lovebirds .. anyone know anything about them ?

C

Cheech

Global Moderator
Jan 13, 2000
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Montreal, Canada
Hi,

this guy I know is selling 2 baby lovebirds... My mom loves birds, and I was thinking this would be a great christmas gift for her. . . .


I don't know anything about these birds though. . . I need a cage as well. There are a few nice ones on Ebay that I was thinking of purchasing. Is there a minimum sized cage I should be looking into getting for these birds?

Can anyone give me some info on them as well?

Lastly, do they make a lot of noise? Do they scream a lot? Cause that's the reason we gave away our parrot... My dad couldn't deal with the 6:30 AM bird screams!!! ;)


thanks ..
 
First off...all birds can be loud and make noise. Lovebirds are quieter, but can be noisy all the same. It's the humans tolerence for the noise level that makes a difference. AND...99% of birds are noisy in the morning and in the afternoon. It's their way of greeting each day with joy!

Secondly...I would NEVER advise giving someone a pet as a gift unless they specifically asked for it and that species. Birds live a LONG time...I think lovebirds can live close to 20 years. Is she willing to make that commitment? How about vet care? Is there an avian vet in your area? You can't just give them a bowl of seed and say here you go either. ALL birds need fresh foods on a daily basis

All in all...I say not to surprise her with one. Do TONS of research and more importantly- Talk to her about it.

I am owned by 2 amazing parrots. A Timneh African Grey and a Blue Pacific Parrotlet. It takes a lot of time and dedication to give any bird the care they need.

All that being said. My birds are an important and wonderful part of my life. I think if she is willing to dedicate herself to a bird she wouldn't regret it. They can give so much joy to our lives.
 
thanks for the info. . .

one thing is for sure, My mom loves birds. We had them when I was younger... She always talks about wanting to get a bird. She also really likes lovebirds, as she mentioned wanting to get them many time. the reason she didn't is cause she didn't have the funds to get the birds, and cage, etc.

This guy I know is selling the pair for 120 $ canadian. My brother and myself would be sharing the cost on the cage, and all the appropriate things that these birds would need,... Also, my mom doesn't work. She's home all the time. she's afraid of dogs, she doesn't like cats, and doesn't care for fish. All she's ever liked were birds.

As for caring for them, we used to have a parrot, (not sure what kind), but every single day, my mom would cut up fresh fruits for it (it was part of his diet).. We would feel him baby food ever week as well (vet told us to do so)... So I'm sure she would dedicate herself in caring for the bird. The cage I was thinking of getting this one


http://cgi.ebay.ca/Bird-cage-Finch-...727087631QQcategoryZ46289QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem


But I will take your advice and speak to her about it first. might be a good idea.. . . I wanted to make it more of a surprise, but noe that I think about it, maybe I should tell her first. .


Do these birds require any specific type of care?
 
Well, it sounds like something she would love. But I really encourage you to discuss it with her first. I understand wanting it to be a surprise...but you need to make sure it's a good surprise and not a bad one. I really feel that giving live animals as a gift is a bad idea. Even when you just know they would love it...it could turn out to be a very bad thing and it wouldn't be fair to the animal to go to a home where they are just there because "somebody they love gave it to them and they just couldn't say no". After Christmas and Easter the Animal Shelters and Rescues get flooded with "gift animals". I know, I have fostered and helped rehome MANY birds that were gifts. That is why I am really encouraging you to discuss it with her. Some of these birds end up getting tossed from home to home until they find someone willing to give them a forever home. It's just not fair to these beautiful, highly intelligent animals. Yes...lovebirds are EXTREMELY clever little birds with tons of personality.

Lovebirds are very sturdy little birds. They like fresh fruits and veggies, pasta's, whole grains, seeds and a good pelleted diet as their main staple. They are quieter than some birds, but can still get kinda rowdy. They are not capable of mimicing human speech though, so if she would like a bird that "may" mimic...a lovebird isn't the best option. If they are handtamed they really love their person and enjoy good cuddles. It is completely a myth that lovebirds MUST be kept in pairs. They can be quite happy and content being the only lovebird and will bond better with their person if they are a single bird. If you get her two, they will more likely bond with each other and think of your mom simply as the "food lady" and may not accept her into their flock. That is another thing to consider. Since she stays at home a bird would give her a lot of company. It's always nice to have someone to talk to.

