Lovebirds are a group of small parrots known for their ability to form lifelong bonds. They are available in a wide array of patterns and colors, making them attractive and loving pets. These birds are preferred over many others because of their small size and easy maintenance. They also tend to be healthier than other birds. There are nine species of lovebirds, and all belong to the genus Agapornis, though only a few are typically available as pets. These include the peach-faced, masked and Fischer’s lovebirds. Lovebirds are so named because of their strong pair bonds.
Lovebird species can be divided into those with prominent white eye rings and those without an eye ring:
- With eye rings: the masked, or yellow-collared (A. personatus), the Fischer’s (A. fischeri), the black-cheeked (A. nigrigenis) and the Nyasa, or Lilian’s (A. lilianae).
- Without eye rings: peach-faced, or rosy-faced (A. roseicollis), black-winged, or Abyssinian, (A. taranta), red-headed, or red-faced, (A. pullarius), Madagascar, or grey-headed, (A. canus) and the black-collared, or Swindern’s, (A. swindernianus) lovebird.
Lovebirds range in size from just over 5 inches to just over 6½ inches, which makes them among the smaller parrot species. Yes, although they are small parrots, they are still parrots. They belong to the order Psittaciformes, which includes all the parrots.
In the wild, lovebirds live in small flocks and eat fruit, vegetables, grasses as well as seed. You'll never be bored around these creatures, with their chirping skills and their wonderfully bubbly personality.
Fischer's Lovebird
Housing Your Lovebird
A single lovebird should be housed in a wire-based habitat that’s no smaller than 18” L x 18” W x 24” H, while a minimum of 24” L x 18” W x 24” H habitat is recommended for a pair of lovebirds. As a bare minimum, a cage at least 2 feet wide by 2 feet long (and 2 feet tall) is recommended, but a larger cage is definitely better (with the length being relatively more important than the height). 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. Keep the cage clean at all times. Clean it at least once a week.
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The space between the cage’s bars should be 5/8 inch apart or smaller to prevent the bird from escaping or getting their head or tiny limbs stuck. Bars should be no more than 1/2 to 5/8 inches apart, and should be oriented horizontally to allow the birds climb the sides of the cage. Avoid round cages. Homemade habitats or any habitat made with wood or galvanized wire are not recommended.
The bottom of a lovebird’s habitat should have a removable metal grate so droppings can fall below the bird’s feet. Line the tray at the base of the habitat with habitat paper or other paper-based bedding. 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.
Lovebirds are comfortable in average household temperatures ranging from 65 F to 80 F. 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 are social creatures that enjoy lots of interaction, so it’s best to place their habitats in an area of the home that gets a lot of traffic. Birds should not, however, be housed in kitchens, as fumes and smoke can be toxic to birds if inhaled. Make sure that no habitat parts or toys are made with lead, zinc, lead-based paints, galvanized metal, or other potentially toxic materials.
Lovebirds need exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light to produce vitamin D in their skin so they can absorb dietary calcium. Glass windows filter out UV light, so placing their habitat next to an indoor window is not enough. Birds get natural UV exposure by spending time outside in an escape-proof cage each day. To supplement UV exposure, pet parents can shine a full-spectrum UV light designed for birds on their lovebird's habitat for 10-12 hours each day. UV lights should be about 12-18" from where the bird perches.
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Perches should be around ½ inch in diameter. If a perch’s diameter is too wide, the bird will not be able to grip it properly. Add enriching cage elements - perches, toys, swings, hiding huts. Rotate new items to prevent boredom. 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.
Social Needs and Compatibility
Lovebirds can be kept alone or in pairs. Lovebirds are named for the close bonds they form with each other or their pet parents. 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. A single lovebird will do well, as long as it gets the social interaction, contact, affection, and attention that it needs from its human family members.
However, pet parents should still take precautions when introducing new lovebirds to each other. Introductions should be done slowly, in neutral territory, and under close supervision to ensure the lovebirds are compatible. Monitor your lovebirds for aggressive behavior and separate them if they fight. Always keep additional, new lovebirds in a separate cage until you are sure that they get along. 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.
Lovebirds are highly social, so pairs do far better than singles for mood and wellness. Loss of a companion can negatively impact them.
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Peach-faced Lovebirds
Lovebird Diet and Nutrition
Lovebirds enjoy a range of foods, including pelleted food, seeds, vegetables, fruits, and the occasional treat. Lovebirds should be fed a variety of foods. A good pellet diet can form the basis of the diet, supplemented by a variety of fresh foods and some seeds (seeds should make up less than 25 percent of the total diet). Dry food, fresh food, and water should be offered in separate dishes.
Use the manufacturer's instructions to determine how much food should be given daily. A lovebird’s diet will consist of 1 1/2 to 2 ounces (45-60 grams) of feed daily for a single bird. 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. Their food and water dishes should be earthenware or porcelain as lovebirds will chew the plastic dishes and this can be lethal.
