The name lovebird describes the persona this species portrays to anyone observing the appearance and social behavior of this small parrot. Their closeness to each other and their constant preening shows how they acquired the name lovebird. They are small, colorful, pocket size birds originating from Africa and the island of Madagascar. They measure only five to six inches in length.

All lovebirds belong to the genus Agapornis. In the wild the lovebird's natural color is green, but in captivity the lovebird is bred in a wide array of mutated colors. Lutinos, yellows, whites, blues, cinnamons, reds, pieds, and various combinations of these colors display some of the most vivid and beautiful feather colorations. Color mutations in lovebirds are extremely attractive and are prized by many. You can expect to pay a much higher price for a beautiful mutated lovebird than you would for a common or normal-colored bird. However, the coloration of the lovebird in no way affects the quality of the pet.

Profiles of Popular Lovebirds

There are actually nine different recognized species of lovebirds, all with their own personalities. The peach-faced lovebird, Agapornis roseicollis, probably the most common and most available lovebird, makes an excellent first-time bird. They have beautiful peach-colored faces with light green wings and bodies. The flight feathers are black, and the upper tail coverts and rump area are cobalt blue. The beak is a horn color. Male and female lovebirds look identical. The peach-face is probably the most aggressive of the lovebird species and is generally not a good bird to house with other bird species. They can be very territorial, especially a bonded pair. A single bird will make an excellent pet for the bird hobbyist and tames easily when acquired as a hand-fed baby.

The Fischer's lovebird, Agapornis fischeri, is another common species easily obtainable in pet shops or from private breeders. This lovebird has the characteristic white eye ring around the brown eye. It is a slightly smaller bird than the peach-face and has an orange head and chest, green body, wings, and back of head, and a blue rump. They have been bred in colors of blue, yellow-green, white, and various pied shades. These birds, too, are not sexually dimorphic. They are a bird full of energy and easily handled by the first-time bird owner. As with all lovebirds, their call is a shrill shrieking sound.

The masked lovebird, Agaporis personata, is another readily available and quite common species of lovebird. The bird is approximately 5 to 5 1/2 inches in length. Like the Fischers, they possess a pronounced white eye ring. The normal head coloration is black, and the body, green with yellow feathers on the chest area. The natural color of the beak is red. Beautiful mutations of this bird include green-blue bodies, yellows, pieds, cobalt blues, and whites. The more unusual the color, the more expensive the bird will be. This bird is commonly called a black-masked or blue-masked lovebird. They are an aggressive species, a little more high strung and do not tame easily. However, a hand-fed baby bird can make an excellent pet. They are robust and easy to care for.

Selection

Lovebirds are known to live as many as fifteen to twenty years. As pets, they adapt easily to living in apartments or houses. Being a small parrot, they take up a relatively small amount of space and their daily care is minimal. Their small size makes them much less destructive than cockatoos or macaws and certainly less intimidating. Large birds can be extremely loud at times. The lovebird's call may be a bit more shrill, but the volume is nowhere near as great. Their personalities and antics are amusing and fun. They are considered curious, intelligent, and comical. Lovebirds are not talking parrots, but their expressive personalities and affectionate behavior toward their owners make up for their lack of ability to speak.

Lovebirds often appear to be happier when kept in pairs. As ornamental birds in an aviary or large cage setup, this is true. But if you want your bird as a companion pet, I would recommend acquiring only one bird. Your lovebird will look to you for the companionship and attention that it needs. If another bird is in the picture, you will definitely take second place.

Lovebirds can be somewhat difficult to tame and train when acquired as older birds. However, hand-fed baby birds are ideal, as they are accustomed to human touch and behavior. Select the species and color you want from the breeder or pet shop and be sure to ask questions about diet and basic care recommendations. There is never too much information you can acquire when caring for a baby exotic bird.

Care

Lovebirds can be comfortable housed in a small cage as long as there is room enough to allow the bird to climb the sides as well as the top. The door should be large enough to allow you to easily retrieve the bird on your hand. Generally, this will be a cockatiel size cage measuring 20 inches wide by 20-to30 inches high by 20-to 36 inches long. These measurements are only guidelines. Select a cage as large as your budget and space will allow. Other features to keep in mind for your bird's home are ease in cleaning, perch size, and adequate space for toys. Lovebirds are active birds and love to fly. I typically replace the traditional round perches that come with the cage. Wood branches such as manzanita, cholla cactus, and tree branches, free from insecticides and herbicides, make great additions to the bird cage and encourage their natural chewing behavior.

There are several floor coverings available for bird cages. Corncob litter, crushed walnut and newspaper are just a few. Talk with your local pet shop about their recommendations.

Lovebirds are very active and will enjoy a selection of toys. Hanging toys of almost any kind, with multiple shapes and moving parts, are great. Hoop swings, bells, rawhide leather, wood, and most other chewable toys will be immensely enjoyed. During play period outside of the cage, be sure the lovebird is always supervised. It is a good idea to have your bird's wings trimmed or learn how to do it yourself. Even though it is fun and quite interesting to watch your bird fly, many birds fatally injure themselves by flying into mirrors, windows, and walls. Open toilets, windows, doors, kitchen sinks and stoves are just a few of the many dangers in the average household. Trimmed wings do not guarantee safely but lessen the odds of a disaster.

As with any exotic pet bird, diet is extremely important. There are several cockatiel/lovebird seed diets on the market. Not all pet stores (or manufacturers) will label their food specifically for lovebirds. A good cockatiel diet is what you are looking for. When feeding seed, be sure to select a diet that has vitamins added. This mixture will have necessary vitamins and minerals added to the seed. In addition, there are several pellet diets available that you should be feeding. I will generally keep a pellet diet in front of my birds at all times and offer seeds strictly as a treat. The advantage of pellet foods is a complete nutritionally balanced diet. The disadvantage is pellets are not natural in shape or in texture. Hooked billed birds are experts when it comes to using their beaks in climbing, preening, feeding, and cracking seeds. I feel there is a psychological advantage to letting the bird use its beak for what it is intended. You can still feed pellets as a staple part of his diet, but supplement these meals with nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, greens, cereals, and breads. Most people foods will be good for your bird. As a general rule of thumb, if it's good for you, it is probably good for your bird. When in doubt, check with your veterinarian. As a helpful hint, keep pellets in one dish and perishable items in another. Variety in the lovebird's diet is the key to feather perfect plumage and a healthy bird.

Breeding

Lovebirds are easily bred in the home environment. They are capable of breeding at less than one year of age, and a proven pair will lay and incubate three to eight eggs. The eggs will hatch in approximately 16 to 22 days depending on the species of bird. The chicks will fledge in about four weeks.

Before setting up a pair for breeding, you want to be sure you have a healthy male and female. They should be in prime condition and not in the middle of a molt. Their diet should be at its best with additional vitamin and mineral supplements, leafy greens, and protein. Lovebirds will nest in a standard-size parakeet nesting box mounted to the outside of their cage. The pair must be provided with a nesting material such as newspaper which they will shred to build their nest. Both parents will share in the task of feeding and raising the young. If you are interested in hand-feeding the young, I recommend you speak with an experienced bird breeder and learn the technique before attempting to do it on your own. Baby birds can be seriously harmed by poor hand-feeding technique.

Lovebirds are wonderful little pets. They are curious and continually investigate their surroundings. Hand-fed birds become very tame and trusting. They are natural clowns and will lay on their backs or climb into your pocket. Their robust and charming personalities, along with their easy care and beautiful colors, continue to make them a favorite among bird fanciers.

John Tyson is a freelance writer and photographer who lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.