Conure vs Lovebird?

[keenpeach]

Hey guys! So I totally caught the bird bug and I’m thinking about getting a second bird. I’ve narrowed down my options to either a GCC or a peachie.

I’m totally stuck between the two and was looking for some advice. For some background: I’m a college student, not living in dorms, and I do have a lot of time to spend with my birds in the evenings, I’m in class from 9:30-3:15. I can deal with noise, but obviously the quieter the better. And as far as nipping goes, I know they both have a reputation for it, I’m able to handle some spicyness.

There are babies of both species available near me, but the lovies are about $120 whereas the greenies are $350. I’m financially stable to handle any medical emergencies etc, but if both species are fairly similar I’d rather not spend the extra money. Are there any major differences between the two in your experience? Thanks for the advice!

 

[DoubleTake]

I dont own a GCC, never will, but I call them the little jerks of the conure world lol. That aside I think GCC are more sociable than lovebirds and probably more hands hold playful than a peach faced. Their beaks are pretty similar in size, my peach faced sometimes has a larger beak than some gcc i've met. In general, I think GCC are more nippy than lovebirds. Male lovebirds can be less nippy than their female counterparts. My peach face is a total cuddle bug and wants to be scratched all day, she can never get enough. I've posted plenty of videos on the lovebird forum. Pretty sure lovebirds are noisier but I find their sound more pleasant than GCC.

 

[sunnysmom]

What kind of bird do you have now?

 

[Teri Ray]

I've had both and while I loved my lovebird she was a very aggressive bird and did not make it easy to love her. I was never successful in getting her tame. I found out after the fact that female lovebirds are known for being bitey in general and aggressive toward other birds. when I say bitey I mean she drew blood each and every time she bit and she bit anything that was exposed human flesh. Female lovebirds will kill other female lovebirds so I wouldn't recommend them with other female birds. Her calls were also louder and higher pitched then my conure. If you don't handle a lovebird daily it will go wild quicker then others species. Lovebirds tend to bond more with other birds then their human if there are other birds in a household. I think they get along most generally with other birds if you get a male and introduce him young. On a positive note when they do bond with their human they are super sweet and loving. And they could almost rival the GReencheek conure for being clownish. My little girl was mean but I found her to be very smart and good at problem solving. She escaped from several different types of cage door latches. Personally I would not have a love bird again unless I had no other birds in the household. I would get a male peachfaced from a breeder with a reputation for great socialized birds. There are some more rarer types of lovebird such as my girl was, Blue black masked or fischer. But I would recommend staying with the Peachfaced mutations as the other species of lovies are known to be more skittish and a bit more likely to be aggressive.

I recently got a crimson bellied conure and my experience has been completely different. My little Billy is so people oriented, and loving , sweet yet sassy, cuddles yet is funny and clownish. She is the kinda companion bird I've always wanted. Crimson Bellieds are very similar to green cheeks in size and coloring until about 6 months when their entire belly turns bright bright red. They are a lot like a green cheek in goofiness and cheeky behavior but are just a little more mellow and a little less hyper. She has bonded so quickly with me and my husband and wants to be on us watching what we are doing or getting into what were doing the majority of the time. She really is a Velcro bird. She definitely doesn't have a singing voice. He calls are lower in pitch and very gravely. She peeps, qwacks, mumbles and makes this laughing sound mostly. She's chatty but not at all loud. I find the noises she makes so adorable. She's been with us a little over three weeks now and my husband and I are smitten. She's only bit my husband once but the worst she's done to me is a pinch on the earlobe and she honestly seems to respond to distress in our voice and stops when we say "OUCH! No bite!" She is just a hair shy but will go to anyone we give her to and warms up quickly. She is a busy bee though me and my husband and i are constantly removing things from her beak that aren't safe and redirecting her like a wind up toy in the other direction. There isn't a huge difference regarding aggression between one gender or the other.. I hear they can have little man syndrome and bully other birds even those bigger then them so be prepared for how you would keep peace should the worst happen. I recommend a conure though

 

[BeanieofJustice]

I don’t believe I’ve heard many people compare lovebirds and GCCs before. Best thing you can do is go and meet them. I’ve only seen a few lovebirds in person and I’ve only interacted with a few GCCs so I can’t give advice either way. Go out there and meet some birds, you might be surprised by who picks you.

 

[Leih]

My conure is a black capped, so not the same as, but similar to GCC. I also have a lovebird. My conure is a sassy pants and is very demanding. He would like nothing more than to be glued to me all day, or in my shirt. He's not especially loud unless he's really trying to get my attention, or yelling at my lovebird, then it sounds like he's literally barking! He seems to be a bottomless pit, always eating, but has a good appetite for fresh foods too. My lovebird is very different. She's totally bonded to me and will sit and hang out with me, but she's definitely not glued to me, she's more independent. She chatters all day, not particularly loud, but she does make noise. Her contact call can be ear piercing but she has a call she'll use especially for me, which I find adorable. She is aggressive to my other birds and I definitely go through more toys for her, she's quite a Destroyer. I really love them both for their individual personalities (and my two linnies) but I wouldn't be able to choose one over the other.

 

[Leih]

Definitely consider the temperament of the bird you have now. What species?

 

[keenpeach]

Thank you all for the help! The bird I have right now is a lovely rosy Bourke, she's the sweetest thing. After taking it into consideration, and visiting some birds in person; I ended up taking a baby cinnamon GCC home! I met some lovely peachies, but my GCC definitely "chose" me

 

[JoJo&Loki]

Congrats!!

Would love to see pics of both your babies (hint hint)

 

[Zara]

Female lovebirds will kill other female lovebirds

*Have the potential to
@DoubleTake ´s Lovie mates and preens her girlfriend, it´s less common but not unheard of.

I ended up taking a baby cinnamon GCC home!

Congratulations on you new companion
Good luck getting him/her settled in