new owner, need help!

[lucky melatonin]

hi guys! i've been wanting a lovebird for forever, i've always had pets, but never a bird. my boyfriend just recently (a little over two weeks ago) bought me a little peach-face lovebird. the people at the pet store (we were having difficulty finding a local breeder, as suggested) said that he was handfed when he was first brought in, but hadn't been handled since he'd been there much. he's about 12-14 weeks old now, according to what they told me at the pet store.

he's sooooo fearful of hands!!! once i get him, he's pretty good, but still wants to run off. but the sight of a hand coming near him, he takes off (as far as he can with clipped wings). he'll sit on my shoulder forever and let me kiss him (he loves kisses), but once my hand reaches up there, he's OFF!!! i also cannot get him to set up, i try to work with him, but it's difficult because he's so scared of my hands. i don't know if he likes me or not or if it's just a lovebird thing, but when i leave the room he chirps like crazy, when i come back, he shuts up. so i don't know if that's showing any sign of bonding or not! haha! but the biggest thing i want to work on is getting him to COME TO ME! i feel like i annoy him, haha, so i want him to seek out me.

another thing he doesn't do is eat anything except his seed, granted he eats a lot of it! i tried making him some pasta, wouldn't eat it. baked breads, no, although he did nip a little. fruit, no. veggies, no. he won't even try his millet i have hanging for him. he's eating, i just need to get him more variety.

he also doesn't play with any of his toys i have for him. they are all small enough, and seem like typical fun lovebird toys but the only thing he gets on is his swing.

PLEASE, tell me if this is normal behavior...how long it last....and what more i should do!! thanks so much!

[beckyg]

Welcome to the board!! I too am in good old Knoxville. I have had my lovebird for about 3 weeks now and she is about the same. She doesn't run or "fly" away from my hands, but she bites at them. She sits on my shoulder and snuggles under my hair giving me kisses, but when my big bad hands come around she is a pirahna.:x I am just trying to be patient. People here have told me that she may never get used to them. I am not in any place to give you advice, but you will find lots of people here with good advice and lots of knowledge.

[Sasha M]

Your baby is still getting used to you and his new surroundings :) It takes lovebirds awhile to get used to new toys and new foods, just give him time and he'll be all over his new toys :rofl: I have a new baby thats about 6 weeks old and I have spent every day snuggling with him and he still runs when he see's my hand coming but he wont bite when I finally catch him :rolleyes: My lovebirds take about a week to get used to a new toy and then they are all over it! My birds chirp when i leave the room as well, I chirp back and they usually go nuts I think they like to know where i am at all times.

[ittyandrita]

yeah, everything sounds pretty normal!
some birds will always be scared of evil hands, but its sounds like you've already bonded with him, which is great. try stepping up excercises with a dowel first since he is scared of hands.
Did he have toys when he was at the petstore? Three of the four lovebirds i've had came to me from a no-toy situation and it took them a little bit to figure out what they were and how to play with them. Also, try to give him a big variety of toys because they definately have their preferences! I have a huge collection of rejected toys...
have you tried eating food in front of him? when my birds see me eat something or see eachother eating something they always want to try it.
good luck

[Janie]

Hi and welcome! I don't live in Knoxville but did for 7 years, does that count? :D Tennessee will always be home sweet home to me! Good old Rocky Top.....:D

Anyway, everything you're describing to me sounds very normal and especially for a lovie you've had for such a short period of time. Trust takes time.....lots and lots of time. My first bird, adopted by us 4 years ago when he was about 7, was "tame" but he didn't know us and so it took some time for him to settle in and know that we would always be good to him. Thinking back, it probably was a few months before Oliver really trusted me. Now, he's like a growth on my neck....there right now, nibbling on the hair he's managed to preen to the length he likes. :whistle:

My second two were hand fed and also very tame when I got them two years ago but again......they did not know me, only the breeder and her family, so I had to gain/earn their trust. It doesn't happen over-night but it does happen.

Keep trying the fresh veggies. Oliver had eaten nothing but seed for SEVEN years before I adopted him and after three weeks of begging, coaxing, pleading and eating a whole lot of raw broccoli myself, he tried it! He eats it almost every day now. I do think that seeing me eat it and with all the yummy sounds I made, it sparked his interest.

