Lovebird right bird for me?

[ItsAmandaYall]

I am looking for a single bird as a companion. I like playfulness, content sitting on my shoulder, cuddling is much appreciated, low noise, I'd like to stay away from territorial/nippining to a pont. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thank you.

 

[DallyTsuka]

if you dont want territorial nipping and biting, a lovebird may not me a good choice. nor for noise as they are very chatty.


to be honest, the qualities you ideally would want, it sounds like a cockatiel would fit your description fairly well. not all birds are cuddly, but many tiels are cuddly, content to be on your shoulder, and they're fairly low on noise. they are moderately playful--not as playful and energetic as a lovebird. but they love toys and are pretty content to play on their own as well as sit with their favourite person for as long as you let them!

cockatiels aren't overly needy birds, but they are very laid back and sweet birds. they're not overly nippy. some individuals *can* be nippy, but as a whole, most tiels are fairly laid back and gentle.


lovebirds are chatty, they chirp ALL day and i find their high pitched chirp to be more shrill and harsh than a cockatiels soft chirp. lovebirds pack a bite and most will defend their cage bravely despite their size. nesty hens are not something to reckon with!! munch, our female lovebird, has bit me down to the bone a few times!

 

[HalfInsane]

I had a lovebird for six years. She was LOUD, did not sit still for more than five seconds, and went through a phase of severe biting and cage aggression that lasted two years. I was largely to blame for the biting/aggression because I became scared of her beak and let her get her way, which resulted in losing hand tameness with her. I had to train myself in order to train her, and I still have scars from her bites. I did get her back to being the pleasant, gregarious bird she has been but it took a lot of work and a lot of blood loss. She still had no interest in cuddling, it wasn't ever really her thing. I loved her dearly and I miss her but she was a LOT of work.

Not all lovebirds are the same, of course, but the thing with any parrot... You NEVER know what you'll get. And they WILL go through behavioural phases, and emotional and hormonal ups and downs, and how you deal with and react to these also plays a huge role in what the parrot will end up being like. Buying a bird is not like ordering a sandwich at Subway and picking all the toppings ( "I'd like cuddly, with a side of quiet...").

Playfulness: most parrots are playful, I know my lovebird was, but some prefer to sit back and watch.

Content sitting on shoulder: parrots aren't known for just hanging out in one place for an hour. They're like toddlers; they have no attention span and they get in to everything. Secondly, being on the shoulder can give a bird attitude problems, and if they decide to bite they have easy access to your face.

Cuddling: not all parrots cuddle. Often young birds will be more cuddly, but as they age, many no longer will be. Some will, of course, but you never know. Pixel used to be cuddly but now she's content with a good neck skritch and that's it. Cuddling, if you have a hen and apply pressure to/pet the wings and back, can be interpreted as a sexual advance by the hen who will likely begin to exhibit hormonal/mating behaviour which you do not want.

Low noise: there's no such thing as a low noise parrot

Territorial/nipping: you have to constantly work with any parrot to avoid these problem behaviours, and they will go through phases where they test you. It's a rare parrot that has never bitten, and many go through a "bluffing" stage where they will lunge and bite A LOT.

 

[psychocircus91]

I think Green cheek conures are another good alternative option for you. probably a bit more playful than a cockatiel, but also possibly a bit nippier and louder.

 

[Abigal7]

I never had a lovebird but heard they can be cage aggressive. A hand feed and tamed cockatiel is a good option for you. My cockatiel I had as a child never bit me. When it comes to birds you might or probably will get bitten. A green cheek conure or a maroon bellied conure would also fit your description pretty well. That said they can be nippy and can be loud (but not as loud as other conure species). I have only been bitten once when I first got my green cheek conure. The conure I had as a child bit my dad on the nose pretty hard. My conure now does not bite or try to drawn blood. I should also point out just as a human uses their hands to pick up things. A bird uses it's beak when climbing or getting onto a perch or when babies they explore things using their beak (like human babies do). To be honest as a child I remember the bite from a hamster being worse then any bite a budgie or conure gave me.

 

[Zazoothehahns]

I had a pair years ago. One was exceptionally sweet but not what I would describe as cuddly or content to just hang out. The other was horrid from day one, there was nothing lovely about that lovebird. I agree a cockatiel sounds about right. Green cheek conures can be a little noisy, but no noisier than a loud lovebird. There was one in a pet shop in a glass aviary, each time I walked up and talked through the spaces in the cage I would place my finger on the glass, it would come over,lick the glass,( yes, it would actually open its beak and press its tongue against the glass)and roll over on its back for me to play with it, felt so bad I couldn't touch it through the glass. It looked like a comical little dog rolling over and putting it's legs in the air. Very cute!