Pet parents should never share food from their mouths or plates with their lovebird. Do not allow lovebirds to ingest avocados, fruit seeds, chocolate, caffeine, or alcohol, as they are all toxic and can cause death or serious illness.
Gradual diet changes allow picky lovebirds to adjust. Switching food constantly risks poor nutrition if they reject new mixes.
HOW TO HAND FEED A BABY AFRICAN LOVEBIRDS - PINOY VERSION
Enrichment and Play
Lovebirds are highly intelligent creatures that need toys and daily attention from their pet parent to stay physically and mentally stimulated. Lovebirds are very active and playful so it is a good idea to have lots of toys on hand to rotate through the cage to keep them occupied. 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. Choose a safe, enclosed space for lovebird playtime, like a living room with covered windows and hazards removed.
Foraging toys are an important addition to any lovebird's cage, offering both entertainment and exercise. Safe toys include wood, sisal, leather, acrylic, and rawhide toys (including hanging toys as long as they are not long enough to strangle your bird), bells, and ladders. As well, household items such as the cardboard tubes from paper towel rolls, paper cups, ink-free cardboard, and dried pasta shapes may also be used by your lovebird. All toys including their hanging devices should be zinc and lead free.
Lovebirds are quite aggressive chewers, which must be kept in mind when choosing toys. Make sure there are no small parts that can be chewed off and ingested, and no clips, loose strings, or other parts in which your bird could get its beak, feet, or head trapped.
Lovebird Toys
Hygiene and Maintenance
Pet parents should spot-clean their lovebird’s habitat daily, removing any soiled material and discarded food. Water and food bowls must be washed daily. 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. Move the lovebird to a secure environment (such as another habitat or travel cage) in a separate air space.
Perches, dishes, and toys should be replaced when worn or damaged. Pet parents should swap old toys with new ones regularly to prevent boredom. Weekly you should clean and disinfect the cage with warm soapy water or an avian cage disinfectant.
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.
Health and Veterinary Care
Lovebirds should be seen by a veterinarian once annually. A transport carrier or cage should be used and pictures of their cage, diet, and supplies at home can be shown to the veterinarian as part of the exam.
Lovebirds generally maintain their nails and beaks on their own through climbing and chewing. A lovebird’s nails must be trimmed on an as-needed basis, which can range from every few weeks to months. Only a trained professional or someone that has been taught how to trim feathers should clip a lovebird’s wing feathers. Wing clipping must be repeated every few months, as feathers grow back in.
Make sure you do not use Teflon pans in the house. Nonstick coatings have a polymer called polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). When heated, PTFE releases colorless, odorless fumes that can kill pet birds if they inhale them.
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.
Behavior and Temperament
Very active, curious, and playful, lovebirds pack a lot of personality into a small package. They are also feisty little birds. They are very social and form deep bonds with their owners and are sometimes very cuddly birds, but their intense personalities can also make them prone to nipping and territorial aggressiveness and jealousy.
While not as loud as some larger parrots, lovebirds can produce a loud high pitched screech, especially if looking for your attention. Their normal chirps and squawks are not overly loud, but they do like to chatter. As a general rule, they are not known for their ability to mimic speech or sounds, although there are exceptions.
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 won’t learn a lot of tricks or imitate behaviors. 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 bird’s chest while offering a treat to coax it up onto the dowel. This may take many tries. Lovebirds awaken with the dawn, get a drink, eat, and then immediately begin to chirp. 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.
Normal lovebird behaviors like fluffing up show emotion warnings, not always illness.
Lovebirds 'love' to bite.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are lovebirds good pets?
While lovebirds can be fulfilling pets, keeping them happy and healthy can be a lot of work and takes more dedication than for many other popular pet species. Anyone hoping to keep lovebirds should plan to meet their needs. Lovebirds aren’t recommended for beginner pet parents, especially those who have never kept birds before.
Do lovebirds need to be in pairs?
Lovebirds are highly intelligent and social and do best when kept in pairs. It is technically possible to keep a single lovebird but you will find that to be significantly harder to do successfully.
Do lovebirds like to cuddle with you?
One of the top reasons lovebirds are so popular to keep as pets, besides their gorgeous looks, is because they are some of the most snuggly birds. They love to cuddle with their pet parents and their mate and will chatter away at you as well.
Why are they called lovebirds?
These cuties sometimes form lifelong pairings between mates and will almost always choose to snuggle next to each other. This is such a quintessential look that it also led to their name.
What are the cons of lovebirds?
Lovebirds, as a very vocal bird species, can often be loud. Additionally, they are typically very messy, which can make finding a good space to keep them difficult. Lovebirds in the wild live in groups and they can benefit from living in larger groups than just pairs, but because mated pairs are also highly territorial, it can be near impossible to provide an adequate habitat that allows for optimal group sizes safely. In most cases this means just keeping mated pairs, which often works out, but some lovebirds may exhibit persistent, stress-related behaviors.
Do lovebirds like being touched?
Lovebirds love being touched.
