Thinking about buying a lovebird -but I need advice

[KiwiKristy]

I found a bird store that has 4 baby love birds.
They are hand raised and people friendly. I picked out one due to it's beautiful green and peach colors. I visit him/her everyday, but I'm starting to wonder if I picked one that wants to spend time with me.
When I arrive, I open the cage door and the two blue babies are practically pushing their way out of the cage. the two green ones are usually not. I try to handle the little green one I picked out, but he's constantly flying off my hand. A positive, He/she doesn't bite, and the blue ones do nibble a bit.
So, my question is, I'm not feeling my bird has any interest in me. Has anyone else experienced this when picking out your new lovebird? The other lovebirds are all ready claimed by other people, but I don't mind waiting for more babies if I should wait for a bird that wants to spend time with me. Any advice or personal experiences? I would LOVE to hear from you!

[light487]

It could take weeks.. months even to bond with you... I even heard of people talking about years where the bird was unresponsive and then suddenly became very affectionate.

"He/she doesn't bite"

this is a good sign.. but too early to tell really..

You have to remember that right now they have their own family.. so showing interest in a human as a companion is not really going to happen to a great degree.

These aren't dogs or cats.. they are birds.. and each have their own personalities. You might get one of the others that seems very friendly right now.. but then in a month, they decide to not be very attentive because that's their personality.

My lovebirds was a shy little boy when I got him.. never bit me, would sit still on my shoulder or inside my shirt for hours at a time..

Nowadays he is as active as a 5 year old child.. never sits down for too long, never stops.. :happy:

The main thing is to read all the reasons to NOT get a lovebird.. I think there is a topic for this in the forums somewhere.. there are many reasons to not get one.. :) It seems counterintuitive but it will save you time, energy, money and pain in the long run.

[michael]

While i've never taken the opportunity to choose a baby lovebird, had I ever done so, its initial behavior (irregardless of having been handfed or not), would have made no difference at all. Reasoning here, is that there is no way you can predict future character or personality traits based upon juvenile behavior nor by the lack of a long term relationship. (thanks light487) First, I would make sure the breeder in question offers not only healthy birds, but also a "well bird guarantee". If your looking to bond with a single lovebird exclusive of having to deal with eggs and hormones, a proven male might just be your best choice, in which case, paying out of pocket for a DNA test through Avianbiotech may prove to be both in yours and the breeders best interest. .. Please further review our forums before making any decisions. If you have any more questions, please ask.

[KiwiKristy]

Thank you both for your advice and perspective. It's interesting to know that the birds behavior might change, which is good to know because it seems like a sweet bird but just doesn't want to spend time with me by flying away. So I should check with the breeder about the well bird guarantee. As lovebird owners, what would you say are your favorite things about owning a lovebird?

[light487]

The main reason that I chose Lucky over the other choices that were available is his colour (or mutation).. As you can see in my profile picture and other forum threads I've posted pictures, Lucky is a yellow bird with peach face and red crest.. when he was young, he didn't have the red crest but having seen others similar, I knew it was a possibility. This mutation is called a Lutino.. so that was my main reason for the specific bird. It was also important to me that the bird had been hand raised and fed from an early age and that the breeder was someone who cared about their birds on a personal, rather than business, level.

As I mentioned above in my first post, Lucky was shy at first though he did not have any issues with me holding him from the very first time we met at the breeder's house. He of course preferred to stay on the breeder's hands and shoulders as well as wanting to return to the cage.. but that is to be expected with any animal.. even human, if you think about it.