New baby lovebird is scared of me

[bookworm0550]

My boyfriend bought a pair of lovebirds about 3 months old from a breeder who said they were handfed.

The pair we got nibble and that nibble can become somewhat of a bite. Otherwise they are nice birds, just nervous and scared of us and their new environment, but willing to sit on my shoulder together. My boyfriend took home the male lovebird cuz I read that when they are a pair, chances are they won't bond w/ me as well as if I had only one of them. I tried to keep both together, but when I take one out, they freak out and go to where the other is. So I figure keeping one and taming it will be easier than two.

First question: Is handfed and handtame the same thing? I went to the aviary w/ him, and I suspect that she did hand feed the birds, but I don't think she spent time w/ them, or socialized them.

Second question: What is the best way for me to gain the other lovebird's trust now that her companion isn't here? And is she gonna be okay w/o him?

[chromasnake]

From what I've learned, hand fed and hand tame are NOT necessarily the same thing. anyone can shove food into a baby bird and claim the bird is hand fed. On the other hand, you can have parent-raised babies that have been hand tamed which means the breeders have spent lots and lots of time socializing and playing with the babies, not just shoving food into them.

And then you get the best of both: the small/dedicated lovebird lover breeder who both hand feeds and hand tames the chicks. It's hard for any chick to leave the security of its siblings, though, and hand tamed or not, your little feathered friend is in a strange new world. it can take time for them to get used to YOU as the new flockmate.

When I brought home Little Yellow Bird, he was scared and freaked and terrified. It took two months before he would start coming to me on his own (and my quaker actually set the example and made it a little easier for him), three before he would actively seek me out and climb up on me to sit, content, on my shoulder, and a lot longer to allow me hold and stroke him and actually "puff up" so I could preen his head. Boy, I almost cried when that happened.

Time and patience, as you will discover by reading through the many educational posts in this community, will win the day and do everything to create a special and lasting bond between you and your new companion.

Hopefully one of the more experienced people can add insight and advice for you!

[linda040899]

The biggest myth going is that you can't have 2 lovebirds together and have them both be tame! As long as you give them love and attention, that's what counts. When you are not around, they have each other. When you are there, you can interact with both of them.

It's perfectly normal for them to be afraid when they go to a new home. The fact that they are willing to sit on your shoulder this quickly is amazing! I would bring back the second bird, as the one you have will be lonely when left by himself.

Attention, attention and more attention is what's needed. If the flight feathers have not been clipped, that needs to be done, at least initially, so that they are more dependent on you.

It's quite possible that the breeder handfed and socialized these birds but just didn't have the time to keep it up once they were weaned. For lack of everyday attention, hand fed babies will revert back to a wild state and you will have to start all over again to tame them.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

I was still typing when Linda posted her response, LOL.

It is possible to have two tame birds that are bonded to each other. When Melody was alive, she and Milo were pretty much joined at the hip. If they were in separate rooms they screamed. However, they still wanted to be with me, or my husband, or any other unsuspecting human that came into the house.

If the birds are willing to sit on your shoulder, together, then it sounds like you are already dealing with tame birds. I personally wouldn't separate them, but that's just my opinion.

Regardless of whether you're dealing with one bird or two, I would recommend getting something like a cozy cave / happy hut, so that they have someplace to snuggle and hide and feel safe.

I'm dealing with a new baby now, too, and she was a little scared of her new surroundings as well. What works for us is, I spend a lot of time talking to her so she can get used to the sound of my voice. And I don't force her to come out of her cage; if she doesn't feel like coming out, that's OK.

Patience, patience, patience.

[LauraO]

Everyone has given you great advice. My only concern is suddenly separating these two birds. If they are getting along then why not keep them together? You can have two tame lovebirds, it's just up to you to work with them a little individually everyday.

I have 20+ lovebirds, which is way too many for any sane person, but the point is a huge number of them are handtame or love to sit on our shoulders and hang out. The key is just knowing what each bird likes, doesn't like, and what kind of mood they are in. I can have 10 to15 lovies hanging off me at any given time if they are in the mood and I just relax and let them be who they are.

Patience is the key as is consistency. It takes time for a lovebird to build a trusting relationship with their human. You must work with your birds every single day and integrate them into your life as much as possible for them to build trust in you. Just remember to relax and give the bird time. Lovebirds live a long time so there is no need to rush. Take time and read through this board. You will find some great info.

Good Luck and Welcome to the Board!
:):)