NfldScreech
New member
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!
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!
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