Hello! New Lovebird Owner!

[Charqee]

Hi there!

I posted in a previous thread but was informed that there was a subforum all for lovies! I recently got a peach face from a local pet shop and I've named him Pico (after Pico de Gallo, because of his beautiful and vibrant greens/red colours!). He's been with me for a few weeks now and is still a bit timid. I would love to hand tame him and teach him to trust me.

Any suggestions anyone can give? What did you do to tame your lovebird? What's the best way to keep them comfortable and give them the least amount of stress?

 

[nu2birds]

Congratulations on your new Lovebird...........I, too, am going to be a new Lovebird caretaker soon. Put down a deposits for two Lovebirds that will be ready to come home in about two weeks. There are so many experienced Lovebird owners here........they will all be along here shortly to welcome you and give you there advice. Good luck and post pictures when you can.

 

[nu2birds]

LOVE the name "Pico" by the way!

 

[LunaLovebird]

A few weeks isn't long for a bird. Let him move at his own pace. Will he take food from your hand?

 

[Charqee]

A few weeks isn't long for a bird. Let him move at his own pace. Will he take food from your hand?

Hello there! Thank you that's so relieving. I think I tried to rush it at some point believing it was too late for him to like me or trust me but now I can rest easy. He's too afraid of my hands at the moment and wont even let them get near him, let alone give him food. He will "Step Up!" on a small perch from his cage though and that's the best way I've been able to get him in and out with minimal stress. He seems to be mostly fine with it.

 

[theocnoob]

Sounds to me like this bird came from a large breeding operation, was parent raised, and doesn't have experience with the joys that can come from human handling and cuddles. It's too bad you don't have another bird that is more comfortable with you that you can pet and cuddle in front of him so he gets the idea that you are a friend of the birds and not something to be afraid of. Just give it time. I've read stuff people post about how it took 18 months to build trust with their parrot. If they aren't hand raised and snuggled from an early age they have no idea that people mean them no harm.

Imagine if you were raised by humans and suddenly a 150 foot tall parrot wanted to pick you up and cuddle you, and you had never had contact with a 150 foot parrot before. You'd probably run for your life.

 

[LunaLovebird]

Hello there! Thank you that's so relieving. I think I tried to rush it at some point believing it was too late for him to like me or trust me but now I can rest easy. He's too afraid of my hands at the moment and wont even let them get near him, let alone give him food. He will "Step Up!" on a small perch from his cage though and that's the best way I've been able to get him in and out with minimal stress. He seems to be mostly fine with it.

A couple of things you can do:

• Sit by his cage and read to him. It sounds silly, but it's a non-invasive way of getting him used to you being around. Try not to make direct, head-on eye contact with him while you do this, as this can be threatening. Side on is fine.
• Drop a sunflower seed treat into his food bowl when you walk past. Make sure he sees it. You will of course need to eliminate sunflower seeds from his main food for this to be effective.
• Sit by his cage and hold out a sprig of millet for him through the bars. You will need to be patient for this.
• When he's out, move his food bowl to outside his cage, near where you are. You might have to take this in stages. Eventually he should be comfortable enough with eating his food right next to you, or from his bowl on your lap or in your hand.

If he's perching for you on a stick, you should be fine getting him to like you. Just be patient and consistent. Don't force him into anything, and you'll be fine.

 

[Charqee]

A couple of things you can do:

• Sit by his cage and read to him. It sounds silly, but it's a non-invasive way of getting him used to you being around. Try not to make direct, head-on eye contact with him while you do this, as this can be threatening. Side on is fine.
• Drop a sunflower seed treat into his food bowl when you walk past. Make sure he sees it. You will of course need to eliminate sunflower seeds from his main food for this to be effective.
• Sit by his cage and hold out a sprig of millet for him through the bars. You will need to be patient for this.
• When he's out, move his food bowl to outside his cage, near where you are. You might have to take this in stages. Eventually he should be comfortable enough with eating his food right next to you, or from his bowl on your lap or in your hand.

If he's perching for you on a stick, you should be fine getting him to like you. Just be patient and consistent. Don't force him into anything, and you'll be fine.

Oh my gosh, thank you so much for the helpful tips! All of these sound wonderful and doable. When I first got Pico I was actually surprised at how fast he acclimated somewhat to his cage. I put him in on the first day and kinda left him to do his own thing. I noticed he was eating and drinking right away, while my previous budgie, when I first got him, took a day or two before he began eating. Thank you again for all the helpful tips! Definitely gonna do as much as I can for my lovie!

 

[nu2birds]

You ARE so helpful, LunaLovebird, I am learning so much from you. Thanks for your contributions to this site.