Lovebirds are intelligent and affectionate birds. They are okay for beginners, but require a bit more work than other species. They are best kept as pairs, since they require so much attention and affection.
The lovebird is a small stocky parrot between 5.1-6.7 inches (13-17 cm). They have a large bill and a tail that is either round or square. Their average life span is between 10-12 years with some living even longer. The oldest recorded lovebird lived 17 years.
Most lovebirds love a bath either in a flat earthenware dish or by spraying them with a light mist of lukewarm water. If you use a bathing dish, you will see the birds perch on the edge and dip their heads and upper bodies in the water and beating their wings. They prefer this kind of bath to getting into the water.
Lovebirds generally maintain their nails and beaks on their own through climbing and chewing. However, consult your vet about nail trimming.
In the wild, lovebirds feed on seeds, berries, fruits, grains, grasses, leaf buds, and agricultural crops of corn, maize and figs. A lovebirds diet will consist of 1 1/2 to 2 ounces (45-60 grams) of feed daily for a single bird. A diet consisting of a small parrot mix along with a variety of supplements and vitamins is generally regarded as suitable; also a formulated diet along with greens, fruits, and vegetable supplements but without additional vitamins is also regarded as suitable, and is a more current trend.
Supplements include fresh vegetables, greens, and tree branches for the bark, some fruits, and millet spray. Some of the fruit supplements include berries, apples, grapes, pears, bananas, and kiwi. Some of the greens and vegetable supplements include spinach, endive, watercress, chickweed, radish, parsley, dandelions, carrot tops, and corn on the cob, peas, endive, field lettuce, and various garden herbs. Additional proteins can be offered such as nuts, try some unshelled peanuts as well as hazelnuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, and chestnuts. A cuttlebone, or gravel and oyster shell in a separate dish should be offered to provide calcium. Do not feed avocado, as it can be toxic to birds!
Their food and water dishes should be earthenware or porcelain as lovebirds will chew the plastic dishes and this can be lethal. Lovebirds drink a lot of water, so be sure to change their water dishes frequently through the day.
Lovebirds are very active birds, so a cage best suited to adequately house them must provide a lot of space. Remember, they are extremely active birds. A minimum of 32 x 20 x 20 (81 x 50 x 50 cm) per pair of birds is recommended with about four perches, feed and water dishes and an area for a bath. Place the cage on a stand or hang it from a wall bracket at eye level or at about 6 off of the floor. Be sure the spot you pick has good light and is well ventilated, though free from drafts. It should be away from doors and windows where direct exposure to sunlight can make it overly warm, but placed close to at least one wall to enhance a feeling of security.
Average daytime temperatures can range from 60oF to 70oF with nighttime temperatures down to 40oF. As a rule of thumb, ambient temperature comfortable for you should be adequate for your bird. Whether your bird is sick or healthy, be sure to watch for tell-tale signs of temperature-related discomfort: cold birds will often remain fluffed up for extended periods of time, and overheated birds will hold their wings away from their bodies and pant. The cage should be covered at night to prevent drafts and disturbances. Lovebirds like special resting places. Nest boxes placed up high, all at the same level and all of the same type work well and help prevent fights. A nest box for a lovebird is 8? x 8? x 8? (20 x 20 x 20 cm) or 10? x 6? x 6? (25 x 15 x 15 cm). Be sure to check for eggs and remove them at once to prevent overpopulation. Remember, there are already so many homeless animals out there!
The basic cage care includes daily cleaning/changing of the food and water dishes. Plain newspaper can be used to line the bottom of the cage and should be changed daily to prevent diseases and illness. Weekly you should clean and disinfect the cage with warm soapy water or an avian cage disinfectant. Wash and completely dry the perches and toys whenever they become soiled.
Lovebirds are very social birds. Generally, it is thought that it is essential for their good health and happiness that they are kept in pairs, not single. If you have a single lovebird, you must provide the necessary social interaction that it is missing from another bird. These birds develop fierce loyalties to their keeper or their mate.
Aside from their social nature toward you or their mate, they can be extremely aggressive towards other birds. You must be certain that all pairs get along together, and that they are true pairs: not mismatched. Do not mix species of lovebirds as they will fight. Bonded pairs constantly groom each other and will feed each other from the crop during breeding season and all year round.
These little birds will chatter all day long. They will hide in their nest box if they are startled by a sudden noise, if they spot a potential predator, or if it gets cold and windy.
To have a tame lovebird, choose a young single bird. Young birds have an amazing ability to learn tricks and be affectionate, whereas adults are very difficult to tame and generally wont learn a lot of tricks or imitate behaviors. Hand-raised youngsters are easiest as they are already quite socialized and tame, but are not always available.
Taming involves acceptance and trust between you and your bird. It means spending a lot of time with your bird daily. Start with talking softly and making slow movements. Once your bird is comfortable with you, then you can begin hand taming. Use a dowel and push it gently against the birds chest while offering a treat to coax it up onto the dowel. This may take many tries. Once it is comfortable with stepping up onto a dowel, substitute your finger for the dowel.
Lovebirds are not considered one of the best talkers, and only some may learn a few words.
Lovebirds awaken with the dawn, get a drink, eat, and then immediately begin to chirp. They will generally quiet down by mid-morning and resume their chirping in the late afternoon.
