even better than most human friends. I had him for the most part of my life. Typing this while thinking about his companionship makes me cry a little. I will never forget you!!

[@SarahCarrico]

Kookbob, I lost my agapornis 11/30/20 - he was only half the age of yours, but that sure was a bad time to lose a lovebird... He was my best friend, too. I hope you can enjoy your happy memories ❤

[@delusionspodcast]

because of this video I was able to get my first Vermillion flycatcher! thanks fellas!!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Epic! Congrats on the lifer!

[@kathleendorson7253]

They are all over in my neighborhood in Gilbert, in southeast Phx Valley. They love the palm trees. I love watching them!!!

[@Janiesplace]

I’m at a medical meeting in Scottsdale AZ at the Scottsdale Princess. There’s a family of Rosy Faced Lovebirds in the cactus outside of our balcony. Delightful sighting as I am also from Wisconsin! We also spotted a Northern Goshawk and several Jack rabbits!

[@blazertundra]

I'm so glad you got a chance to see them! And you picked an area much more beautiful than my local Target parking lot. Lol. An offshoot of the Target flock likes to visit my feeder every day. I can't help but smile seeing 3-10 little parrots wandering around my yard and using various things as a jungle gym while they wait for a spot at the feeder.

[@snowyowl5556]

Chad target parrots 😎

[@kathleenjohnson5514]

I live in Phoenix and every May & June we have daily visits from the Rosy faced Lovebirds eating seeds from my yearly sunflower garden. I love watching them and taking pictures.

[@winstonthetexasairedale1702]

Guys, Love your videos, y'all are my favorite birding channel. Due to raising a family, I have not seriously birded since 2005 (wow, 17 years ago?). This video inspired me to return to my childhood neighborhood to relocate a bird I havent seen in 47 years. I found a Monk Parakeet this morning. Thank you for re-lighting a fire for me. I will be retiring soon and will hopefully pick up where I left off years ago. A big thanks to you both! Chad

[@user-dh8sg8ur5e]

They are very common to see in most North Scottsdale Park areas. If you know their chirping sound, they are easy to find. Scottsdale Sports complex Park off Princess Drive is an easy place to find them.

[@kellye.8847]

I had one for 12 years. Such a smart fun parrot. Miss her so much, yes her, she was quite the egg layer. I saw a documentary about the wild population in Arizona about 4 years ago. Thanks for this video. I enjoy your videos so much, you all do a great job.

[@jenisecoronado5555]

Wow! I remember seeing a flock of them inhabiting a tree along a park behind our home when we lived in Mesa AZ! I thought wow, where did these beautiful parrots come from and what are they doing here??!! Thanks for clearing up the mystery! They were such an unexpected surprise when I saw them!

[@garymeredith2441]

This is why I watch your shows . Derek and Ryan you guys are putting on great shows .😅

[@cdlong28]

I've been to that same park and had my first (and only) Lovebird sighting there too. I wasn't expecting them and was pretty shocked and excited, much like you were. I got so distracted I almost missed my flight home. I saw some of the same species there as well, Gila Woodpeckers, Vermilion Flycatcher, and Verdins. Thanks for sharing, fun video.

[@Stevenisbelieven]

Just started bird watching a couple months ago and I'm really getting interested in my local populations. I live in a suburb west of Phoenix. This morning in my backyard, I have seen every invasive species you mentioned, besides the monk parakeet. The rosy-faced love birds started appearing a few weeks ago. First one, then two a week later, this morning there were 4 sitting on my patio table by the pool. I hope they stay awhile because they are beautiful. They have gorgeous turquoise feathers hidden under their green ones, contrasted with the red face, making them a bird you want to stay around for as long as possible.

[@amycrothers6648]

Saw 2 Rosies on my walk this morning. Love these little birds. In 2021 they were coming in every evening with a group of grackles and bedding down in my neighbor’s ficus trees. Then they navigated out from our backyard and now a group of them are inhabiting saguaros where Gila woodpeckers have made holes in the trunks of the cactus. (We live in Fountain Hills, northeast part of the Phoenix area) You can catch them flying in and out of the holes in the cactuses. So cute ! Great video guys.

[@torinkyifh5085]

I visit my family in Phoenix all the time, I'm from Wisconsin! At the Gilbert Farmer's Market we were having coffee outside at a restaurant and there were at least seven around us. It was great!

