Which Lovebird to get?

[Wilsta]

Hi All,

I am keen on starting out buying a pair of lovebirds but i dont know whether to go for Masks or Fischers??

Are they hard to breed?
Which one is noisier? :whistle:
Which one are easier to keep? :clap:
Could you please help me decide? :rolleyes:

[linda040899]

I'm biased because I adore Fischer's! Although HeatherJ, one of our members from UK has a flock of Masks that are to die for!!! Tough choice.

[Jessica]

Both are beautiful and with lots of love either would probably make a wondeful companion.

[mjm8321]

Whichever species you decide on, if you are looking for a very tame lovebird, I'd suggest making sure the bird you decide on is tame. I think both are adorable, but lately, I'm a bit partial to Fischers. Heather's flock is quite adorable too.

[Eliza]

Such a hard question to answer... I have a single peachie but have given a lot of thought to bringing home a masked or a Fischer's lovebird. I've heard such wonderful things about BOTH species, so I figure I'll just know the "right" bird when I see one.

Some of the reading that I've done indicates that masked and Fischer's are a little more reserved than the peach-faced in terms of personality. As for breeding? I have NO idea!

-e-

[Mummieeva]

Masks are a bit more skittish then other types. So be ready for a little bit more time getting them use to you. I will second the others and say get a hand tame one if you can. I am Partial to Masks between those two choices.




Steph

[cassysmiley]

err umm love them all. Have to agree Masks are skittish and harder to tame if avairy bred birds. Fischers can be the same.
But i bet, when you go looking for a lovie, You wont choose them, they choose you. :lol: you probably see 1 (not mask or fischers) and fall madly head over heels in love with the bird. Best of luck and enjoy your new bird when you get 1.
cassy.

[Mummieeva]

I will agree with Cassy. You will see a bird(or birds) and all the sudden it will click they are for you. A pair I had Baggy and Kiowa I found on pet finder. I wanted a masked but second I saw them I knew. They were both peach-faced and I could not of been happier with them. I hope you find the right one for you.


Steph

[sdgilley]

I agree with Cassy! Let the bird choose you!

I have a masked, a fischers, and a peachie. They are distinctly different, but all very sweet. They are all, also, very bright. My fischers is the most flighty, my masked the most gregarious, and my peachie the most tame. BUT they all came from very different places.


you probably see 1 (not mask or fischers) and fall madly head over heels in love with the bird.

Good luck!

[Wilsta]

Thanks for all the responses. I am not getting them for a few more weeks yet so i still a lot of time to decide which ones i want. And i often find myself walking into pet stores and interacting with all the lovebirds my girlfriend thinks i am weird. She doesnt quite understand.

[Mummieeva]

That's ok my husband had no clue why I wanted a bird until mine got here. He still was not sure after they got here either :rofl: But after awhile he was talking to them like I did.


Steph

[Tango's_Mom]

yeah, my parents didn't get it either, now I catch them in the room talking to him and putting their hands up to the bars trying to touch his feet when he comes to the front of the cage, my mom saves him spaghetti when she makes it and my dad asks if he can hold him and trys to get him to come to him when he's out of the cage, he's still very much my bird, but most of the family has warmed up to him, except my brother, but oh well

[Janie]

I guess that's pretty common, other people not "getting" it! :D My hubby and two sons all through I'd finally gone off the deep end but now my hubby not only loves our first lovie, Oliver, he's quite taken with the other two as well. My sons are not as smitten but they are good to them and will feed them and care for them if I'm gone. Baby steps.....:D

[Eliza]

... he's still very much my bird, but most of the family has warmed up to him, except my brother, but oh well

Brothers are like that, doncha know :whistle:

-e-

[michael]

I have to say that I didn't understand or get it until my daughter got a lovebird and brought him over whenever she visited. Whats odd is my grandma had canaries that I used to talk to when I was young and my father loved sputsies and sparrows as well as all kinds of ducks and geese. Also many friends had birds and never once did I think about living with one. When my daughter brought Jones over to visit it got to the point where I hated to see him leave! He was so gentle and wonderful I was ready to birdnap him! She's the one who got Goofy for me which is Jones's brother. I know this sounds selfish but I don't think I'd be happy without a Goofy lovebird around, and I have no Idea why I didn't have one sooner. I feel infatuated with birds now and not just Goofy either. Am I strange or just losing my faculies?....Michael

[Kali]

I have to agree that you will see a lovie and know it's the one for you.
I have both Fischers and mask, and have to say I'm partial to Fischers as far as personality goes.
We never even looked at peachies until one literally flew into our lives.
That was two months ago, and we have advertised for her owner in local papers and at the local stores. We are secretly praying no one comes to claim her as she has completely stolen our hearts.
I wonder how far she flew from home.
However I digress, whichever one you get will be perfect.
Don't worry Michael, some of my family say I never cooked cakes for them and yet I do for the birds. They think I'm dotty.
Kali.

[graushill]

Hi!

I thought I'd add my :2cents: and put in a good word for masks :). I have 6 masks. I do think, mostly from what I've read as I've never had peachies or fischers, that masks tend to be more skittish than other species. But I love their zest for life, their happiness, the fact that they are not as aggressive as other species, and as far as I understand, not as loud either :whistle: . Out of my 6, I don't have any that like hands, but I have one hen that loves scritches and comes willingly to me for that purpose in the evenings when I'm reading in bed, one that bathes if I cup my hands under the tap and fill them with water, four that love preening my hair and rearranging my barrettes, one that is in love with my husband's feet >o , one that is such a good stepper upper that he flies to the dowel whether it's him that's supposed to step up or not (it's a bit problematic actually "No Bubblan, it's not you who has to step up, now let Elmo/Piccolo/Pidget/Pontus/Nemo step up" :rolleyes:), one that sits quietly in the sun and loves when you sing to him, two that are part ducks and love to take spritz showers from the spray bottle, a hen that will always start preening when I blow dry my hair (if mamma is getting pretty so does she :D ), one that is a bell virtuoso (you should hear his concerts :wink: ) and six that fill my otherwise rather quiet life with their antics and happy chatter. Then there's my Houdini, the happiest, loveliest, littlest mask there ever was.

