The Lovebird Species
Classification
The purpose of classification is to divide the entire animal kingdom
into a series of groups based on the similarities of features found
within animals. The higher the group the more general its
characteristics.
Over the years, and with the advances in knowledge of the various
animals, it becomes necessary to continually revise the classification.
For this reason, you will see differences in classifications given by
various authors which represent the extent of information on that bird
or group of birds at that point in time.
The lowest two ranks, the genus and the species, when used together,
identify the members of a single interbreeding group or species. Within
a species, there may be one or more races which differ sufficiently to
warrant them being given the rank of sub-species and this is denoted by
an extra name appearing after the species name.
The name which often appears after the specific name is that of the
person who first classified it and, should the bird have changed from
its original genus to a new one, then the person's name is placed in
parenthesis. If the name followed by a date, this signifies the date
when first classified.
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