I started Big Boi and Shy on veggies the first week I got them and fortunately, being very young (10 weeks then) they were curious and interested in trying everything. All three of mine love the birdie cornbread and you can find that recipe in the diet/health section of the forum.

I'll be in Knoxville for a wedding this weekend. Looks like your weather will be perfect! :)

[beckyg]

I'll be in Knoxville for a wedding this weekend. Looks like your weather will be perfect! :)

I don't know about this weekend, but it is absolutely beautiful today!:happy:

[Janie]

I don't know about this weekend, but it is absolutely beautiful today!:happy:

Sunny and a high of 71 on Sat. What ever did we do w/o internet weather reports? :D

[lucky melatonin]

thanks for all the advice and welcomes!! ok, i'm glad he's normal. i wasn't so sure what to expect since i'd never had a bird before. i've been reading a lot about them, but actually wanted to hear from actually people and owners.

when i got him there was nothing in the cage with him, except a perch, so i guess that does make sense that he hasn't quite figured out what these colorful dangly noisy things are. hah, i guess i'd be confused too. aw, i want mine to become like a growth on my neck!!!

and yes, it's a very nice day here, hopefully it'll stay that way. you never know what to expect in east tn, no matter what the news says...

anyways, thanks for the advice, i'm sure i'll be back with more questions and updates!

[beckyg]

I agree! "If you don't like the weather in East Tennessee, then stick around it'll change". I wish I had a penny for everytime I heard that phrase...and a pair of earplugs :) shh... don't tell anyone, I am in customer service, I have to be nice.

[Janie]

Let him/her watch you play with the toys! That usually helps them understand that toys are just that....toys! If a swinging toy (not a swing but a toy that moves) scares him in the beginning, you can hook it to the side of the cage so that he won't see too much movement.

Speaking of perches......try several types at the same time. My three all prefer the rope perches but also have wood and concrete perches in their cages. Nice change for their little tootsies. One of my favorite perches/toys is a "Boing".......Here is a link for reference: http://www.birdsupplies.com/Birdie-Boings-p/jptwister.htm

It moves, provides a perch and can be used for grooming their beaks. Don't know if you'll find one in a chain pet store, I've never seen one at those stores here, but you can order on line or find them at a bird fair next time ones comes to Knoxville.

[Sweetpeaches]

hi and welcome! i've been the owner of my lovie peaches for about 8 months now (i think she's a little over a year old now as the petstore said she was 5 mons. old but i really don't know for sure) and her behavior was very similar to your lovie's when i first brought her home. but take heart, the progress we have made is amazing! the eating, the toys, the bonding...it's great! and all the advice on this forum is invaluable! BTW what's your lovie's name?

[lucky melatonin]

my lovebird's name is francis! after st. francis...i thought it was fitting!! i'm crazy about this little bird. i never call him by his name, i always call him "little bird" "birdy"...whatever...then i'm like, name, he has a name!

[Kirby]

Awe well congrats on Francis. If he is a she you can always switch to Franny :p


You may not see him play with his toys but he might just be shy. I know when I first had Kirby, he wouldn't touch anything if I was in the room. I went downstairs and then snuck back up the stairs quietly to watch and see what he did. I would see him hop around his cage and slowly test out each toy and then go nuts :) I'm sure Francis is just settling in and being shy!!!

[Kirby]

Horray for a double post :P

[Pips mom]

My Pip loves EVERY toy! If it's a toy----he likes it and will play with it! Oh----he isn't too fond of his cozy hut I just got him recently, but that isn't really a toy-----he has loved every toy so far! no unused toys here! In fact, he loves toys SO much that I can shake a toy and he will come running if it makes a noise when I shake it to check it out!
Also, Pip does not like hands either, but he will actually come to me when I call him! If I am in one of the spots where he likes to hang out, pretty much anywhere in the living room and call him, he will fly over to me. I swear he understands me sometimes. When I have to go out and get him back into the cage I have to chase him around a bit, but he will fly over to his cage and land on top. Once he realizes I am going after him and not stopping, he somehow figures out that it's time to go back in-----as much as he hates going back in his cage----he will go over to the door and go back in once he realizes that I am after him ---- it's like he knows this is where he's supposed to go-----he would never go back in that cage on his own otherwise!
I really can't get over how smart he seems to be!