best lovebird to keep

[bunty82]

Hi to all and i am new to the forum and bird keeping.
Till now for the past 2 months i decide on which bird to keep and i narrow on Lovebirds.
So, which love bird to keep keeping in mind the following questions.
1. which gets tamed easily.
2. Which dont make too much of noise...
thank you . i Was getting an exchange offer .
One 11inch flowerhorn (fish) mine = two turqoise colored fadded peach faced lovebirds. But i think they are hybrid, also i saw them eating there feces thats odd.
Is that offer perfect.
which ALB for me..
thank you .

[bunty82]

http://www.albsaustralia.com/blue%20fischer.jpg

just like this one.. but no blackness on head.

[Mummieeva]

Lovebirds are very loud. They chirp, scream, and make noise from dawn til dusk. So they might not be right for you if you want a quite bird. I have heard that cockatiels are quieter and easy to tame.

[kimsbirds]

Welcome!
There is no lovebird that tames easily, it depends on how much work you put into the bird.
Lovebirds are VERY noisy from morning until night...

[michael]

...... i Was getting an exchange offer .
One 11inch flowerhorn (fish) mine = two turqoise colored fadded peach faced lovebirds. But i think they are hybrid, also i saw them eating there feces thats odd.
Is that offer perfect.......

Peachfaced lovebirds are generally more outgoing than most other lovebird species, such as with Fischers who are a bit more independent. .. Hybrids behavior can go either way. .. And yes, ALL can be very noisy at times. Matter of fact, making noise is healthy for them.

The offer you've described, although from a monetary standpoint may be favorable, doesn't begin to cover what its like to become a fidparent (parrot guardian). .. From housing to vet exams, parrots require considerably more care and maintainance than fish. They may also impose upon you a certain level of flock participation, something to which not everyone can get used to, let alone understand.

Please feel free to review our forums, especially the "Lovebird Resource Library". .. Arming yourself with trusted information ahead of time, could save you the heartbreak of having made a bad choice.

[bunty82]

I am from India and previously kept a pair of Indian redneck... So, do lovebirds make more noise than Redneck.Also i am prepared for the care and time needed by the african lovebirds.
Just want a beautiful one.. :)

[lemonypickett]

I have kept many bird species and to me, the Lovebird is the noisiest. Not just in amount of noise making, but its shrill, ear piercing tone.

I have done a lot of reading, and it seems a Bourkes Parakeet may be just what you'd like!

As far as Tameness goes.... A very young bird just weaned is the best bet. I think a male bird is commonly more loving throughout its life.

My 2 cents :-)

[thebubbleking]

oh ho not true lemony! sun conures are waaaay more loud then lovebirds lol
My indian ringed neck parakeets is louder then my lovebirds but doesnt make noise as often as my lovies do

[diljaa]

Lovebirds are LOUD!, a lot of people can't stand it, especially my peachie. Sometimes they're so loud my ears ring. They're also loud for great periods of time, they're even loud when they fly around ;)
And messy, they're really messy and throw their food all over the place.
They're high maintenance, they need way bigger cages than you'd think for such small birds and they eat (and spill) way more than you'd think. They need a variety of food, vegetables and grains and stuff. They need enrichment, a variety of toys and perches. Oh and they need a lot of interaction if you want them to be tame, a lovebird left to itself will quickly revert to a "wild" state of mind and loose their tameness.
Oh, and the best part: They're hormonal, very hormonal. They hump. One of mine humps all the time. Hens lay eggs, with or without a mate, with or without a proper place to lay them. Hormonal lovebirds are nippy and sometimes downright mean.

Still want a lovebird? ;o)

I have a male masked and I have a female peachie.
My masked is a lot more shy and timid. He's also not as loud as the peachie. He is not handtame and not a cuddler. He is curious but keeps his distance, he loves to eat whan I'm eating but not if I put the exact same thing in his bowl. Very eccentric and kinda OCD since things have to be done in a certain way for him. He's a great little bird with a very special personality.

My peachie hen is outgoing and bratty. She knows no fear and can easily get into trouble, constantly looking for dark places and loves nothing more than to crawl in your shirt. She is a lot louder than my male and bigger. She is handtame and was a cuddlebug when she was younger but not right now, she's too hyper to chill and cuddle. She lets me hold her like a burrito and kiss her all over and bite her little toes. She gives kisses when she wants to, she steps up when she wants to (almost never ;)) and is a big dramaqueen. REALLY LOUD!

[personatus]

Oh, and the best part: They're hormonal, very hormonal. They hump. One of mine humps all the time. Hens lay eggs, with or without a mate, with or without a proper place to lay them. Hormonal lovebirds are nippy and sometimes downright mean.