These birds are very active, flying and climbing about, gnawing on wood or chew toys, and grooming themselves all day. They love toys of all kinds such as seed bells, swings, ladders, mirrors, shiny objects, and wooden gnaws. They are natural paper shredders, so be sure to provide them with dye-free paper to play with. A lovebird outside of its cage will not stay on its playpen since they like to explore. Be sure that any room that your lovebird is playing in is free from open doors or windows, water containers such as drinking glasses and toilets/sinks and that they are never near a hot stove. You should always monitor your bird when it is out of its cage!
Signs of illness to be aware of are if a bird seems withdrawn, feathers are ruffled and the plumage is dull, sits with its eyes closed for long periods of time, eyes are watery or dull, runny nose, sleeps a lot, loses interest in its environment and stays at its feed dish. The droppings may change color and be loose (if healthy they are grayish white and not too thin). Also a lot of tail bobbing, dropping off its perch, odd breathing, sneezing, and excessive scratching. Some of the common illnesses your lovebirds could contract are injuries from fighting, Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, Polyoma Virus Infection, yeast infections (Candidiasis), Avian Pox Virus Infection, bacterial infections, internal parasites, mites, ticks, egg binding, intestinal influenza, coccidiosis, respiratory ailments, and diarrhea. An ailing bird should be taken to an avian veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment immediately!
An enclosed outdoor area will be beneficial for a lone lovebird if you spend time in it every day. When a lone lovebird is kept outside by themselves without their owner or another lovebird to keep them company, loneliness, depression, and bad behaviorlike plucking out featherswill result. If their owners are outdoors with them and engage in conversation or singing, lone lovebirds can benefit from being outside. If you are unable to spend time outside with your lovebird, you should keep it indoors where there is plenty of entertainment, daily activities, and socializing opportunities.
Since 2011, Shellie Alyssa, a Miami resident, has been an article writer. Her writings have been featured on numerous well-known and educational pet websites, such as munch zone. She received the International Library of Poetry’s Editors’ Choice Award for Outstanding Achievement in Poetry in 2000. She holds a fashion merchandising diploma from Penn Foster College.
Large outdoor aviaries will provide the lovebirds with plenty of space to fly. The dimensions should be six times the lovebird’s wing span in length, two to three times in width, and four times the lovebird’s body length in height. Such an aviary will comfortably house two lovebirds. Toys, water, food, and treats in plenty will keep the couple occupied. The aviary offers an area for exercise as the lovebirds are free to hop, climb, play, and soar. Provide protection from intense outdoor weather. Lovebirds love light rain and rainwater. However, if they have nowhere to hide, violent downpours and thunderstorms are bad. An aviary needs protective barriers during harsh weather conditions.
For lovebirds that reside outdoors, predators like rodents, raccoons, possums, cats, and dogs may be their prey. Lovebirds will draw in wildlife from the surrounding wild animals, drawing them into a pet owner’s yard. Compared to other bird breeds, lovebirds produce less noise, but they still vocalize when interacting with one another, which could draw in predators. In safe, secure environments, lovebirds can avoid predator attacks when they’re outside.
Lovebirds are gregarious, well-mannered, and loyal to their ownersas long as they receive daily attention and interaction. In warm climates, lovebirds enjoy being outdoors. Every day is their preferred bathing time, and they enjoy drying off in the warm sunlight. During cold weather, lovebirds need to live indoors. However, with a few exceptions, you can leave them outside all year round in tropical climates.
Lovebirds graze on seeds, berries, fruits, grains, grasses, leaf buds, and corn, maize, and fig crops in the wild. A single lovebird will require 1 1/2 to 2 ounces (4560 grams) of feed per day. A well-rounded diet that includes a small parrot mix and various vitamins and supplements is considered appropriate by most people. A more modern approach is a formulated diet that includes fruits, vegetables, and greens as supplements but does not include extra vitamins.
Lovebirds are intelligent and affectionate birds. They take a little more work than other species, but they are suitable for novices. They need so much love and care that it is best to keep them in pairs.
To have a tame lovebird, choose a young single bird. Adult birds are very difficult to tame and generally won’t learn many tricks or mimic behaviors, but young birds have an amazing capacity for both learning tricks and showing affection. Since they are already fairly tame and socialized, hand-raised children are the easiest to work with, but they are not always available.
If a bird appears withdrawn, has ruffled or dull plumage, sits with its eyes closed for extended periods of time, has watery or dull eyes, a runny nose, sleeps a lot, loses interest in its surroundings, and stays at its feeding dish, these are warning signs of illness. The droppings can be loose and change in color; if they’re healthy, they should be grayish white and not too thin. It also does a lot of tail bobbing, falling off its perch, breathing strangely, sneezing, and scratching excessively. The following are some common illnesses that your lovebirds may get: wounds from fights, intestinal influenza, coccidiosis, respiratory conditions, bacterial infections, internal parasites, mites, ticks, Avian Pox Virus Infection, Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease, Polyoma Virus Infection, yeast infections (Candidiasis), and egg binding. A sick bird needs to be seen by an avian veterinarian right away for a diagnosis and treatment!
The lovebird is a small stocky parrot between 5. 1-6. 7 inches (13-17 cm). They feature a large bill and a round or square tail. They live for 10 to 12 years on average, but some live much longer. The oldest recorded lovebird lived 17 years.
FAQ
What temperature is too cold for lovebirds?
Can I put my lovebird outside?
Can lovebirds survive in the wild?
Do lovebirds need sunlight?