worried about new lovebird

[chamomile]

Hi all,
First post ever on this forum! It looks to be such a great resource for lovebird owners. Anyway, I'll get to the point here- I bought a "hand-fed" fischers lovebird about two months ago from what seemed like a reputable breeder, who said his birds were all tame and sweet. The lovebird that arrived was obviously terrified of people, and had not been socialized at all. I've been trying to be patient, and I know I'm only two month into a long road ahead, but I am worried about my little guy. We have progressed to the point of him eating his food and millet treats from my hand, which makes me so happy, but once the food is gone, he goes back to acting quite scared of me. I have not been able to hold him, which is ok, but I worry that he is bored and under-stimulated. I have bought him many toys, and he won't play with any of them. I've rotated several kinds (shredding, wood blocks, leather, plastic, foraging, etc) and he is not interested in any of them. I leave the cage door open for a few hours a day to allow him to explore if he wants, but he doesn't seem interested at all. He has a little coconut hut that he hides out in all day except to eat- and he will not eat any fresh fruits or vegetables thus far. I've been introducing them into his food (Avicakes) repeatedly and he is not interested. He won't even eat sunflower seeds. Today I woke up and saw many downy feathers around the cage, and realized that his little neck has been plucked bare, all so quickly. I'm so worried and I don't want him to pluck all his feathers out. His droppings look normal, he bathes himself in a water bath every few days, and does not appear to be ill. He grinds his beak a lot, which I have been told means contentment, but I am worried that he is just so bored and getting self-destructive. I wish I could handle him, as I would be happy to have him out of his cage and around the house for some mental stimulation. I don't have the means to get him a companion, so I am wondering if this may not be the best home for him, and as sad as it makes me, I am considering rehoming him somewhere where he can have bird companions so maybe he won't seem so unhappy. I have owned birds in the past (green cheeked conures) and have never had any plucking issues before, so I'm quite concerned. However, if anyone has any helpful advice I would love to hear it. Thank you

**as a note- I've been referring to him as a "he" but I don't actually know its gender. could be a female for all I know.

[linda040899]

I'm sorry that you are experiencing the problems that you have with your new Lovebird! Did the breeder tell you how old your Lovebird is? "He" may have been hand fed and tame at one time but soon after weaning, attention and handling all the time is needed to maintain that tameness.

Lack of interest in toys or items to play with simply means that he has never learned how to play. Many breeders never give their babies toys because they try to sell them as quickly as possible. Same thing with food. If it's never been offered, it's not recognized as edible so it's ignored. Was he weaned onto pellets? An all pelleted diet is not good for any small bird, but if he's used to pellets, you may have to go back to that and slowly introduce other foods with the pellets.

Where is his cage located? Ideal would be in a place where he can see you and what's going on around him. Hiding in his coconut all day indicated fear and that's because he hasn't learned by experience that you don't intend to make him your next meal. Parrots only learn that by experience and the only thing you can do is be around him more.

Lovebirds are very social and do better in pairs but I have single ones that prefer to be by themselves. Best thing is to try to get to know him better.

[chamomile]

Hi Linda,
Thank you for your response, I really appreciate it! I have been spending a lot of time with him in the room- his cage is in my bedroom so he sees me frequently. It is in a corner, so two sides are against walls which I though might give him a sense of security. I have been doing my best to speak gently to him, move slowly, and spend a lot of time just sitting in the room with him. Quarantine has allowed me to be home more, so I have been just hanging out in the space with him quite a bit. I know it takes a long time to earn their trust, so I'm doing my best to show him that I'm not a predator. He eats Avicakes, which are a 50/50 seed pellet blend, and seems to really enjoy them. I've been placing vegetables in his food bowl daily to try and get him interested in them but so far no success. For reference, I've been trying shredded carrots, parsley, and various bird-safe fruits. The breeder said he was less than a year old when I got him- not incredibly specific. I am totally willing to work with him and let him get used to me at his own pace, I just worry that he is unhappy/depressed based on the feather plucking and don't know if he would be happier with a bird companion. Is there a way to teach him to play? Or is it just exposure and waiting for him to figure it out? Thank you again :)

[linda040899]

Age completely explains the difficulty you are having. Yup. He was handfed but socialization stopped most likely after he was weaned... :( Avi-cakes are good for birds, as is anything Lafeber's. Perhaps try Nutriberries. My parrots particularly love El Paso flavor!

Toys that my lovebirds really seem to like swings. There are regular swings and there are also swings made from half coconut shells. Mine adore both kinds. The ones made from half shells can double as beds and I have some that do that! :) You may be able to find a toy where you can hang Avi-Cakes on it and it will encourage him to get used to the toy since it has something on it that he is familiar with. Check out MySafeBirdStore.com for their selection of smaller toys. I like many of theirs that are for shredders or over preeners.

Do you have a picture you can share with us? To share pictures here, upload the photo to an online storage site such as Imgur. Then copy/paste the picture URL here. I would love to see him!

At some point, he will figure out that you mean him no harm. Each bird is different so time is hard to predict. The fact that he will eat from your fingers is a great sign. Many parrots HATE human hands and some bird owners find they get better results if they use small perches or wooden dowels. All you can do is experiment and see what seems to work. You seem to have a pretty good setup so you are not really doing anything wrong. It's just a matter of earning that trust relationship.

[chamomile]

Hi again- back for an update! I would first like to again thank you for your extremely helpful advice.
Things are going so much better- I believe he was experiencing a strange molt, as he lost a few of his larger feathers and very quickly grew back all the ones that fell out around his neck. He looks like he's completely back to normal now! I'm so relieved.
I bought him some nutriberries to liven up his food and he took to them almost immediately. Still working on the fresh fruits and veggies but hopefully we'll get there. He seems to be a bit more interested in toys, as he's taking exploratory nibbles of some of them, and he loves his swing! It's really cute to watch him.
I'm most excited about his behavior though- he seems much more comfortable around me than ever before. I had to move apartments, and I was so concerned the move would be too stressful for him, but it seemed like he was absolutely loving it, particularly the car ride, chirping and exploring fearlessly. And since then, he is noticeably more social with me and others. He gladly eats millet, treats, and his regular food from my hand, and will come very close to me if I leave his cage door open. It seems his curiosity has gotten the best of him. Anyway, here's a photo from a little while back:
https://imgur.com/a/ClvUyvj

The next challenge will be moving him into a new, larger cage this week.

[linda040899]

Thanks for the wonderful update!!! Seems like he is getting a lot more comfortable and you are beginning to see the lovebird personality! :) His coloring is absolutely gorgeous! With each molt, his coloring will deepen and intensify. I've found that older lovebirds have colors more stunning than their younger counterparts.

Glad he loves Nutriberries! They are a big hit with my flock, as well. Nutriberries contain a small percentage of pellets so there is no need to add more. Most lovebirds adore fresh veggies, but not all will eat fruit. It's not mission impossible, but all you can do is try. Go very easy on spinach, as it's high in oxalic acid and it will bind usable calcium in your lovebird's system. Broccoli florets are usually a hit because the florets resemble small seed. Fresh shredded carrot is another good one, as well as string beans.

What I've found with all my parrots and changing cages is that they can be sensitive to color. I notice his cage is black so you might have the best luck getting him to accept a large cage if the color is the same. Since lovebirds are very active, you will find he will love more space!!

All I can add is just be patient and let him come to you. You are slowing earning his trust and that's the best way to get the relationship you want with him. There are sites that advocate desensitization (repeating an action that the parrot does not like until he finally accepts what you are doing) but that doesn't build strong trust in the end of the game.

Please let me know how things are going!