Not true at all. Only a very small part of the captive lovebird population have these issues. It's probably no coincidence that the majority of these 'problem' birds are household pets either.

[Pips mom]

Hmm, Pip has always been a fairly quiet lovebird! He does make alot of sounds and vocalizes alot, but he's not very loud at all most of the time......he is, however, VERY mischeivous! Sometimes I swear he flies around like he's saying to himself......what can I get into now? little stinker will fly onto the clock hanging on the wall to poop on it!

[Dave_K.]

OK, My two cents worth. Recently I have started living alone and have brought a pair of birds with me. Now that I am their entire flock they are very different from the past. There were up to 30 birds at a time and they had quite a bit of out of cage time in which they spent interacting mostly with each other but would also be curious about us humans part of the time. Now these two are shadows with me all evening and we are training each other. This is a much more enjoyable experience and an intense learning situation for all three of us.

As for the noise These two are louder that the six combined still at the house. They chirp and call all day when I am home but have already learned what "nite nite" means. They are not flying to the cage yet but I feel that is in the future! They love interacting with their flock!

[diljaa]

Not true at all. Only a very small part of the captive lovebird population have these issues. It's probably no coincidence that the majority of these 'problem' birds are household pets either.

Really? Seems to me that rather many lovebirds are overly hormonal. Maybe it's not specific for lovebirds but all parrots though. This was just something that never came up in my research before getting a lovebird and it is something I would have liked to know beforehand. I know all animals are designed to breed and all that jazz but it was not something I was prepared for when my little lovie started to hump everything :P
So yeah, I think it's relevant for someone thinking about getting one or a pair.

[bunty82]

Are lovebirds aggressive amongs themselves. For example if i keep a peach faced pair with a leutino pair will they fight if the pair is form... As i am planing to keep lovies I want to know it all so that i get the right bird for me..

[personatus]

They can be nasty to each other, but it depends how you go about it.

Always keep an odd number of pairs, to avoid fighting for dominance.
1,3 or 5 pairs together.

If you have 3 or more pairs, they need plenty of space to keep away from one another, aswell as multiple feeding/drinking areas.

[bunty82]

my cage size is 30 inches(l) X 18inches(b)X 24 inches (h).
How many can i keep.

[michael]

my cage size is 30 inches(l) X 18inches(b)X 24 inches (h).
How many can i keep.

This size is really only suitable for one pair, or perhaps one bird. .. Even for one pair, a "single" flight cage is far more desirable. .. Although I have seen instances where three pairs were housed in a single flight cage, most everyone I know who house more than one pair use a "double" flight cage. Such as like this one >>>

http://www.birdscomfort.com/doubleflight_bird_cage.html

[bunty82]

Hi. today i went to the shopkeeper and thought like i should click the pics of those lovebirds he wanted me to exchange..with a flowerhorn(fish).

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii89/bunty82/31012012266.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii89/bunty82/31012012265.jpg

http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii89/bunty82/31012012267.jpg

[linda040899]

There are 3 of them, correct? How old are they supposed to be? It appears that they are somewhere either past the first molt or in the middle of it, depending on which bird is the center of your focus. They are all in the same cage, so that's a plus. However, the cage leaves a lot to be desired and there are absolutely no toys or anything else to entertain these lovebirds.

What are/were your thoughts?

[bunty82]

I am watching them for the past 4 months, they are in a petshop. Before they use to sit and dont chirp at all. Now i see them playing among themselves and chirping a lot.
My question is what breed are they. I think i can fix them for 30-40$. all three of them.
But is the coloration fine. I mean does coloration depends upon diet and cage. Also i saw them eating there feces is that normal.what will be there ages any idea.

[Lawrence]

I kept roseicollis and personatus myself (two dozens of each). Between the two I found that roseicollis are tamer to humans but they are mean to each other. Personatus are the other way around, harder to warm up to humans but they are more tolerant of each other. As for noise wise, there are times where they will be noisy but if you dont like them loud, get male lovebirds as generally they are quieter than the females. They make a repeated clicking chirps throughout the day but i have learned to block this out. The ones you take picture of are turqoises, better ask also if they are siblings too, it will not be good if they mate. Finally for the cage put in toys and if possible one of those manicure/pedicure perches.

[michael]

........But is the coloration fine. I mean does coloration depends upon diet and cage. Also i saw them eating there feces is that normal.what will be there ages any idea.

Colouration or mutation is not affected by diet or housing. .. Poor diet or inadequate housing, on the other hand, can affect the overall appearance of the feathers, such as in a way that makes them look dull or ragged. ... Eating feces, especially in lovebirds, is usually the result of a poor diet, or in a broader term, poor husbandry.

As for their ages. ...Considering what Linda mentioned regarding their first molt, I can only make a guess based on the time between taking the photo in your post, and todays date.