Plus, they come in very pretty colours. I have five green ones and one blue, but if you want to see all the possibilities there are, I would recommend looking for Heather's (nick HeatherJ) or Jeremy's (nick Jezz) posts in the picture forum. They have slates and violets and pieds and pure whites that look like little angels. Gorgeous!

Well, that was my sales pitch :lol. Hope it helps a little!
Gloria

[Wilsta]

can you mix masks and Fischers? say get one of each? or will one be dominant?

[cassysmiley]

can you mix masks and Fischers? say get one of each? or will one be dominant?

Sadly no, they are of different species. Altho they both ringed eyed,( am pretty sure i am right.) why you cant pair off ring eyed species with peached face etc. Maybe linda can correct me on this, but am sure Fischers cant be mixed with masked fids.
I have never seen masked or fischers paired off. Unless of course they of the same gender.
So its either pair of mask or pair of fischers for you, or a lovie that picks you. ;) Best of luck.
P.S.
Take your time in choosing your new fids. and before you get them, get everything , like toys, food, find avain vet etc, before bringing your new babies home, that way you wont get into a panic, that you forgetten something. Make a list of what you want to get them. Forum users will help you out i am pretty sure. :D ;)
Best of luck and please please when you do decide what to get, loads of piccys please.
love
cassy.

[Mummieeva]

Yes, you can get a masked and a fischer. But most people say to stick with same type if you want 2 birds. It is also best to get two males if you want 2 birds and no babies. Two females often times can fight and it gets hectic. There is no guaranties either that 2 birds will get along. So just be sure you have 2 separate cages incase. Also if you get them from 2 different places(or times) you need to quarantine them.



Steph

[sdgilley]

Hi!

can you mix masks and Fischers? say get one of each? or will one be dominant?
You won't want to pair two different species if they are male and female. If you paired a masked & fischers and they had babies, they'd be "mules". They'd be a hybrid that could not reproduce. Breeding hybrids is frowned upon for a variety of reasons. If you search the breeding forum you'll find many heated debates over the issue.

On the other hand, if you have two males, they can do fine. My masked & fischers live together in harmony. The masked was really bossy at first, but things evened out. Peter (masked) is a wonderful personality and tends to run the show. Luka (fischers) is more shy.

Before I ever introduced Peter & Luka, I had DNA sexed them and knew they were males. Females can be more temperamental for one thing, and I would not choose to breed. Breediing is a BIG thing to think through, in my opinion. I don't think I could handle it in my life, with all else I have.

Good luck in your search. Lovies are wonderful, but I usually caution people that they are a good deal of work. I'm glad you are looking around here to know what you're getting into! ;) :)

[Eliza]

You won't want to pair two different species if they are male and female. If you paired a masked & fischers and they had babies, they'd be "mules". They'd be a hybrid that could not reproduce. Breeding hybrids is frowned upon for a variety of reasons. If you search the breeding forum you'll find many heated debates over the issue.


I thought that eye-ring x eye-ring hybrids (say, masked x Fischer's) could produce viable offspring? I thought that it was the peach-faced x eye-ring species that were sterile...

Wilsta: masked and Fischer's are beautiful birds indeed. If you have your heart set on having a pair of birds, I would recommend what others have suggested: If you really like BOTH species and can't decide between the two, get one male of each. If the birds weren't raised together, you'll want to house them seperately (don't forget about quarantine) and introduce them slowly. Plan on having seperate cages b/c there is not guarantee that two birds will get along.

You might be best of bringing home one lovebird for now. Work on building up his or her trust with you and after several months, consider bringing home another.

Regardless, I wish you well! Lovebirds are WONDERFUL companions and I hope one finds his or her way to your heart soon :)

-e-

[mjm8321]

Eye ring x eye ring does produce offspring that can reproduce, but hybridization is frowned upon regardless. Of course, That's how Blue Fischer's came about, but that's another story. :)

I love all lovebirds....so I can't offer any really good advice on which would be best. ;) Good luck on your decision.

[butterfly1061]

All of mine are Peachface Lovebirds. There are soooo many different mutations it's hard to chose which one you want. I "got it" the first time I walked into a birdfair. Now, I can't imagine my life without my babies. My co-workers think I'm nuts, but if ine of my lovies (fids/kids;) ) needs extra attention they let me off for it like they are human kids. I guess they've heard so much about them, they think of them as my "kids" :clap:

Like everyone else, take your time. You'll know which one to choose cause you'll fall head-over-heels in love :p

[sdgilley]

I thought that eye-ring x eye-ring hybrids (say, masked x Fischer's) could produce viable offspring? I thought that it was the peach-faced x eye-ring species that were sterile...

You are completely right!
I'm sorry, I forgot. I have a peachie hen. This discussion came up from the possibility from my vet and folks here.
Thanks for correcting me! I posted that and scratched my head!!!

Added: eye-ring can produce viable offspring, but the species have different characteristics that can cause problems.... again - a long debated post I won't revisit here. :)