Single bird

[unstuckpilgrim]

Does anyone here have experience or stories to share about a lovebird being kept alone (except for his or her human friends) it's entire life? Meaning, not even having other birds in the house at all? Thoughts on behavior or psychological effects of this?

[momo]

I have a single bird, Ive had him for about three months I think. which makes him about 5/6 months..

I do spend alot of time home as well. My lovie seems fine, he doesnt pluck or anything *touch wood* he has LOTS of toys that keep him occupied for when I need to study, but I always do things beside him and move him to what ever room I am in. when i am home and if I dont move him with me I hear protests.

when I do need to leave the house, I make sure he has toys in his cage (as he spends most of his time in his play pen) when i come home I can always hear his chirps as I approach the front door.

he isnt a velcro bird in terms of always having to be on me, but he do needs me to be in the same room. he hates hand but thats from me trying to tame him with a towel.

I found that the past couple of days Ive had to go to work for three days in a row which is very unusual. my mum spent the last day of my being away from him with him and said that she didnt see him eat or play with his toys.
but I think thats only because he's used to having me around. I thnk there are quite a few people who have birds and do full time work as long as you spend the quality time with them I dont see a problem.

[RicosPoppy]

My Rico is a single bird and is now going on 5 years old. I brought him home at 9 weeks and he has always been the only bird in the house. No other pets at all, just me, my wife and 11 year old son.

That being said. Rico absolutely LOVES people. Of course, he get's lots of interaction and out of cage time. Birds are very social creatures by nature and as long as he feels as though he is part of a flock (human or bird) I think that is the most healthy thing for him.

I live in a wooded area and leave plenty of seed outside for the wild birds. Occasionaly, Rico will sit by the window and chirp at the birds outside, but not very often.

He IS a velcro bird and I cannot leave the room without him being attached to my shoulder. He is very hand friendly and will literally lay in my hand for hours while he gets plenty of rubbing.

I take him every year to my avian vet for a well bird check and not only are they always amazed about how healthy he is, but how calm and relaxed he is with people. The vet will even bring his assistants and other people at the office in to see Rico becuase they can't believe it's possible for a lovebird to be that way.

I'm 100% confident that with love, affection, patience and plenty of attention, a single lovebird can absolutely thrive in any household. We have a very strong bond and are truely companions, and I don't think this would have been achieved to such an extent had there been other birds in the house. Just my :2cents:

[michael]

My Rico is a single bird and is now going on 5 years old. I brought him home at 9 weeks and he has always been the only bird in the house. No other pets at all, just me, my wife and 11 year old son.

That being said. Rico absolutely LOVES people. Of course, he get's lots of interaction and out of cage time. Birds are very social creatures by nature and as long as he feels as though he is part of a flock (human or bird) I think that is the most healthy thing for him.

I live in a wooded area and leave plenty of seed outside for the wild birds. Occasionaly, Rico will sit by the window and chirp at the birds outside, but not very often.

He IS a velcro bird and I cannot leave the room without him being attached to my shoulder. He is very hand friendly and will literally lay in my hand for hours while he gets plenty of rubbing.

I take him every year to my avian vet for a well bird check and not only are they always amazed about how healthy he is, but how calm and relaxed he is with people. The vet will even bring his assistants and other people at the office in to see Rico becuase they can't believe it's possible for a lovebird to be that way.

I'm 100% confident that with love, affection, patience and plenty of attention, a single lovebird can absolutely thrive in any household. We have a very strong bond and are truely companions, and I don't think this would have been achieved to such an extent had there been other birds in the house. Just my :2cents:

I can only second all of whats mentioned here. As said, birds are for the most part flock orientated and very social indeed. Even those which may prefer a more indirect lifestyle where they remain mostly nearby their companion flockmates, still need some form of interaction whether its social, food gathering or otherwise.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to assess a birds particular needs until negative behavior begins to manifest itself in one way or the other such as in feather picking or other self mutilation. Also, even if there are no obvious signs of self distruction, this doesn't mean a bird can't suffer depression.

Certainly, some birds can manage themselves just fine a few hours a day without the presence of their flockmates feathered or not. But then again, they are meant to be both physically and psychologically active in nature, therefore they do need various activties in order to keep them well occupied and healthy.

I keep a single male lovebird myself whom I interact with about 6-8 hours a day. Even though I know some birds can fair just fine, for his particular personality I now feel he may in fact need constant companionship as this is what his behavioral signs have suggested. This is to say, without any additional prejudice, that I absolutley know he hates to be left alone whereas I often find myself sometimes unable to satisfy all of his needs.

[lemonypickett]

Eddie has been alone with only me for about 9 months. He is fine. I give him tons of attention, and toys to play with when I am gone. I just rescued another lovebird that had a wing injury and it is in another room. They chirp back and forth a bit, but Eddie still cares more about me than the other bird so far.