[@MrWaterbugdesign]

Excellent video of the birds. I walk 2 hours in N central Phoenix everyday and often hear Love Birds but they're not very easy to see.

[@gailjohnson1205]

Such beautiful birds! Thanks for tracking them down and sharing them with us!

[@ShawninAZ]

You guys are the best! You not only found my fav lovebirds but you made a video of them. Thank you so much! They’re daily visitors to my feeders in the summer and bring their sweet little ones. Then suddenly in the fall, I believe when the hawks return to the organic farm nearby, they all depart until spring. Thanks again this was awesome!

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Thanks for mentioning it in the comments! We remembered when we were in town!

[@ShawninAZ]

@@BadgerlandBirding that’s awesome I’m so glad you got a chance to see them and you seemed to enjoy them as much as I do. They’re so incredibly affectionate with each other and they do always seem to travel in large groups. This year I’ve had a larger than ever group I’m sure it’s at least 100. They all come about the same time every morning and only about half of them return in the late afternoon. So I’m sure to fill the feeders and my bird bath and water dishes for them before they come back. I have other birds mostly finches that I feed but some of my favorites are the Gila Woodpeckers, Grackles, Towhees, and Curve Billed Thrashers. The thrashers have so much personality they’re really fun to watch. Anyways I’m sending this video to all my friends and family!

[@withvinayak]

Beautiful, would be a lifer for me if I see one!!

[@nathanwebb4836]

Those are beautiful lovebirds indeed.

[@gaminggaby9564]

Great video, can’t wait for the next one

[@Agoddamnbetch]

I just went for a bike ride through roadrunner park and saw a pair! Very fun to see.

[@strnglhld]

There are four outside my house in Glendale Arizona!!! ❤

[@GratefulDeb270]

Very interesting. Ty!

[@ABirdersParadise]

Aw, they're so cute! I want to go see them now.

[@centpushups]

You want love birds in your yard just plant some sunflowers. They love those plants. They are in those plants every morning and evening. They are so beautiful.

[@victorgunnerson3794]

Love the video...So in the late 90s my father had a custom built birdcage in our back yard that was 10hx20w and we had about 200 of these birds one day my dad decided to let them all out to populate our nieghborhood... glad to see they are still out here we lived right off of indianschool and 12th street glad to see they went to the park right down the street from us I love it everytime I see one I lt reminds me of my dad❤❤

[@DistinctivelyStylish]

I actually have a group of rosey-faced lovebirds that have been nesting in my yard in my cactus and eat and drink every day. It's been so amazing to watch! I'm really hoping they stay awhile. Love your videos! 😊Thanks for sharing 💜

[@jessamineprice5803]

This reminds me of all the gorgeous monk parakeets in south Brooklyn when I was living there 20 years ago. They build the most amazing colony nest structures on light poles, etc. They used to only live in a few specific parks, but I hear they're thriving and spreading.

[@TheBeachMawMaw]

Oh my goodness!! How beautiful!! I would love to see these cute, loving little birds!! Great job guys!! Love your channel!!

[@aqdrobert]

I see three regulars at Sun City, AZ. One whistled back to me, perched at my eye level.

[@racheltinsley8766]

I'm in Avondale n have yet to see any over here...hope I do soon...

[@carolshannon6449]

Great video! I also watched your video with the top 4 ducks, where you asked about additional content. For the same reason the folks at the nursing home love your videos, I sincerely hope you'll continue taking us all along on your birding trips, as long as it's fun for you to do so anyway. As for other content - I've enjoyed it all, the interviews with other birders, the author of the guides, the tagging trips in LA, the music festival, the challenges - it's all good; frankly I don't think you can go wrong. The combination of amazing nature, even in people's backyards and on the edges of cities, plus the gentle suspense about whether you'll get that nemesis bird or exceed your 1st of the year numbers , the education about the birds themselves or other birding things, and finally the close relationship you have with each other and the other birders...it all makes a hugely needed antidote to what has made up the majority of the news for the last almost 3 years. It inspires those of us who can get out in nature TO get out, and for those of us who can't, it gives us a vicarious but none-the-less lovely experience of nature.

[@Doktracy]

We used to occasionally see them in Mesa when I lived there 10 years ago. My parents have never seen them up in Desert Ridge. (North Phoenix)

[@oinkey5479]

Rosy-faced Lovebirds are absolutely one of the coolest birds in Phoenix, my grandparents have a flock of 50+ in their yard along with the rarer Yellow-collared Lovebird.

