Lovebird Care Guide

Lovebirds are small African parrots, 5–6.5 in (13–16.5 cm) long. They have a lot of personality for their size: curious and playful, but quick to defend their territory against birds much larger than themselves. They suit someone who wants an interactive parrot without the volume of a large one, and who can manage either a single bird that needs a lot of attention or a pair that will focus mostly on each other.

Care requirements

Need	What to provide
Enclosure	At least 2 ft wide × 2 ft tall × 3 ft long (60 × 60 × 90 cm) (VCA). For a group, add 10% for each bird beyond two (RSPCA)
Temperature	54–79°F (12–26°C), draught-proof, and away from radiators and stoves (RSPCA)
Humidity	Draught-proof but well ventilated. Keep the bird out of the kitchen (RSPCA)
Lighting	Flicker-free UV lamps giving 12% UVA and 2.4% UVB, with shade to retreat to (RSPCA). If a female is laying, cut light to about 8 hours a day (VCA)
Diet	75–80% pellets and 20–25% vegetables, with a little fruit. Seed only as a small extra (VCA)
Lifespan	Average 10–15 years, up to about 20. Captive Fischer’s lovebirds live 15–25 years (VCA; ADW)
Social needs	A pair or colony of lovebirds. A single bird needs daily interaction with you. Don’t mix them with other species (VCA; RSPCA)
Legal notes	No common restrictions; check local rules.

Peach-faced vs Fischer’s vs masked lovebirds

	Peach-faced	Fischer’s	Masked (yellow-collared)
Look	Green with orange, yellow, blue, black, white or grey markings on the head, neck and rump (VCA)	Green with an orange, yellow and light-brown head, and a white ring around the eye (VCA; ADW)	Green with a dark, blackish head (VCA)
Size	The largest of the nine lovebird species (VCA)	5–6 in (12.7–15 cm), 1.5–2 oz (42–58 g) (ADW)	Within the lovebird range of 1.5–2 oz (40–60 g) (VCA)
How common	The most commonly kept (VCA)	Commonly kept (VCA)	Commonly kept (VCA)
Mixing	Keep with its own species	Hybridises with masked lovebirds where their wild ranges meet (ADW)	Hybridises with Fischer’s (ADW)

If you want a stable, same-species pair, buy both birds as the same species, and ideally have them DNA-sexed. Their appearance won’t tell you the sex.

One bird or two

VCA describes young single lovebirds as bonding closely with their owners and becoming affectionate, interactive pets. A pair usually bonds more strongly with each other than with you, even two birds of the same sex, and becomes less hands-on. Either can work, but a single bird depends on you for its social life every day. However many you keep, the RSPCA advises at least six hours a day out of the cage, flying in a safe room.

The RSPCA lists lovebirds among the colony-breeding birds that can share a cage or aviary, provided the species are compatible and there is room to get away from each other. Their temper is the limit. VCA warns that lovebirds can be very territorial and aggressive when frightened or threatened, and will chase much larger birds, and even dogs and cats. Keep them with other lovebirds, not in a mixed aviary.

Preventing chronic egg-laying

Single female lovebirds are one of the species VCA names as often becoming chronic egg-layers. They lay clutch after clutch of infertile eggs, especially hand-raised birds that treat their owner as a mate. Each egg uses up calcium. On a seed diet, VCA warns this can lead to low blood calcium, brittle bones, egg binding, soft-shelled eggs and long-term oviduct disease. Hormone-driven females also tend to become more aggressive and cage-protective.

What helps, according to VCA:

• Shorter days. Reduce light to about 8 hours a day.
• No nesting sites. Remove access to nest boxes and other nesting areas, both in the cage and around the house.
• Less body stroking. Stroking a bird on its back or pelvis sends a sexual signal.
• Change the setting. Moving the cage to a new spot can make her feel less settled. Keep males of the same species in another room.
• Leave laid eggs in place. Let her sit for a full incubation period (21–28 days, depending on species) instead of removing each egg. Taking eggs away often prompts her to lay more.

A pelleted diet is the base. A bird eating 75–80% pellets usually doesn’t need supplements. A lovebird that has laid for a long time may need hormone treatment from an avian vet.

Feeding properly

VCA calls lovebirds vulnerable to vitamin A deficiency, low dietary calcium and egg binding, all of which are linked to diet. Commercial seed mixes are high in fat and short of vitamins, minerals and protein, and millet sprays and honey sticks are no better. Switch seed-eaters to pellets gradually, and offer pellets in their own bowl at first. Skip pale, watery vegetables such as iceberg lettuce and celery, which have little nutritional value.

Gotchas

• Putting a lovebird in a mixed aviary. They will chase and attack bigger birds.
• Giving a lone female a nest box “to play in”. Access to nesting areas is a listed trigger for chronic egg-laying.
• Taking each egg away as it appears. This often makes her lay more.
• Buying “a pair” without DNA sexing. Two same-sex birds may still bond, but expect eggs from two females.
• Letting her fly with a ceiling fan on. The RSPCA says to switch fans off whenever a bird is out, and to cover large mirrors and windows.

Avoid

• Avocado and onion, both potentially toxic (VCA)
• Chocolate, alcohol, and anything containing caffeine, such as coffee, tea or soda (VCA)
• Dairy, except in moderation, because birds are lactose-intolerant (VCA)
• Grit and gravel, which they don’t need (VCA)
• Seed-only diets and honey sticks (VCA)
• Kitchens, radiators, fires, stoves and draughts as cage locations (RSPCA)
• Non-stick (PTFE/Teflon) cookware, irons and ironing-board covers. Overheated PTFE gives off fumes that can kill birds quickly (VCA)
• Lamps that flicker, and glass or plastic between a UV lamp and the bird (RSPCA)