 

[OOwl]

My most satisfying pet-human relationship EVER is with a little 54-gram male lovebird. Males that have been CORRECTLY hand-fed/raised make the best pets, and even then, like people and any other animal, personality differs between them. If you visit a good breeder that DNA's (be prepared to spend more), you can spend time with the males of the clutch and pick the one that is the best match for you. Most of the "horror stories" with aggressive lovebirds are females being territorial about their cages (which is perfectly normal, and those same birds are usually quite sweet when a few feet away from their cages) and untame birds to start with (while it can be done, taming a parent, or incorrectly fed, one is time consuming and challenging). For me, there's nothing better than a thoughtfully raised lovebird. It's a perfect match for my personality type. Good luck on your choice.

 

[walterbyrd]

I found a lovebird in my backyard about a year ago. I could not find the owners, so I adopted her.

She is very noisy, and always wants to bite hands. I have to work constantly to discourage her nesting behavior.

However, she loves to sit on my shoulder. The problem is trying to get her back in her cage.

 

[cdnbirdlover]

I am looking for a single bird as a companion. I like playfulness, content sitting on my shoulder, cuddling is much appreciated, low noise, I'd like to stay away from territorial/nippining to a pont. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thank you.

I fell in love with lovebirds at first sight. They have the cutest most expressive little faces (probably to hide their devious mischievous personalities). I had more seasoned bird people advise me against getting a lovebird as a "first" bird. But I couldn't help it...I loved that face.

I've had my (hopefully but not DNA'd) male for almost a year. He is a handful but has learned to step up among other things after coming to me completely untamed. He is funny and playful but demanding. He has bells in his cage that he will madly ring when he wants out. He is still afraid of hands (I can't scratch his head) but will sit on my finger and let me rub his head against my chin. He is so cute and will tip his head and rub against my face. He is not at all cage aggressive or territorial; I can put my hand right into his cage and he will come running to hop on my hand. He wants to be with me and likes to sit on my shoulder...until I do something he doesn't want to do. And then he will nip at my neck. He will bite but you learn to read his body language and prevent the bite from happening. And you have to remember that there is a difference between biting from aggression or fear and "beaking" at your hands or whatever. Birds are like babies that way; they use their beaks to explore.

He is a very big presence packed into a 53 gram ball of feathers. And I wouldn't trade him in for anything!

While I was trying to type this, he flew onto the monitor, hopped onto the keyboard, tried to bite my fingers as I was typing. He climbed up to my shoulder, played with my hair, nuzzled into my neck. And then nipped me. I lured him onto his playgym with a millet ball. Now he is throwing his pellets looking for more millet. Good luck with your decision!

I don't find his chirping and chattering shrill or annoying. I love all his sounds and songs. He has quite a repertoire. He sings to the outside birds, calls to the kids when they are practising piano and has a whole series of noises he makes when settling to go to sleep.

 

[psychocircus91]

I am looking for a single bird as a companion. I like playfulness, content sitting on my shoulder, cuddling is much appreciated, low noise, I'd like to stay away from territorial/nippining to a pont. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thank you.

I fell in love with lovebirds at first sight. They have the cutest most expressive little faces (probably to hide their devious mischievous personalities). I had more seasoned bird people advise me against getting a lovebird as a "first" bird. But I couldn't help it...I loved that face.

I've had my (hopefully but not DNA'd) male for almost a year. He is a handful but has learned to step up among other things after coming to me completely untamed. He is funny and playful but demanding. He has bells in his cage that he will madly ring when he wants out. He is still afraid of hands (I can't scratch his head) but will sit on my finger and let me rub his head against my chin. He is so cute and will tip his head and rub against my face. He is not at all cage aggressive or territorial; I can put my hand right into his cage and he will come running to hop on my hand. He wants to be with me and likes to sit on my shoulder...until I do something he doesn't want to do. And then he will nip at my neck. He will bite but you learn to read his body language and prevent the bite from happening. And you have to remember that there is a difference between biting from aggression or fear and "beaking" at your hands or whatever. Birds are like babies that way; they use their beaks to explore.

He is a very big presence packed into a 53 gram ball of feathers. And I wouldn't trade him in for anything!

While I was trying to type this, he flew onto the monitor, hopped onto the keyboard, tried to bite my fingers as I was typing. He climbed up to my shoulder, played with my hair, nuzzled into my neck. And then nipped me. I lured him onto his playgym with a millet ball. Now he is throwing his pellets looking for more millet. Good luck with your decision!

I don't find his chirping and chattering shrill or annoying. I love all his sounds and songs. He has quite a repertoire. He sings to the outside birds, calls to the kids when they are practising piano and has a whole series of noises he makes when settling to go to sleep.

I agree, lovebirds chatter a lot so they are very vocal, but I wouldn't consider them very loud or shrill.