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- The best places to find and adopt a lovebird
- The gear you need to make sure that your lovebird settles in at home
- Feeding, grooming, and training tips to keep him healthy and happy
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Meet the Lovebird
Lovebirds are active little parrots who benefit greatly from daily interactions with their owners. They are affectionate pets who are likely to enjoy cuddling with humans. They are also entertaining birds who can learn to perform complex commands and tricks.
Your lovebird can be an excellent companion if you provide him with the care he needs to thrive. Like any pet, your lovebird has specific needs that you must meet to keep him healthy, happy, and full of the boundless energy typical of his species.
Appearance
Lovebirds are small, stocky parrots. They have large, dark eyes set on the sides of their heads and slightly hooked beaks that are somewhat large in comparison to the rest of their bodies. Beak color varies depending on the species but can range from yellow-orange to bright red.
- Size: The height range is 5.5–6" (14–15 cm), and the weight range is 1.75–2.5 ounces (50–70 g), depending on the species.
- Body and feathers: A healthy lovebird sits upright on his perch and holds his wings snugly against his body. The feathers are smooth and shiny, with no bald spots visible between them. The tail is short and feathered and follows the slope of the back and wing feathers. The tail feathers appear clean and unfrayed.
- Feet: Parrots have two toes that point forward and two that point backward on each foot. The shape of the foot helps the bird grip his perch securely and climb his cage bars easily. Each toe features a slightly hooked nail that helps improve traction while perching.
- Color: The lovebird’s body feather colors are normally shades of green and blue. However, after many years of selective breeding in captivity, lovebirds are now available in a wide variety of colors, including shades of blue, green, yellow, violet, and a number of color combinations.
Lovebird Species
Nine species of lovebird exist in the wild, but only three—the peach faced (Agapornis roseicollis), the Fischer’s (Agaponis fischeri), and the masked (Agapornis personata)—have become popular pets.
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Peach faced: This
is the lovebird species most commonly kept as a pet. He is available in more than a dozen color mutations. A peach-faced lovebird makes a lively, acrobatic pet, but he is also the most aggressive of the lovebird species and will bully other small birds in the same enclosure.
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Fischer’s: This
species is notable for the circle of bare skin around the eyes (known as an eye ring), an especially piercing call, and a robust nature. He is available in several color mutations but not as many varieties as the peach-faced bird.
- Masked: Also an eye-ring species, the masked lovebird is available in about a half-dozen color mutations. He is an affectionate little parrot who enjoys spending time with his owners, but he can also have aggressive tendencies when kept among other birds.
Temperament and Behavior
Lovebirds are generally bold, outgoing little birds who provide all the positive benefits of parrot ownership without having to provide room for the full-sized accessories a larger pet would need.
The temperament of an individual lovebird often depends on his owner: if you handle and spend time with your lovebird each day, he’s likely to mature into a fun-loving, affectionate pet. If you leave him alone in his cage and pay little attention to him, he may become aggressive and reluctant to come out to play with you. Take a little time each day to play with and handle your pet to ensure that he becomes and remains tame.
| Text & Photos Copyright © 2007 TFH Publications, Inc. | Acknowledgments & Disclaimer |
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