What's it like having Lovebird ?

They can be noisy and messy but any bird can.

Both sexes chatter, it doesn't matter which.

it just depends on deep of a relationship you have with the bird itself. Birds choose who they want, not that a girl can do better then a guy and vice versa with any birds.

Keeping them single will be easier to keep contact with them cause once they mate they can be little savages.

I feed my lovebird mainly small seeds mixed with pellets along with fresh fruits and veggies.

I never really deal with any major sickness with Lovebirds but any bird can get sick, it just depends if they were exposed to those possibilities.

I had lovebirds and enjoyed them quite a bit. You are definitely best off getting one alone, as I even experienced two females "mating" and creating a communal nest together. One of them was still friendly, but the other one became a cranky little monster.

I found of all my birds, lovebirds were by far the messiest. They love to shred paper to bits and throw food everywhere. They also had very wet poop which was messy and hard to clean.

That said, they have huge personalities. Almost as big as my Green Cheek Conure in fact If you want a bird that you can handle and enjoy watching play, go for it. I also found my lovebirds louder than my Green Cheek is, but I think that depends on the bird.

I have several larger parrots, but lovebirds remain my all-time favorite parrot. Thoughtfully hand-reared ones are the most amazing pets. I have a 14-year-old female that is uber tame and the bird I can hand to ANYONE. She knows tricks and even says a few words. She has been healthy and happy all her life, and she's super easy to care for. She's defensive of her cage (most females of this species are) but if you allow her to come out on her own, she has never bitten away from her cage.

My 5-year-old male is my heart-and-soul bird. He rarely leaves my shoulder. Words cannot convey the depth of his understanding and empathy for my emotions. I spend the most time with this particular bird in my flock, and we know each other well. He talks, follows my requests, knows more tricks than any other bird in my flock, and never bites (even when i put my hand into his cage).

I know lovebirds aren't for everyone, but, personally, this is the parrot I most connect with.

My best advice for you is:
1) buy from a breeder that has disease-tested stock because lovebirds are known to carry PBFD, which you do NOT want introduced into your home/flock (and lovebirds can look just fine but be carriers; it's reported up to 40% of them have it); and
2) if you want a pet, buy from a good breeder that not only hand feeds but socializes and teaches the babies that humans are wonderful; then, handle that baby every single day, even if it's only a few minutes. Lovebirds need to be handled daily for about the first year to stay/remain tame.


Good luck with your choice.

We love our Lovies, but I have to agree with the other posters here - once they're paired up with another Lovie, you go from being the "beloved partner" to "chopped liver" - suitable for providing food etc., but subject to their cranky tantrums, biting fits, etc.

Some have been lucky enough to avoid this, but all of the Lovies we've had changed like this within a couple of weeks of forming a Lovie pair-bond.

I have one lovebird, and she is most adorable and loving of all my birds. Lovebirds are very curious and like to get into new places, so you have to keep your house safe. Mine is fully flighted, and she never flies away from me like other birds do when they don't want to go to cage. She also NEVER ever pooped on me although I didn't teach her that, and nobody could have taught her because I got her very young. She loves to sit/nap on my shoulder or crawl under my clothes.
Very easy to care for - I converted her from seed to pellets with no problems. She also likes to make *soup* from her water, so it has to be changed frequently. Lovebirds are also very stubborn - mine has to get everything her way. LOL

I think Lovebirds make great pets! If I could, I would have an entire flock in my room. Like, how can you resist those fluffy balls of cuteness!?

My lovebirds aren't that noisy. They will occasionally make a loud call when in the morning, night, and when there is a loud noise. For almost all parrots, their noise level is based on the environment they're in.
Because they chew a lot, they can become messy. When given pellets, Gizmo makes near no mess outside his cage or inside. But their poops are humongous!!! Don't know if it's just me, but I think you can usually tell when they're going to poop...Izzy and Gizmo would literally squat off something for a few seconds.

From my experience, which is one, with a female lovebird was kind of a nightmare. A harsh biting, and attacking nightmare. But I *wouldn't* say that female lovebirds aren't as good and that males offer a stronger bond. It really depends on which one chooses you and your commitment to make a strong bond. So...gender shouldn't really matter. If you have the opportunity, going to a breeder would be a great choice to decide on one!

Maria_Oliver said:

Would I be enough for a single lovebird? they would be left for between 1 to 3 hours a day.

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How long can you provide time for them? As long as it's 1 hour (bare minimum IMO) I think you will be enough. As others have said, owning two may hurt your chances with maintaining your bond.

The best food, for all parrots, are fresh veggies, fruits, and sprouts. If not, pellets. I've been trying to convert all my birds into a fresh food diet...but being in a household that doesn't eat a lot of fresh foods I use pellets with the occasional nutri berries here and there.

its AWESOME having a lovebird!!
well since its a lovebird, of course they're messy.. even more so because they love to shred anything thy can get their hands on.
my girl neon guava is soooo hyper and veryy loud.. but i wouldn't call it noise
i dont think its matters about the girl or boy, it all depends on individuals.. every lovie is different, so you cant really say...
do you mean you have 1-3 hours of out-of-cage time?? if youre home all day then that would be just fine. i call out to neon a few times during the day, and stop by to give her a kiss when ever i pass by her cage.. that would be enough, but some time out of the cage is a must.
i guess i cant help much about food or health problems.
you say you've had budgies and canaries so then you would know what to expect. i wouldnt suggest lovies for first time owners.. they're really bossy and naughty so you must know to show them you're boss lol

I absolutely adored my lovebird. I had a single unsexed bird named George for 15 years. He was a sweetheart 95 percent of the time. He loved cuddles, together time, ripping up cardboard, teasing the dog, exploring, and baths. My guy wasn't too willing to play with toys from the store and trying new foods was unheard of in his world view. I didn't get him til he was five so I don't know if those behaviors would have been different if I'd had him earlier or not.

George was pretty messy, and he definitely wasn't pottytrained. He chirpped, peeped, booped, squeaked, and occasionally yelled, but he never talked. I don't think lovies are known for talking. He was my best friend. I will say he wasn't tolerant of people who were afraid of him. Those were the only people he ever bit, aside from the rare nips on me because I wasn't thinking about a situation from his point of view. I don't blame him though. If i had had big featherless giants acting fearful around me id get nervous too. He never had health issues in the 15 years I had him. I miss that little guy!

I've got a lovebird had her since 8 weeks. she was wild as can be. managed to tame her by letting her come to me in her own time. and then she hit 13 months of age and turned into a wild, evil creature who'd attack her cage bars even if i walked through the dining room where she lived.

huge learning curve involved there!

i've managed to re-tame her now and she's probably better than ever now. tolerating beak scratches and back rubs... before she'd have had my finger off for touching anything other than her beak very briefly. now she comes and nuzzles my hand when i'm typing etc. success i think! but it's been hard work.

messy? very. i swear she just picks food up and shakes it as far around as possible.

noisy? very... i always say "it's not too bad"... as i'm sure most owners will. but my neighbours can hear her, i can barely hear their newborn crying. my mrs thinks it's very loud, and other visitors say it's painful and piercing. ok,only some of her screeches are that loud... it's mostly just chirpy milling around, but even then it's much much louder than a budgie for example. you could have 10 budgies chirping away and you'd not hear them if there was a lovie around.

definitely better off with one, it's hard enough with just one, without them bonding to eachtoher.

and i'd say get a male, as they are less teritorial. a hormonal female is a nightmare at times.