A hand-raised-hand fed lovebird makes an outstanding and affectionate pet. These tiny parrots truly have a large parrot personality. Their small size makes them very easy to keep happy and active. Lovebirds are also very hardy; resistant to many of the diseases that threaten cockatiels or larger parrots. Their cheerful demeanour and gorgeous colouring have made them very common for those who enjoy breeding them for a hobby!. They do however have occasional loud chirping sessions, their alarm calls can be very load. Their life span is 15 to 20 years with proper care.
The common idea is that Lovebirds will die without the company of another. That idea is wrong, a hand-raised baby that get lots of attention can easily be kept alone. 30 mins a day is sufficient but longer is always better. Sexing Lovebirds will always be a problem – males and females look alike, on that topic, there are different types of lovebirds and some can be visually sexed such as the Abyssinian Lovebird. The most common being the Peach face lovebird can not be sexed visually, same for the Fischer's Lovebird and the Masked Lovebird. There are some tell tale signs however, females are just a bit larger than the males, and sometimes the females' beaks are larger, the females will have a larger gap between their legs. A clue you can't miss is that females are the only ones who lay eggs. They can be more aggressive and territorial. Female Peach Face lovebirds will chew up nesting material like paper and stash it in their feathers and carry it to the nesting site. Some males chew up nesting material, but they don't tuck it away in their feathers, if they do, its a rare sight indeed.
The minimum size for a single lovebird is: 18”wide x 22” long x 18” high, I recommend LARGER. Remember, they are very active birds and need LOTS of space to play and thrive in. Also TRY not to buy a cheap cage, as the paint used to coat it could possibly kill your lovebird if she ingested it as lovebirds are very destructive.
The common idea is that Lovebirds will die without the company of another. That idea is wrong, a hand-raised baby that get lots of attention can easily be kept alone. 30 mins a day is sufficient but longer is always better. Sexing Lovebirds will always be a problem – males and females look alike, on that topic, there are different types of lovebirds and some can be visually sexed such as the Abyssinian Lovebird. The most common being the Peach face lovebird can not be sexed visually, same for the Fischer's Lovebird and the Masked Lovebird. There are some tell tale signs however, females are just a bit larger than the males, and sometimes the females' beaks are larger, the females will have a larger gap between their legs. A clue you can't miss is that females are the only ones who lay eggs. They can be more aggressive and territorial. Female Peach Face lovebirds will chew up nesting material like paper and stash it in their feathers and carry it to the nesting site. Some males chew up nesting material, but they don't tuck it away in their feathers, if they do, its a rare sight indeed.
The minimum size for a single lovebird is: 18”wide x 22” long x 18” high, I recommend LARGER. Remember, they are very active birds and need LOTS of space to play and thrive in. Also TRY not to buy a cheap cage, as the paint used to coat it could possibly kill your lovebird if she ingested it as lovebirds are very destructive.
Lovebirds need the same size food as cockatiels and other small parrots. If you plan to feed your birds a seed mix make sure to give supplements or try to give fresh foods at least 3 or 4 times a week. You can give apples(not the seeds), broccoli, cabbage, kale, carrots, parsley, and spinach. You can try other vegetables and fruits too just don't give avocado.