I would talk to the person you are purchasing them from too and ask some important questions. Were they handfed? How closely related were the parents (can cause some health issue if too closely related) Have they been vet checked? What are their diets like now? Will they send some of their current food home so that they won't have to go thru an immediate dietary change? How old are they? Have the parents had a recent vet check to rule out disease and parasites? Are they a good size and weight? Are they completely weaned and ready to go out on their own? That is VERY important. Newly weaned birds can often relapse in eating habits and starve to death in a quick period of time if the new owners do not know what to look for. Also ask if the parent flock have any history of health issues such as liver disease, feather plucking, allergies..etc.

If you talk to your mom and she likes the sound of it you could PM me and I will help you in anyway I can.
 
Cheech.......I have a lovebird...........Don't get her a lovebird !! LOL !

They screech...and if you're standing nearby it feels like your eardrum is going to come out of your head ! They are very messy and they are not very personable. Ours tries to bite you anytime you come near the cage, but if you take him/her out he/she if fine..will sit on your finger and comb your hair..lol..very cute really.........But........just hope it doesn't squawk while it's sitting on your shoulder !!!

If your mom likes birds I'd get her one that makes a pretty sound, like finches or a male canary..(VERY pretty music out of those fellas !)...something that you aren't going to be sorry you got her. If you gave the parrots away because of the noise they made, you aren't going to like the lovebird. They really need to be in the jungle with a large group of thier own kind...that enjoys listening to each other squawk !

But, if you do decide to get her one anyway......DON't get one of those tall cages. A longer rather than tall is best for these birds, so that they can stretch thier wings a bit flying from one perch to another. If you get that tall cage you linked to, it probably won't even use the majority of the bottom of it. A more square shape is best..

Anyway.....Just my 2cents.... Merry Christmas !!
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Ok,

Thanks for all the info.


All the owner told me is that they are babies, they are hand fed, and still need to be once he gives them away..


As for the cage, I'm thinking that bigger is better, so I'll probably get the one on the link ...



I will get more information from him, and I've decided that i will tell my mom what she thinks of the idea... you made a good point.

Thanks again.. I'll keep you posted. :)
 
Thanks for the info EMG,

I'm thinking of not rushing into this. . . I've decided to take my time, and start researching on what kind of bird's I should look at getting. I guess I wanted to jump at this cause the price was reasonable....



In any case, I'll read up on these birds, show my mom, see what she thinks, and we'll make our choice.


:)
 
OH yeah!! FInches are AWESOME little birds. They make a sweet little chirp noise at their loudest and are just beautiful. Their are a variety that are available in the pet market today.
My favorite is the Lady Gouldian (no not all of them are girls)
Here is a link to a pic of them http://animal-world.com/encyclo/birds/finches/GouldianFinch.php

The male canaries are wonderful too. I really enjoy their sound but if your dad is really noise sensitive, he may not like it when the little fellow really gets to going. It's not terribly loud, but the repetitiveness is a bit much for some.
 
cheech said:
Ok,

Thanks for all the info.


All the owner told me is that they are babies, they are hand fed, and still need to be once he gives them away..


As for the cage, I'm thinking that bigger is better, so I'll probably get the one on the link ...



I will get more information from him, and I've decided that i will tell my mom what she thinks of the idea... you made a good point.

Thanks again.. I'll keep you posted. :)
Click to expand...

I STRONGLY urge you not to get a baby that still must be handfed!!! Although it's not the most difficult thing to do it does require some training and skill. If done incorrectly it can cause aspiration and ultimately death in the little ones. Plus, you have to know how much is full versus how much is not enough. A breeder who would be willing to sell them when they are not completely weaned to an untrained person sends a big red flag out.
 
So the guy wrote back to me. ..

He has a cage for me to transport the birds in. The birds are 5 months now, and he mentioned that they are still maniputable, meaning they are still willing to get trained. He told me he'd show me exactly how to handle the birds. I think I'm gonna go see him tonight or tomorrow, and make my decision from there. . . .

I'll also ask him all the other questions you mentioned.
 
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