Are lovebirds quieter in pairs?

[eggsalad]

Here’s my situation.

I have a really great lovebird who is an excellent bird overall. She was hand fed and tame as can be. Unfortunately, when I purchased her I had much more time on my hands than I do now.

She has begun squawking frequently to request attention and make her presence known.

I was wondering if providing a companion lovebird would satisfy her and quiet her shrill squawking.

I appreciate any insight you can provide. Thank you!

[mjm8321]

Honestly, it's a 50/50 gamble. She might quiet down or a companion might be just as noisy as her and you get "double trouble".
Literally, 15 good minutes in the morning and another at night can help to make her feel secure and she might stop hollering at you. Maybe some new toys to keep her busy or a change of cage location?

[hungrycorgi]

I started out with one male, and after a year got another lovebird (I think she is a female!) because he seemed lonely. Well, he perked up and they are quite chatty together. I dont mind it at all, because they chat and chirp during the day, and quiet down in the evening as usual. I wouldnt consider them 'loud' or shrieking by any means. It makes me happy to see them happy, even if they are little chirpy stinkers!

[dmj64]

My Blue Girl has had several mates and is clearly much more noisy when she's alone. All her mates were relatively quiet and I've found that my lovie's tend to mimic each other somewhat. My girl isn't tame, though, so it didn't seem like she was screaming for my attention.

Maybe finding a quiet buddy would help, but like MJ said, pairing lovies is a gamble. Looks like Sarah had good luck! :) Having a pair who love each other is a joy, but a pair who won't bond can be a nightmare.

[archer]

For my pair, it is a definite no :) but well... they wake me up in the morning and stay quiet at night so I have no problems with 'em.:)

[#1ThaiBoxer]

no clue but i am glad they are only noisy at nighttime

[DebSpace]

I believe everyone's experience could be a little different, especially when considering each individual's response to bird sounds. My personal experience has been that the noise simply changes with a second bird, but is definately not eliminated. When I introduced Beau, he barely made a peep for the first few weeks but now they chatter back and forth frequently. The good part of that for me was that Nip's shrieks were far less frequent and I love to hear them chirping. When I recently added another two birds, bringing the total to four, the chirping increased substantially even while caged in separate rooms. Now, I enjoy this chirping but my guys complain about it occasionally so I am checking into installing a solid-core door on the birdroom. By no means do I want to discourage you, but consider in adding another bird the quarantine period, DNA sexing (i.e. male + male:) , female+ male;) , or female + female:omg:), compatibility issues (never a guarantee), and the expenses associated (i.e. separate cages, supplies, medical needs). One bird or twenty, they will need human interaction on a daily basis to remain even remotely tame. Hope this helps.

[Wheeliegirl]

Hi. I feel pressed for time as well. I get up very early in the morning, and find myself working late, then there's dinner, clean up, etc, etc.

It would be really easy for me to ignore Peachie and just leave her in her cage all the time, but hearing her "joyous" calls as soon as she hears me wake up and come home tugs at my heartstrings.

I fit my time in with her in the morning, while I'm getting ready for work. She likes to hang out in my dresser drawer, or chase the cat around the bedroom, climb around on the spokes of my wheelchair or have a snack (I keep containers of Nutriberries all over the house for her). After I'm all ready for work, I make her fresh veggies, give her fresh food and water and change the paper in her cage. By this time she's been out of her cage for a good one and a half hours, and she's ready to go back to her cage and eat her seeds.

When I get home from work I'm really tired and pressed for time so I can get ready for bed (I go to bed early), so if I cook dinner, I have her in the kitchen with me (again...she LOVES the drawers where I keep my flatware and utensils). If I was to leave the room for a few moments, she knows it immediately. She starts calling for me if she can't see me. While she's tucked away in the drawers, she goes between them by climbing up and down the back, and peeks out and talks to me and plays with the utensils. Then I take her out and we eat, and then it's a bedtime snack and she gets her happy hut for the night.

On some nights I can only spend a few minutes with her, sometimes none at all if I have to run errands after work or work later than usual. Or sometimes just long enough for me to check my email and bank account, but this time seems to be enough to satisfy her (though sometimes she needs extra coaxing to go into her cage).

