Loving Your Lovebird
Their Roots
You may be wondering how the Lovebird got its name. It was from the fact that they could sit there so close together and preen each other so lovingly. More than 8 species are said to exist for this colorful bird, with its origins traced back to Africa. It is believed that these birds were introduced into Australia sometime in the 1850’s.
Since the mid 1900’s, strict quarantine regulations meant that it was extensively difficult to bring these birds into the country from overseas.
Distinguishing Factors
These birds are actually from the parrot family. Lovebirds can be very colorful and are just over 12cm typically.
In Australian, currently there are only 4 out of the 8-9 varieties available for purchase. Interesting enough, the ones that are available in Australia are what is known as monomorphic, which refers to the fact that both genders look almost exactly the same.
Each variety in Australia look a little different in color, from the Fischer, Peachfaced, Masked and Nyasa types.
Currently, you will find that Lovebirds can be sourced in over 100 different color types, making each set quite unique. For ease, Lovebirds are usually named according to their feather colour variation.
Character
From the 4 varieties, the Peachfaced tends to be a little more outgoing than the others and often it may want to stand its ground too Peachfaced Lovebirds are typically more extroverted in nature, however they can also exhibit more male like characteristics such as defending their space. This particular type doesn’t really adapt well to small enclosures, especially if placed with many other birds and could be prone to initiate fights. With humans however, they are quite different, meaning that they are usually great pets.
These birds are very intelligent, so you need to ensure that their cage is totally locked. Be sure to have some untreated wood around as Lovebirds love to nibble and chew on something often.
Menu
Typically, pet stores usually contain parrot mix or some even carry a peachfaced mix. Usually, these mixes will include sunflower seed as well as about 5 other seed types. Lovebirds do enjoy some chopped crunchy vegetables and fruits as well as other greeny items such as dandelions or thistles.
Health and lifespan
These birds are very versatile and can cope with both high temperatures and the cooler (not freezing) weather. In the warmer months, you will still want to ensure that they are not overhearing and plenty of water should be available to them.
You can typically expect a Lovebird to live from 6 – 15 years.
Enclosure
If you plan to be around often, a cage is a fair option to host your Lovebird. Furthermore, you could socialize with your pet even further by getting them clipped so that you can let them out to roam inside the family home.
Recommended For
This bird variety is quite cheap to look after and the great thing is that they don’t require much maintenance. The amount of human involvement changes somewhat though, if these birds are left to a small cage where they require more of your time
With over 15 years of experience, the author has had a lot of hands on experience with Lovebirds. Although she has other types of birds to her collection, Lovebirds still have a special meaning to her. As an additional challenge, she also breeds them and hand tames selected birds. If this information helped, you may want to check out this site also: Lovebirds For Sale Perth
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