To Tame Lovebirds Whom I've Had For Years

Mar 10, 2018
1
0
Macomb County Michigan
Parrots
Sengeal Parrot named Penelope Garcia.
A blue masked Lovebird named Satchmo
A sea green pied peachface named Lola.
So I have a pair of lovebirds, a blue masked named Satchmo who does not bite when I pick him up no matter what and I'm half sure he was hand fed. Then I have Lola who is Seagreen Pied Peachface who I got more recently. She does bite anytime you pick her up and is more "wild". I do not think she was hand fed and to be honest, her little beak hurts more than my Senegal's.

I was wondering since I was so new to birds when I got the pair of lovebirds if I should give it a try to tame them so that they could come out more and not be stuck in an albeit large flight cage all day.

Basically, they have both had health issues where I've had to pick them up against their will. Will that affect things?

Any info appreciated.
 

GaleriaGila

Well-known member
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May 14, 2016
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Well, I'm a big believer in letting birds have their own personalities as log as nobody/nobirdy is in danger. Nobirdy! I just made that up!

Here are some bonding links I think you'll enjoy (thanks to Kentuckienne).
Bonding, etc.

http://www.parrotforums.com/general-parrot-information/49144-tips-bonding-building-trust.html

General Parrot Information - Parrot Forum - Parrot Owner's Community

Blanchard PDF
https://journals.tdl.org/watchbird/i...view/1113/1092

And:
http://goodbirdinc.blogspot.com/2012...n-parrots.html

A more scientific article
https://fall2016.iaabcjournal.org/human-avian-bond/

Except for the medical issues, I would consider just letting Lola be herself. But the need to restran her is definitely a worry. If you have to handle them both against their will (one being a biter, and one not), that might just be an unpleasant necessity, since even the no-biter requires it.

As for me in particular, I have reduced biting to almost zero over the decades... not because I've changed the bird, but I have changed me. And a lot of that has involved giving up on a lot of my desires/expectations. After years of battle, I surrendered. I don't do stuff that gets me bitten. I don't scratch his head much, ever... tail is okay. I NEVER do stuff that makes him mad... I don't touch others when he's out; I rarely try to get him to step up onto my hand first. Hand-held perch first, then hand. In some ways, I swallow my disappointment at having such a little monster for a pet, but he is what he is. I ALWAYS wear my hair down when he's on my shoulder, so all he can bite is hair. Really, I don't involve hands much... he doesn't like them. He seems to think the real ME is my head, perched on a weird moveable tree with questionable appendages.
Since he's fully flighted, the ONLY way I get him into the cage is to toss a chile pepper in and he flaps in after it. So food reward is a necessity for me. Time-out doesn't exist in the Rb's kingdom.
But please... listen to and try all the good advice you'll get here, and I aleways enjoy what our members come up with). Don't surrender until you know you've done your best. Then just accept and love whatever/whoever your bird turns out to be.
My darling is kind of a worse-case scenario, but we have it all worked out between the two of us. As long as you and your birds are happy, that's the most important thing.

Good for you for caring, and for reaching out!

I'd love some pictures... the pair sounds GORGEOUS!
 

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