Black Mask Lovebirds-Blue

                                                          

                                           Harry & Sally

 

                               Black Mask Lovebirds-Blues      

This pair is a slate hen with a  blue male.   These guys can produce pretty much all shades of blue and violet and we are looking forward to beautiful babies.                                                                                          

Lovebird Care

Lovebirds are pint-sized bundles of joy. They have the full personality of parrots while being easy to house because of their size. Lovebirds are little clowns, playing for hours at a time. They love to hang from toys, spin them around, and dance on your shoulder. Watch out for your buttons! They love to pull them off your shirts! They love to snuggle and preen. Many people believe lovebirds must be kept in pairs. This is simply not true. A single lovebird makes a better pet because it bonds to you rather than to another lovebird. While it is easy to keep a pair of lovebirds tame, if you plan on spending lots of time with your bird you can keep it alone. However, if you work long hours and don't think you'll have a lot of time for your love bird, we recommend you get him a companion. This will keep your lovebirds happy and prevent boredom.

It is important to realize that while lovebirds are a small parrot, they have the intelligence and abilities of some of the largest parrots. They can amaze you with their ability to escape their own cages (I have to put clips on the cage doors to keep them in, and sometimes they figure out how to open those!), they will sometimes try to become the little bosses of the household and they can learn to mimic sounds and speech on occasion.

Average Size 4 to 7 inches long.

Life Span Up to 10 years with proper care.

 

Housing:

Birds acclimate well to average household temperatures; be cautious of extreme temperature change; cage should be placed off the floor in an area that is well-lit and away from drafts A cage approximately 18" W x 18" D x 24" H, with metal bars spaced no greater than 3/8" apart, makes
a good home for your lovebird; as with all animals, it is best to provide the largest habitat possible; a flight cage is strongly recommended Perches should be at least 4" long and ½" in diameter; a variety of perch sizes to exercise feet and help prevent arthritis is recommended.  A metal grate over the droppings tray will keep the bird away from droppings; line the droppings tray with cage paper or appropriate substrate for easier cleaning; to avoid contamination, do not place food or water containers under perches.

 

Diet:

A pellet/seed mix, usually a high quality cockatiel mix works well.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, such as bananas, carrots, and green leafy vegetables. Lovebirds appreciate quality and variety in their food.

Clean, fresh, filtered and chlorine-free water changed daily

Do not feed birds fruit seeds, avocados, chocolate, alcohol, or caffeine as these can cause serious medical problems

Bird owners should avoid non-stick cookware and appliances as they can release fumes hazardous to your birds health. 

 

Play time:

Be sure to provide plenty of bird safe toys for your Lovie to play with, especially if he is in his cage during the day while no one is home.  Lovebirds love toys that make noise, like bells and rattly balls and also love toys they can chew on.  Boredom leads to feather plucking and other bad habits and can be prevented in most cases by keeping your bird stimulated.  When you are home play with and carry your quaker around.  The more he is handled the tamer he will be and the more you talk to and play with him the faster he will learn new words.

 

Bathing:

Like most birds Lovebirds love to bath and should be misted daily and provided a bowl to splash and bathe in a few times a week.

Handling:

Make sure you hold your lovebird gently, do not squeeze or poke. Let them climb on you and sit on your head if they like.  When taking them from their cage, be sure to hold them firmly around their bodies and and make sure you don't bump their heads or beaks. Stroke them gently with the direction of their feathers and even scratch them gingerly around their body.  If you want your bird to stay tame, you need to handle them at least once a day.