I'm considering getting a lovebird and I wondered if any current owners had any advice. I live alone so I'm getting one for the company. It won't be til next month if I go ahead with it so I've left myself plenty of time to research.
I live in an apartment which is why I’m going for a bird rather than anything else. I know a lot of people say you should buy them in twos but I hear they bond better with their human if there’s only one.
So any tips? Any particular breed I should avoid? (i.e is there a particular breed that would deafen my neighbours more than the others?)
Last edited by rumpleteazer : 10-01-2011 at 13:05

They are very noisy ans messy and can get very lonely if you go out so pairs generally do much better. They aren't a bird we would have again I think budgies are more friendly but again I wouldn't have just one and would be looking at as big a cage as I could afford and house.
We made an indoor aviary using a third of our living room which worked well and we had 6 birds in their the finches bred twice and the budgies once, the love birds just made a noise and a mess.

Lovebirds are cute birds and they are cute, little clowns. However, it's not a bird I would recommend for a novice. They are feisty birds and are hard to keep tame. You really have to work with them to keep them tame. Try to find a lovebird that is hand-reared and has been socialised adequately. Otherwise, you might end of with a lovie that is not going to provide the companionship you are seeking.

I have a lovebird that is very sweet and tame. I am lucky though. We once had an aviary full of lovebirds and I love them, but I would not recommend them for first -time bird owners. The worst parrot bites I have ever had have been from lovebirds... and I've been bitten by cockatoos and macaws... as well as my own African Grey. Lovebirds mean business when they bite.

Since you have time to do some research, you may want to look into a few other birds. Hand-reared Green-cheeked conures can make very good companions. They can be a little screechy, but not nearly as loud as their bigger conure cousins (like Suns and Nandays, etc). They can be quite cuddly, but often go through a nippy stage at adolescence. This can be worked through with due diligence and patience.

If I was going to get another small bird, I'd get one of the Poicephalus parrots (Senegals, Meyer's, or Jardines). They are generally quite sweet and cuddly birds. They are usually less nippy than the Green-cheek conures, but every bird is different.

Pionus are also sweet and relatively quite birds and would also suit apartment living. They have a musty smell that some people don't like, but it doesn't bother me. They are really nice birds.

Oh, and don't discount the cockatiels. They are sweet and cute birds. Relatively quiet and good for apartments. They are dusty birds, so not recommended if you have allergies.

Here is my lovebird with my Green-cheek conure. They are best friends.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/skyla10...7622610278165/

Love birds are very destructive and curious little birds. Don't let them out unsupervised as they hold council of wars and attack people they don't like.

If they love you they will feed you and stick their beaks up your nose to eat your bogies.

I had a couple at one time and they would often sit on me and preen me. I would often have them on my head too like some kind of exotic wig.

They also love jewellery so be careful if you have piercings or your friends do as they make a beeline for it.