A few questions for anyone knowledgable about Love Birds?

Question

My friend has a love bird that's about 4 years old. The bird has had two previous owners and while I don't think it was abused, I think it was basically left in it's cage without any attention.

While in it's cage the bird is very aggressive. When you try to reach in the cage it will bite you very hard if you try to get too close. But once you get the bird out of it's cage and spend a few minutes holding it, it calms way down. I used a glove to get the bird out of it's cage and then held it in my hand while I scratched it's head and rubbed it's beak. After just a few minutes the bird stopped biting me and seemed to be very comfortable and relaxed. It would fly to it's cage after a few minutes, but as long as it couldn't get inside I was able to pick it up again without any problems. Really it started acting like you would expect a hand-fed bird to act.

But once it got back in it's cage it immediately switched back to being very aggressive.

I am very comfortable around birds. I have bread and hand-fed cockateils and I have worked with hand-fed conures. As well as having had larger parrots for pets. However, my friend and his girlfriend are not bird people. They are terrified of this bird even though they would love for him to become a nice pet.

Does anyone have any suggestions that would help.

Also, do Love Birds typically like fresh fruits and vegetables. Do love birds like to be misted the way some parrots do?

Answer 1

If the wings of the bird are clipped (properly) it will have an attitude adjustment. Yes, it is being territorial of the cage. Use a small hand towel to pick it up in the cage and always use the phrase "step up" even if the bird is not stepping up and you are picking it up. When you have got the bird out of the cage and it is concealed in the towel pet it gently until it calms down like you mentioned. Wings being clipped, put it on the floor, let it walk around with you on the floor close by. It will try to fly and find out it can't. Now is the best time for the bird to need you. Put your finger/hand under it's breast and nudge it and say "step up" and practice until it does and praise it. Do finger over finger step up training for 5 minutes at a time. It is very repetitive and praise it each time it steps to the next finger and it can be a little boring but it will work. Good Luck!

Answer 2

Get a perch that attaches as a playpen to the top of the cage. When people are around allow the bird to come out on its own. When you reach inside a cage, you are reaching inside it's cave and they do bite. Keep the cage near where they hang out for socialization. Yes they do enjoy a warm water misting. Don't give up on the bird. Also check the type of food you are feeding. Sunflowers are not good for a birds nervous system. It actually make them untrainable. Its like a drug to them. If it is on a sunflower mix, start removing the sunfowers a little at a time and your bird will calm down.

Answer 3

You might want to think about getting your bird a different cage since your bird has become cage territorial. If not, rearrange everything inside the cage and buy new perches and toys.

here are a few pages with great information on training/taming
http://www3.upatsix.com/liz/articles/territory.html

http://content.petfinder.com/journal/index.cgi?article=760

here is a a good page about the importance of a varied diet in parrots

http://www.rationalparrot.com/diet.html

Answer 4

I dont know MUCH, well actually, hardly at all, but my friend use to have ONE, and it died..she said it was because they needed to get another one, since love birds need another bird of the opposite gender. go figure..lol