[@coyotemoonc3258]

5:21 The dove just chilling with them unbothered.

[@andrewrolwes6034]

Rosy-faced Lovebirds, making Phoenix Namibia again.

[@dixxebell]

SO cute!

[@suedietrich2421]

Very informative..great advice for my next trip to Phoenix!!

[@affordabledesertliving3487]

Absolutely lovely video lads. Just loved it! I am about 3 hours away in SE arizona so got to get up that way this spring pehaps! Thanks for making this informative vid!

[@jackimyers9364]

That's the same park that I first saw the RFL in 2000.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Crazy!

[@SweettoothMarie77]

I'm so glad they escaped and found freedom!

[@vivavasquez]

the long term impact is happiness for everyone

[@julieprior3126]

Great to see them free and not as pets. Are they similar to Lorikeets? Their behaviour is very like them.

[@getoutdoors7837]

Awesome! You guys are making me wish I was back in south Texas right now. I flubbed at parrots last year (Still got Green Parakeet though) but I want to go back so I can get more!! Great video, keep it up.

[@connorellsworth9879]

Hey there! I live in Phoenix! Thanks for making this video!

[@connorellsworth9879]

There are some really crazy groups of lovebirds that crowd on the windowsills at ASU. I think they do it for the timey bit of AC that gets out of the vents.

[@DogFoxHybrid]

I've seen someone post a photo of the budgie that fell in with the lovebirds. It'd be nice to know how he's doing.

[@BadgerlandBirding]

Hopefully he’s doing well!

[@shirley2507]

I spotted a rosy faced lovebird in the wild in Brooklyn NY yesterday

[@kellyhollifield6634]

I have seen a couple of them in Kiwanis Park in Tempe AZ

[@thechemtrailkid]

theyre so cute :)

[@jessebrown4347]

Should have come to the feeders in my yard. I get upwards of a hundred of them a day at my feeders in North Phoenix near where the 51 freeway meets the 101 in the north

[@HaKarina]

I have lovebirds and I want them to have an outdoor aviary. But I'm so scared that the heat here in AZ will kill them

[@raymiemiller1455]

I saw these guys while I was in Phoenix as well, they're pretty cool, aren't they! Parts of Phoenix also have Yellow-collared Lovebirds as well, although their status is less clear as to if they are established or not. I looked for them as well but I wasn't able to find any. I've heard there's small population of Monk and Nanday Parakeets in the area as well.

[@hilaryapril7043]

I have seen them at a park in Phoenix and recently in Las Cruces NM. A woman at the Phoenix park said they were somebody's pets and they set them free.

[@Beryllahawk]

So pretty! I noticed the white winged dove as well - do the parrots get along with other species in the wild? It didn't look like either parrots or dove was upset?

[@BadgerlandBirding]

From what we observed they seemed to get along with the others fairly well!

[@Oldman808]

This bird is native of southwestern Africa. The local pet shop charges 80 bucks per bird.

[@alexleon5503]

there's SO many lovebirds in North scottsdale

[@CannaCrawl]

Squish ❤❤❤❤❤

[@raypalmerino7862]

In New Mexico/ California/ Connecticut also, lots of them. Also they are African peach face lovebirds.

[@staufferfamily9629]

Aww, they're cute little things. I wish we had them as invasive species in Wisconsin instead of pigeons. 😩 lol

[@snowyowl5556]

I will 2nd that

[@Avation911]

the black beak indicates their young

[@kevinpoe8137]

And to think that North America once had its own native parrot

[@nature_rabbits5370]

I know it’s sad to think that the species is extinct

[@fghproductions]

Dozens in and around JW Marriott Camelback

[@unusualcat535]

7:15 *budgie

[@pauraque]

I'm soooo going to hell. I saw these birds in Arizona and I was like, "shut up you stupid parrots I wanna get a better recording of this Gila Woodpecker."

[@snowyowl5556]

God hates u now.... or if He's a native species nerd he loves u? 🤔

[@marumiyuhime]

everything came from somewhere almost nothing came from where you find it. as a natural historian biologist ecologist and taxonomist I have found that this rings true more than not. that area was wiped clean after the chixalub impact. life is a colonizer and birds prove that more than any other vertebrate.