New Lovebird Owner

NfldScreech

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Dec 5, 2011
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A month ago I purchased a slate masked lovebird his name is Tolkien. He has his wings clipped, I bought him at the pet store so he wasn't hand raised. I live in Newfoundland so it is very hard to find a breeder of any sorts. They told me he's about 4 months old. He's adorable but the only problem I have is he's terrified of me!

I've read the best way to get him use to you / set up is by clicker and target training but there is two problems with this:

1) he doesn't like any other food besides the pellets I feed him! He doesn't even eat the dried fruits in the pellet mix. I've offered him bell peppers, spinach, sun flower seeds and dried papaya treats i bought at the pet store. The only other thing he will eat is millet, which comes to my next problem.

2) He is terrified of me, if I put my hands near him with the millet he flies into a corner.

I sit next to the cage with the doors of the cage open with the millet on the doors, so he comes out on the opening and eats the millet. He has fluttered around my room twice so far, and again he is terrified if i come near him and goes to another part of the room. I have yet to actually touch him.

He has made some progress though he isn't as skittish as he was first when I bought him, I put my hand in the cage for a minute or two and he doesn't seem too bad unless i get too close and he backs into the corner of the cage. On the bright side he has not bit me yet. I realize that this process takes time. I'm just looking for pointers and people who have been in this situation before and their birds came around after time. I read stories about masked lovebirds not being able to become tame and it worries me. Regardless of if he becomes tame or not I still love the little guy.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Here's a picture of Tolkien!

qcLKr.jpg
 
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fltsfshr

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Nov 20, 2011
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Naples Fl
Parrots
Superb Parrot
Polytelis swainsonii
Peach Faced Lovebird
Agapornis roseicollis
HI try this

When he comes out to eat millet, close your hand except for your forefinger and your thumb, keep it low and with your little finger down and your thumb and forefinger up start tapping them together horizontally. Little taps don't open it up too much.

Don't go too close and see if you get his attention. It may take a few days. You can put a little millet on your finger too with a little syrup or something sticky on it to hold it as an additional food enticement.
It's the feeding motion of a mother bird and one most birds will respond to it. It may take a little time but pretty soon he'll come over and let you touch his beak with your fingers. Once he does that it won't be long you'll be able to ruffle his head. One other advantage is that approaching him this way, he can't bite your finger very easily.

I hope it works for you, it's let me train two lovebirds to be friendly and not bite.

fltsfshr
 
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NfldScreech

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Dec 5, 2011
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Like I said he's terrified of me, and if he sees me moving closer to the cage he flies back inside.
Any other tips?
 

Pearl

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Dec 2, 2011
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Denver, CO
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Butter - Lovebird * Basil - Cockatiel * Bean - Budgie * Barley - Budgie
Unfortunately birds that aren't hand raised take longer to tame. Just keep at it! Sit near the cage and read or watch tv and chat with him/her. Eventually they will have to relax around you :)
 

beckybird

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Nov 16, 2011
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Southern California
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Lola (green cheek conure)
Connor (yellow sided green cheek conure)
Dorian "Buzzy" (senegal)
First off, Tolkien is absolutely darling. My friend Mia adopted Oliver the lovebird about 3 months ago... He is a handfed bird, but he was terrified of people at first, trying to get away when anyone approached and shying away from hands in his cage. Mia was not comfortable touching him or trying to hold him because she felt that "scaring him" would set him back and prevent tameness.

I guess I do things a little differently, because I am a "hands-on" bird owner. I asked Mia if I could hold Oliver and she agreed. I placed my hand in the cage and of course, Oliver ran away from me. I gently caught him (he did not bite, but if he had bitten me I would have continued to catch him anyway). I cupped him in my hands and kissed his head. *I have found cupping to be extremely effective - I also helped her tame her Veeeery Skittish indian ringneck parakeet this way...* He wasn't sure what to make of this, because Mia had not touched him. Oliver settled right down in my hand and cuddled nicely for about 5 minutes when I gently set him back in his cage.

I visit Mia often, and I hold Oliver every chance I get. He is not a "step-up bird" but he loves being cuddled...sometimes I still have to catch him in his cage first and other times he comes and stands near me until I pick him up.

The reason I know "cupping" works for some birds is because I used to have a lovebird named Karma (I had him from 5 months old to almost 13 years old when he died of old age). Karma was Never a "step-up bird," but I found that I could cup him in my hands and hold him and he loved it...The first time I cupped Karma was at Petco where I bought him. Before adopting Karma, the manager let me hold him in the back office. Karma immediately fluttered away and hid behind a pile of office clutter. I had to catch him. He squirmed in my hands, but I cupped him gently against my face until he calmed down. At home, I continued to cup him frequently. He'd cuddle for as long as 25 minutes, sometimes falling asleep in my hands!! Try the cupping method even if your bird does not step up. I know that not everyone would agree with that, but I can honestly say that it worked for my lovebird and it is working with my friend Mia's lovebird as well...

Good luck :) Tolkien is a cutie!
 

kitt

New member
Mar 27, 2011
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Michigan
Parrots
Ava(peach faced lovebird) and my very first bird
Leroy (black headed caique) my little moody bird
Dusty (hahns macaw) my clown
yay...that is GREAT news
 

MikeyTN

New member
Feb 1, 2011
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Antioch, TN
Parrots
"Willie"&"Lola"B&G Macaw,
"Dixie"LSC2, and "Nico" Scarlet Macaw.
I have to agree with becky there! My lovebird before likes to go inside my shirt too. LoL...they feel safer that way. Im glad your making progress as lovebirds can give a very nasty bite. I've been bitten by my pairs before as they don't like me messing with their nest...
 

aliray

New member
Jan 28, 2012
2,269
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Rotonda West , Fla
Parrots
yellow sided green cheek conure,Chiquita Quaker parrot Sweetie Pie, African red bellied parrot Tiki, spanish timbrado canary Lucas
Very cute little bird, congrats and welcome to the forum:)
 

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