If you have enough time to spend with him, I wouldn't feel bad about keeping a single bird.

[Bubblelady]

I have had a companion bird of one kind or another for most of the past 60 years & have always had one at a time--until a month ago when I got a second. I've had 2 lovies, one for 4 years and one for 14 years. Both did fine as an only bird. As with Rico, Buddy is friends with everyone she meets & has surprized some of the vet techs who aren't used to mild-mannered lovies. This is all the more amazing since Buddy is a hen--notorious for being fiesty! One bird-product vendor waiting for the vet one day watched me with Buddy & said, "That's the most socialized bird I've ever seen." I work full time but give Buddy lots of attention when I'm home. She, too, is a velcro birdie & must be in whatever room I'm in. And while she's never met a person she doesn't like, she definately doesn't like my new bird! As Michael pointed out, each bird is different & there is no predicting until you get your bird. But don't assume that you must have 2 lovies for them to be happy.

[unstuckpilgrim]

I've been told by many people that a single lovebird is fine. I've also heard that if you get them a companion that they become less interested in humans. It seems that every bird is different. Mortimer is about a year old and has been a single bird since he was three months old. He gets a lot of attention and I try to make sure he has toys for when he's alone, but I worry (I see that you all understand this!) I've noticed that if I haven't had much time with him for a day or two he becomes exceptionally attached and loving whereas regularly he has little bouts of bossiness. I think I'm just worried about him in the long run - two years, five years, etc. Bubblelady: 14 years is a long time. Your story has calmed my fears a little - thanks. And thank you all for your reassurance! Does anyone have any BAD stories to tell about lovies being kept alone for several years?

[michael]

I've been told by many people that a single lovebird is fine. I've also heard that if you get them a companion that they become less interested in humans. It seems that every bird is different. Mortimer is about a year old and has been a single bird since he was three months old. He gets a lot of attention and I try to make sure he has toys for when he's alone, but I worry (I see that you all understand this!) I've noticed that if I haven't had much time with him for a day or two he becomes exceptionally attached and loving whereas regularly he has little bouts of bossiness. I think I'm just worried about him in the long run - two years, five years, etc. Bubblelady: 14 years is a long time. Your story has calmed my fears a little - thanks. And thank you all for your reassurance! Does anyone have any BAD stories to tell about lovies being kept alone for several years?

Indeed, single lovebirds can work out just fine. And yes, there is a chance you could lose a good portion of your current bond should you adopt another bird. The degree of all this would be entirely unknown as some stay attached to their human mate, and others soon prefer the new feathered one. There are also those which continue to retain the best of both worlds.

As for any BAD stories about lonely lovebirds, I myself have none. Unfortunately, I've witnessed first hand many "other parrots" who's lives have whithered away in a dark cold basement. I've even seen those of which had become deformed from the very restraints used by their human caregivers as a way to contain them within a prefered environment. While there are many reasons for this, quite often these birds seemed to be in a situation where their uninformed/ill advised owner was somehow convinced the initial price tag was a reflection of how they should eventually turn out. Often, when these parrots could not live up to the expectations as presented by the seller/breeder, their future care began to diminish. Despite the fact that these birds where obviously suffering, I found most owners reluctant to give them up as a direct result of the initial price they paid.

Thankfully, we now have many very helpful websites like Lovebirdsplus :), Winged Wisdom, and a few others that help provide the information and resources needed when taking on the prospect of keeping companion birds. Hopefully, as times goes by more poeple will begin to review this information "before" they decide to keep companion birds, which could in turn make life better for many parrots and their owners.

[lemonypickett]

I can give you an update once this rescue is out of quarantine. Eddie is a velcro bird, and if he hates the new bird, I will find it a new home. I wanted to take it from a bad situation and nurse it back to health. I would LOVE to keep it, but if it rocks the boat with Eddie, the newbie will have to go. If Eddie finds a great companion in this other bird, and is less attached to me, I'll just have to live with that. Eddie's happiness is most important to me. I am the one clipping his wings and keeping him in a cage (while I am at wor). If he finds love or companionship with his own kind, and his life is better .... and I loss a best friend, then so be it.

[unstuckpilgrim]

Thanks, lemony, I'd love an update when you figure out how Eddie's doing. :)

And Michael, what you described sounds really terrible and I can't imagine letting that happen to Mortimer.

I don't know... I guess it's one of those things where you can't really quantify the level of "happiness" and so it's just a matter of intuition. Mortimer is happy and silly and bossy and demanding, and if I ever notice a negative change in those things, I'll start worrying. Until then, I'll just continue the way I have been.

thanks for all the feedback on this one!