EllingtonArrox
04-09-2012, 03:10 PM
Hello all.
I'm new here, and relatively new to bird-mommyhood. I work with a large rescue organization, and have taken on two adorable little lovies since the begining of the year. Neither have been sexed (I have two DNA kits sitting on my fridge, just haven't gotten around to plucking the feathers), and both have been given a clean bill of health by my veterinarian. Despite not knowing their true sexes, we have refered to the Fischer's as a "he" since we got him, and the peach face as a "she".
Loop (ie. "Fruit Loop") is approximately 4 years old, and came from a bird hoarding situation.
http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh596/EllingtonArrox/IMAG4651-1-1-2.jpg
Loop has never been handled. EVER. He is terrified of us, and bites horribly when he has to be held for anything. He was the first kid we brought home. He didn't do much other than sit on his perch and talk quietly to himself. We tried every type of toy imaginible, but he won't touch them. We only recently got him to eat any fresh food, as he has only ever been fed a cheap seed diet.
After we had him for awhile, we moved his cage closer to our celestial parrotlet, hoping he might engage with her a bit. She comes out and plays on her gym, and will also climb all over Loop's cage. He pretends she doesn't exist.
Charm (ie. "Lucky Charm") is about a year and a half old, and up until a few months ago lived with a sibling. The sibling died, and Charm was left alone. Charm is much more tame than Loop - while a bit flighty, does not bite when handled, and will perch and hang out on our shoulders.
http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh596/EllingtonArrox/IMAG5336-1-1.jpg
When Charm was finally set up in a big cage in our livingroom, we opted to set it up next to Loop's cage. Loop turned into a new bird over night!
For lack of a better way to describe it, I would say Loop "shows off" to Charm. Whereas he used to spend his time quietly perched, he now climbs/plays all over his cage, talks more, and generally seems happier. When resting, he perches as close to Charm's cage as he can, and will rub his beak back and forth on the bars near her. When Charm isn't near him, he will flap his wings, bob his head, and make a clucking noise until she comes over to him.
I don't think Charm is nearly as infatuated with Loop as he is with her, but she does seem to enjoy his company. When out of her cage, she will climb all over his cage, and they "kiss" between the bars. When in her cage, she sleeps on her perch with one foot on the cage bars closest to Loop. The two of them are constantly talking and mimicking each other.
Now, as I said earlier, I am also a mommy to a little celestial. She HATES the other birds, and much prefers the company of her human friends. Her body language is easy to guage. While I know the lovies don't HATE each other, I'm not whether they are friendly enough to eventually become cagemates. I feel bad for Loop, as he gets much less time out of his cage simply because he is so untame, and he opened up so much when the other lovie moved in.
I am by no means looking to breed these two - only to provide them with some companionship. I've talked to a number of different people, some of which say interspecies pairings work, and others advising against it.
Does it sound like they are on the right track to eventually moving in together? (My largest cage is 24x24x30, so there is plenty of room for the pair of them). I'm new to lovie behaviors, so I'm am frequently puzzled by their interactions. :P
I'm new here, and relatively new to bird-mommyhood. I work with a large rescue organization, and have taken on two adorable little lovies since the begining of the year. Neither have been sexed (I have two DNA kits sitting on my fridge, just haven't gotten around to plucking the feathers), and both have been given a clean bill of health by my veterinarian. Despite not knowing their true sexes, we have refered to the Fischer's as a "he" since we got him, and the peach face as a "she".
Loop (ie. "Fruit Loop") is approximately 4 years old, and came from a bird hoarding situation.
http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh596/EllingtonArrox/IMAG4651-1-1-2.jpg
Loop has never been handled. EVER. He is terrified of us, and bites horribly when he has to be held for anything. He was the first kid we brought home. He didn't do much other than sit on his perch and talk quietly to himself. We tried every type of toy imaginible, but he won't touch them. We only recently got him to eat any fresh food, as he has only ever been fed a cheap seed diet.
After we had him for awhile, we moved his cage closer to our celestial parrotlet, hoping he might engage with her a bit. She comes out and plays on her gym, and will also climb all over Loop's cage. He pretends she doesn't exist.
Charm (ie. "Lucky Charm") is about a year and a half old, and up until a few months ago lived with a sibling. The sibling died, and Charm was left alone. Charm is much more tame than Loop - while a bit flighty, does not bite when handled, and will perch and hang out on our shoulders.
http://i1253.photobucket.com/albums/hh596/EllingtonArrox/IMAG5336-1-1.jpg
When Charm was finally set up in a big cage in our livingroom, we opted to set it up next to Loop's cage. Loop turned into a new bird over night!
For lack of a better way to describe it, I would say Loop "shows off" to Charm. Whereas he used to spend his time quietly perched, he now climbs/plays all over his cage, talks more, and generally seems happier. When resting, he perches as close to Charm's cage as he can, and will rub his beak back and forth on the bars near her. When Charm isn't near him, he will flap his wings, bob his head, and make a clucking noise until she comes over to him.
I don't think Charm is nearly as infatuated with Loop as he is with her, but she does seem to enjoy his company. When out of her cage, she will climb all over his cage, and they "kiss" between the bars. When in her cage, she sleeps on her perch with one foot on the cage bars closest to Loop. The two of them are constantly talking and mimicking each other.
Now, as I said earlier, I am also a mommy to a little celestial. She HATES the other birds, and much prefers the company of her human friends. Her body language is easy to guage. While I know the lovies don't HATE each other, I'm not whether they are friendly enough to eventually become cagemates. I feel bad for Loop, as he gets much less time out of his cage simply because he is so untame, and he opened up so much when the other lovie moved in.
I am by no means looking to breed these two - only to provide them with some companionship. I've talked to a number of different people, some of which say interspecies pairings work, and others advising against it.
Does it sound like they are on the right track to eventually moving in together? (My largest cage is 24x24x30, so there is plenty of room for the pair of them). I'm new to lovie behaviors, so I'm am frequently puzzled by their interactions. :P