PHOENIX (AP) — Minutes after getting to a park in the middle of Phoenix, you can see flashes of green in the sky and hear chatter because love is in the air — or at least, the lovebirds are.The small parrots are transplants from the other side of the world that are thought to be descendants of pet birds. Arizona is believed to be home to the largest colony of rosy-faced lovebirds outside southwestern Africa. They’ve been able to survive in a place known for sweltering weather by sticking close to humans and their air conditioning.The lovebirds may have something to teach humans this Valentine’s Day about keeping strong romantic bonds.How did African lovebirds end up in Phoenix?Rosy-faced lovebirds are originally from another arid region, the Namib Desert, which stretches from Angola, across Namibia and into South Africa. They are one of nine species of lovebirds.AdvertisementAdvertisementAround the world, lovebirds are a popular pet. No one knows for sure how the lovebird colony started in Phoenix but they were first noticed around the city in the 1980s.Some think pet lovebirds escaped or were let loose by their owners or escaped from a pet store, said Robert Carter, a volunteer for the Maricopa Bird Alliance who leads bird walks in the Phoenix area. Others have speculated that they could have flown all the way to Arizona but Carter thinks in that case, they would’ve found another arid area to stay along the way. The population has grown to an estimated 2,000 birds in Phoenix today, he said.They can be seen sticking their heads out of the holes in cactus and palm trees that they roost in. They’re also known to hang out near air conditioning vents on really hot days to at least be a little less hot, including at Arizona State University’s science building.While Carter thinks they should have been left in Africa, he admires their adaptability.AdvertisementAdvertisement“They definitely show a sense of resilience to the situation that they’re in,” he said.While Phoenix’s lovebirds are believed to be the largest, most firmly established colony outside of Africa, there are also fairly well-established colonies of rosy-faced lovebirds in parts of Hawaii — on the Big Island and in Maui, said Kenn Ka …
