help tame my lovebird.

[clk666]

i have a 2 year old lovebird. she does not bite but im guessing has never been handled by people. she will come out of the cage, but is very mean to my budgie so i have to watch them carefully. she will not even think about taking millet from me, she wont even look at it if im near. i know there is a slim chance ill get her really tam because of her age, but could i even get her to be finger tame. ive also tried a perch for her to jump up on, but when i come near, she will have nothing to do with me. ant tips for taming my beautiful, scared lovebird.

[michael]

Hi! ...And welcome to our community! ...After reading your previous post, I can only second Elle in allowing your new bird more time to settle in. ...Most important, if there's already been territorial issues, you'll really have to pay especially close attention to whats going on. I also suspect that because this behavior was rather sudden, you may even have to keep them separated.

As for there only being a "slim chance" of taming/training your lovebird due to its age.....Even at two years (which is very young), they can still remain quite impressionable for years to come. ... Also too, better than having to grab your lovebird, which could draw a limit on trust, "step ups" are really the best way to hopefully form an initial bond. ... Keep in mind though, even for very young birds just starting out, step up exercises can take anywhere's from a day or two to several weeks before its viewed as acceptable. And of course, thats regardless of how you offer it. ...Personally, because you had already managed a relativey close proximity to your new lovebird, I think the chances that he/she will eventually accept an arm/hand/or finger is pretty darned good. .... Hope you keep us updated. ...And please, check out the "Lovebird Resource Library"!.........:)

[Lawrence]

What I do with my new lovebirds to 'familiarize' themselves to me is to do morning baths with warm mist spray until they are wet, most of them will love this, they will puff themselves out and wiggle their bodies / tails. Dont be afraid to soak them wet. Put them out in the sun after for up to an hour to dry themselves out and for them to soak in some sun, the effect in my experience is like a refreshing morning shower and after a week or two they will be less scared of you. Offer food during the sunning session and after. Hanging vegetables from the top of the cage worked for me also. Good luck with the bird, remember to have lots of patience :)

Things to keep in mind:
1. I live in Indonesia, where the climate is tropic. So unless it's raining in the morning, I do this every day, morning temperature here is in low 80s
2. If you have not sunned your bird before, keep an eye on it for the first couple of days. You want to avoid the bird from panting like a dog (this is already too hot for the bird, so remove from the sun immediately)