This is a generalised care sheet for Love Birds, a genus titled (Agapornis). For more in this femily see Category:Psittacidae, or for a more detailed species care sheet see Category:Agapornis.

Lovebirds come from the drier regions of Africa. Because they evolved from a very harsh environment, they are very suited to captivity. Not only do they have a good disposition, these charming, brilliantly coloured little pets are very easy to care for. They can also provide you with a successful breeding experience. In the wild lovebirds live in flocks, they will often bond with a mate for life and show loyalty and affection to their family. If you can earn their affections as young birds, you will receive that same loyalty from them. They are very social with both their keepers and their mate.

Love Bird Food

Love birds need a variety of food to keep them healthy, they should have about 2-3 teaspoons of formulated love bird pellets every day. They will also enjoy a selection of fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables are the most nutritious for the Love bird. Carrots, mangoes, papayas, grapes and spinach are all great for your love bird. They can be given either cubed or shredded. Birds should not be given avocados, cabbage, onions, lemons or grapefruit as these foods may cause the bird to become sick. Uneaten fresh food should be removed from the cage after four hours. As a treat all birds love millet spray though you shouldn’t give them too much as the nutritional value of millet is quite low. You shouldn’t need to give your bird vitamins if their diet is varied enough, however if you decide that you want to it will not harm your love bird. Make sure that fresh water is available at all times. Make sure to wash the bird food dishes and water bottles daily with warm water and soap.

Water

Lovebirds drink a lot of water, so will need fresh drinking water every day.

Love Bird Cages

Love Birds need a fairly large cage as they need to use all of their energy. A cage 2 feet by 2 feet and 2 feet high is big enough for a single bird but if you can afford a bigger one that would be even better. When purchasing a cage make sure to get one with bars which are quite close together. Love Birds are can squeeze out of many cages other birds cannot. Also, make sure the door latches are secure as Love birds are good at picking locks. Love Birds need a wide variety of toys to keep them entertained. They love cage mirrors, bird swings, and cage ladders. They also need plenty to chew on, raw hide toys are ideal. They’ll also be happy to get the inside card board rolls of paper towel and toilet paper. Love birds are fond of stripping paper so providing them with unprinted paper to strip can keep them occupied for some time. Keep a cuttle bone in your love bird’s cage at all times as, this will keep the beak in good condition. They will need a variety of bird perches of varying circumferences and textures to keep their feet and nails healthy. The best are natural branches made from willow or fruit trees. Birds stand 24 hours a day so what they are standing on is very important in maintaining healthy feet.

Bird Baths

Most lovebirds love a bath either in a flat earthenware dish or by spraying them with a light mist of lukewarm water. If you use a bathing dish, you will see the birds perch on the edge and dip their heads and upper bodies in the water and beating their wings. They prefer this kind of bath to getting into the water.

Maintenance

For the health of your lovebird, it is important to keep the bird cage and all the accessories inside clean and in good shape. Basic cage care includes daily cleaning of the water and food dishes. You should clean and disinfect the cage weekly, also wash and completely dry the perches and toys whenever they become soiled.

Social Behaviors

Lovebirds are very social birds, generally and in most situations, it is best that they be kept in pairs, not alone . If you are keeping a single lovebird, you must provide the necessary social interaction that it is missing from another bird. Aside from their social nature toward you or their mate, lovebirds can be extremely aggressive towards other birds. You must be certain that all pairs get along together, and that they are true “pairs”, not mismatched. Bonded pairs constantly groom each other and will feed each other from the crop all year round. They will hide in their nest box if they are startled by a sudden noise, if they spot a potential predator, or if it gets cold and windy.

Handling/Training

Lovebird training is easiest with a young bird. To have a tame lovebird, it is also best to work with a single bird. Young birds have an amazing ability to learn tricks and become affectionate. Adults on the other hand, can be very difficult to tame and generally won’t learn a lot of tricks or imitate behaviours. Hand-raised youngsters are easiest to work with. They are already quite socialized and tame, but unfortunately they are not always available. Taming involves trust between you and your bird. It means spending a lot of time with your bird daily. Start by talking softly with your bird and making slow movements. Once your bird is comfortable with you, then you can begin hand-taming. Use a dowel and push it gently against the birds chest while offering a treat to coax it up onto the dowel. This may take many tries. Once it is comfortable with stepping up onto a dowel, substitute your finger for the dowel.

Potential Problems

Signs of illness to be aware of with your bird include:

1. if a bird seems withdrawn,
2. it’s feathers are ruffled and the plumage is dull,
3. it sits with its eyes closed,
4. watery or dull eyes,
5. runny nose,
6. it sleeps a lot,
7. it loses interest in its environment
8. staying at the feed cup

A couple other lovebird symptons to watch for are a lot of tail bobbing, dropping off its perch, odd breathing, sneezing, and excessive scratching. A bird displaying any of these symptoms should be taken to a avian veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment.