Alice White
These birds got their so romantic name due to their fidelity and extraordinary tenderness to each other. It is believed that in the wild, these individuals, choosing a pair, then remain faithful to her until the death of one of the partners.
These small bright birds have gained popularity among the owners of our country. Unpretentious to care for, affectionate, sociable, and impudent lovebirds can be excellent companions for the owner.
At home, these parrots can live both in flocks, in pairs, and alone. True, if you decide that you will have one parrot to live, then try to take an already tamed individual, one that was born in captivity. It is much easier for such parrots to adapt to a solitary existence. However, it is worth remembering that it is from you that the pet will demand the communication it lacks.
Brief Information
The homeland of lovebirds is tropical forests near the reservoirs of Southwest, Southeast Africa, as well as the island of Madagascar. Birds live in flocks, feed mainly on seeds of various grasses and grain crops.
Hollows of trees or ready-made hollows with nests of small birds, such as weavers or sparrows, are chosen for nests. Certain types of lovebirds use termite mounds, in which they gnaw a hole up to 30 cm deep, expanding it at the end, where they make a nest.
The female is building the nest. The bird chooses suitable pieces of bark, twigs that can be grinded, inserts them into the tail feathers and back feathers, and thus transfers several pieces of material for the nest on itself.
Females of masked lovebirds prefer to use only their beak to transport branches.
Depending on the species, the female lovebird incubates from 3-9 eggs, the chicks appear in 18-26 days, the nest leaves at the age of 5-7 weeks. The male often feeds the brood for about a week or two, while the female prepares for the next clutch.
Conditions of Detention
With all the variety of species, the most common for keeping at home are Fisher’s lovebirds, rosy-cheeked and masked lovebirds. These parrots are already considered almost completely domesticated.
Unfortunately, they practically do not lend themselves to training, and their vocabulary is limited to a maximum of ten words, but they are very mobile and playful birds, it is interesting to watch them.
Keep in mind that lovebirds are best kept away from other parrot species. In any case, indifferent not only cells/aviaries but also premises. This species of parrots is not friendly with other birds.
Lovebirds can be quite aggressive towards both their partner and other pets. The “bad” character is activated during the breeding season. Most birds at this moment become aggressive, but lovebirds are brave and desperate parrots, and their battle always ends with blood and mutilation.
The cage should be large with a variety of branches of varying thickness. You need to take strong food containers and fasten them securely to the rods – lovebirds find it interesting fun to split the bowl into small pieces or, at the extreme, throw out all the contents and throw off the feeder with a bang.
It is strictly forbidden to keep the bird in the cage all the time! In addition to wildness and quarrelsomeness with the inhabitants of the house, a parrot can become seriously ill.
Self-pinching is the most common disease from such living conditions.
Lovebird parrots are very fond of all kinds of toys, buy them in the category for medium-sized parrots, what is intended for the little ones – these hooligans for half a day: they will eat, gnaw and break. The danger also lies in the fact that the bird can swallow a small part or be injured by a piece of plastic that is not designed for a strong beak.
Be sure to buy a swing, and toys that rattle, spin and jingle.
Lovebirds are very fond of swimming, so choose a suitable bathing suit for the feathered, otherwise, the bird will dive into the mounted drinking bowl and everywhere, in any containers where it likes a puddle of water.
During the breeding period, for safety, when cleaning the cage or checking the nest, wear tight gloves – parrots can bite their finger.
Food
In nature, lovebirds feed mainly on berries or plant seeds. They peck them directly from trees or bushes and do not use their paws like all other parrots are known to man do.
At home, you need to monitor the balance of the diet. It must simultaneously contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Lovebirds feed on cereal mixes with herbs, vegetables, and fruits.
The basis of the grain mixture should be millet – about 60%. It is a culture rich in carotene, copper, iron, protein, and phosphorus. For a change, you can add grated beets or carrots. 15% of the mixture should be sunflower seeds. They are high in sodium, calcium, oils, and fatty acids. All of this is essential for a healthy bird diet. However, do not exceed the established rate, since the product is very fatty, and with constant overeating, obesity can begin. Finally, 20-35% of the mixture should be oats rich in amino acids.
The norm of the grain mixture for an ordinary lovebird parrot is 2-3 teaspoons. Try to keep your food from being monotonous.
Birds “respect” seeds, watermelon and melon seeds very much.
You can “colorize” your food with fruits and vegetables that these birds love so much. You can give cabbage, apples, pears, rowan berries, peaches, pineapples, bananas, tangerines, plums, grapes, broccoli (inflorescences and leaves). Persimmons, avocados, and mangoes, however, should be avoided as these fruits can harm your pet’s health.
Care
The cage for keeping one or a pair of lovebirds should be 80x40x60 cm in size. If there are more parrots, then the habitat should be expanded. The cage should be rectangular with a flat top. Its rods should be made of metal, not wood, as the wooden rods will be gnawed very quickly. Of course, the cage should be easy to clean. It is best if there is a pull-out tray: it is easy to clean and stress for birds is minimized.
Inside the cage, there must be two feeders – for dry and wet food, another feeder for the mineral mixture, a drinker, and a bathhouse.
It is advisable to place feeders and drinkers away from each other to encourage more movement of birds.
In this case, you should make sure that they are not under the perches on which your pets will sit so that excrement does not accidentally fall into them.
It should be borne in mind that with the ideal state of affairs in the cage, the parrot should only eat, sleep and swim. All the rest of the time, it is desirable for him to be free to stay in the apartment. Then his need for flights and curiosity will be satisfied, and the bird will feel great.
In the room where the cage with the parrot is, it is necessary to monitor the temperature, humidity, and light. Avoid drafts under any circumstances. You also shouldn’t smoke next to a lovebird. Nicotine poisons can poison it very quickly and even lead to death.
Only by thoroughly studying the lifestyle and needs of this unusual bird can you enjoy living with such an interesting feathered neighbor.