I thought when I first got her that I would have to spend all day and night with her, and that she wouldn't be a happy bird if she didn't get constant attention. I'm happy to say that it all worked out fine. All in all, out of her cage she gets mommy time for an hour at the VERY least, 2 or 3 hours at the MOST.

What I'm trying to say, is that they really just want to be out and about when you're home. If your birdie will tolerate it, carry him/her around on your shoulder while you run the vacuum (both Peachie and my kitty run and hide when they see me get the vacuum cleaner), or dust (sans chemicals, of course!), put the dishes away or fold laundry. Peachie is fascinated when I fold and sort laundry, and she also likes to "help" me make the bed.

I used to feel guilty because I felt like I wasn't giving her enough quality time, but doing these simple chores around the house with her make us both happy. And even though she is a very bad hand/finger biter, we manage just fine as long as I carry her stick around with me wherever we go. Anyway, for her it means a lot to just be free of the four walls of her cage for a little while.

I'm sure if you add it all up, you are giving your birdie more quality time than you think you are. Even just letting birdie out while you watch TV is quality to him/her.

Oh...sorry to digress! Peachie is pretty noisey no matter what. She's a little chatter box. I think it would just make her noisier if she had a mate or another buddy in the house with her.

[Buy A Paper Doll]

Short answer: No, they are not quieter in pairs! I have been home sick for the past 2 days. Today I was well enough to sit on the couch and watch TV for a bit. The birds (two) SCREAMED all afternoon to be let out. They have each other all day; what they wanted was to be with me.

[graushill]

Hi!

In my experience, lovebirds do tend to be quieter in pairs as they tend to chatter among themselves rather than scream out, but I think every person's experience is different. I have 6 lovebirds, out of which one is really loud (he was loud as a tiny baby and he's just gotten louder) even when he's napping, so if I were to give him up to you as a companion for your lovie (just hypothetically don't worry :) ), I'm pretty sure you wouldn't find it quieter :rolleyes:. So like MJ said, in many ways it's a 50/50 gamble.

However, I for one, do think lovies appreciate companionship of their own kind. They are after all flock birds and while many single birds come to accept that their "human flock" goes out every day and leaves them for several hours, and do pretty well despite of this, I can't help but think it must be a rather strange feeling for them. If you think your lovie is feeling lonely then another lovie could definitely be a good choice. It's not a sure thing they will get along, but IMO, it's definitely worth a thought. Just my :2cents:.

Good luck with your decision!
Gloria

[Janie]

As a single lovie, Oliver was pretty quiet. He did make contact calls to me often during the day but because I'm home most days, he was usually with me, on my shoulder. I love hearing Oliver chirp so I constantly whistled and chirped to him to get him to talk back. Drives the other members of my family nuts, :lol. When I got two more, Big Boi and Shy, there was definitely more noise but like Gloria mentioned, it's more like lovebird chatter and I love to hear them talk back and forth. :) Oliver now spends much less time with me and a lot more with them. IMHO, lovies love human interaction but they also love interaction with other lovebirds and Oliver seems happier than ever before.

The only time they get extremely loud is when something happens that they think deserves several "alert" calls. Like a stranger in the house, they don't like that at all! :D

[CaptMicha]

I don't think lovebirds can EVER be classified as quiet!

[Janie]

I don't think lovebirds can EVER be classified as quiet!

:lol.....I don't think any parrot can be classified as quiet! I guess I'm lucky that the noise doesn't bother me at all. My family had to adjust but eventually, they have. In my house it's usually me telling everyone else to be quite when it's bedtime for the lovies. They are in their own room but it's next to the family room so if there is a big sports event on TV, I have to remind them to be quiet or I'll kill them. My kids, not my lovies! :whistle:

[CaptMicha]

Well you see, I'm still at home w/ the parents and my two brothers.

If it were my house and my kids I would say "Be quiet! The lovebirds are talking!"

[Janie]

Well you see, I'm still at home w/ the parents and my two brothers.

If it were my house and my kids I would say "Be quiet! The lovebirds are talking!"

You're right, that makes a big difference! Since I am the main momma, I can tell 'em if they don't like it they can leave! :D

[birdlover]

4 me my lovies are quiter in their pair but may b different 4 u lol hope urs quiten downs:rofl: