New bird owner

[Habiba]

Hi all
Okay so I’m new here. I’ve just made an account right now cus I’ve never owned a bird before obviously I just rescued a cute love bird a few days ago (named him tweety lol) ... seems to have flown from one of the neighbours and landed to my balacony so I decided to keep it and I bought her a cage and only two types of seeds. It’s apparent that I have zero experience in birds so I want your help guys with some questions.
1) do they feel lonely? Should I buy him a female or can he be alright on his own?
2) what veggies or fruits do rose love birds eat? I guess i can’t depend on only two seed types
3) When he rests his tail moves up and down and he makes weird noises just like when you open a door slowly (lol I’m so bad at describing) I searched this behaviour and all the results agreed that it’s a respiratory problem so do i need to check a vet?
4) do I need to get him out of cage and spend some time with him? (Bearing in mind that he’s not hand tamed and he flies to anything high when I approach him. It was even so hatd to put him in the cage when I bought it so I don’t think I’ll be able to put him back again in cage if i get him out)
Sorry for wasting your time on such an inexperienced girl ‍

 

[Feather]

There's probably someone out there looking for their lost bird. Have you tried to find his owner?

1) Yes. They are highly social animals and need companionship. You can't just throw any bird in there, though, and expect them to get along. Lovebirds can be highly territorial and may go as far as killing another bird if they don't like them. I would recommend getting him DNA tested so you know for sure if he's male or female... but either way you'll probably be best off getting a DNA'd male as females of this species tend to be more aggressive. House the two birds in separate cages, at least until you know for certain they'll like each other.

2) My lovebirds liked wheatgrass, shredded carrot, and apple the best. Broccoli is good, and leafy veggies like kale and romaine lettuce. Berries, bananas, pears... just steer clear of avocado, onion, garlic, and rhubarb and be sure to remove any seeds and pits you wouldn't eat yourself before offering fruits to your birds. Pellets are better than seeds. I feed my birds with ZuPreem.

3) Could you post a video? A vet visit does sound in order. You'll need to find an avian vet. A normal vet won't know what to do with a bird, even if they claim to have "bird experience."

4) It's good to let him out and spend time with him, especially if he doesn't have another bird friend, but I wouldn't do that just now as chasing him to get him back into his cage is very scary for him. You should try to build some trust first, so go slowly. He doesn't know you and it's possible he was never tame to begin with. Sit near his cage and talk gently to him. If he's not too nervous, you can offer him millet spray through the bars.

 

[Habiba]

@Feather Thank you so much for your reply that was helpful!
I’ve tried to search for his owner alot .. I even posted in the group of the neighborhood i live in and I couldn’t find his owner that’s why i bought the cage.

I asked friends of mine who have owned birds before and they all say he’s a male but I’ll make sure again through DNA

That sounds like a good diet thank you so much and yeah I’ll try to post a video when he sleeps because he does that tail thing alot durin sleeping
Thank you again

 

[MahaSarah]

Hi! Welcome to the forum! Thanks for taking this little one in. He seems lost, have you tried to find his owner?

1) do they feel lonely? Should I buy him a female or can he be alright on his own?
Yes, companionship is very important. Before tackling the issue of getting another bird I could suggest making major and needed improvements to his cage. The cage he is in is way too small for him. I suggest getting a 30 x 18 x 18 or a cage that is 24 x 24 x 24. You will need about 2-3 different types of perches (natural wood perches are the best, they look like tree branches and have different widths and sizes), 3-4 toys (no plastic toys. wood toys, shreddable toys, woven toys etc are best). If you have a small door at the side, attach a bird bath. Also, he will need a cuttlebone and mineral block in his cage at all times.

2) what veggies or fruits do rose love birds eat? I guess i can’t depend on only two seed types
Veggies should be fed much more than fruit. Fruit should only be given 1-2 times a week. Can you find pellets in your nearest store? Pellets are also a good staple food. As far as veggies stay away from onion, garlic, avocado, tomato leaves, and mushrooms. And make sure when feeding him fruit you take out all the seeds as they are toxic. Seeds should only be about 10% of the diet or as a treat only. Pellets and veggies should make up most of the diet.

3) When he rests his tail moves up and down and he makes weird noises just like when you open a door slowly (lol I’m so bad at describing) I searched this behaviour and all the results agreed that it’s a respiratory problem so do i need to check a vet?
Yes, vet check is needed.

4) do I need to get him out of cage and spend some time with him? (Bearing in mind that he’s not hand tamed and he flies to anything high when I approach him. It was even so hatd to put him in the cage when I bought it so I don’t think I’ll be able to put him back again in cage if i get him out)
Before thinking about getting him a friend or really interacting with him please get a bigger cage and add toys and perches inside it. Then let him ajust to his new cage then you can start playing with him and then you can get a companion for him.

 

[Habiba]

@MahaSarah thanks for your help and yeah i know the cage is way too small but it’s temporary as I had to be in budget because his owner may appear at any time and take him and I’m not sure if I can buy another bird afterwards.
So I’ll add the toys and stuff in this cage for the moment and I’ll be buying a bigger one soon.
I just have to check the avian vet first before all because i’m worried
Thank you so much again

 

[MahaSarah]

Please make taking him to the vet and buying a big cage your # priority right now.

Good luck with the little guy!

 

[nu2birds]

Welcome to AA........good luck with your little guy! Welcome to the world of Lovebirds.......they are funny crazy and very strong willed little buggers!

 

[Habiba]

Welcome to AA........good luck with your little guy! Welcome to the world of Lovebirds.......they are funny crazy and very strong willed little buggers!

Haha yeah pretty hyper and crazy
Thank you!

 

[Atomiklan]

Just thought I would throw this out there. This is the Eclectus sub forum for future reference. You may have posted here on accident. There are sub forums for specific species.

 

[Begone]

I’ve never owned a bird before

But you don't own him.

seems to have flown from one of the neighbours and landed to my balacony so I decided to keep it

That is stealing! What if that bird was yours and someone did that to you? And what if this bird have a mate that is waiting?

Be responsible and find the birds owner and give him/her back.
You have realized that you wanted a bird, but that doesn't mean that you must have this one. Their is a lot of other birds out their that needs a new home.

 

[Habiba]

But you don't own him.


@Eloy I didn’t claim that I own him. And yes ofcourse I kept him for 3 days without a cage because I was searching for his owner and it doesn’t belong to anyone in my street and I don’t know how far the little guy can go , but I didn’t stop I also posted on the facebook group of the neighbourhood where I live in and it seemed that many people lost their birds but not this one.
And please don’t accuse me of stealing .. Am I a stealer because I let the poor bird in till I find his owner?!
And by the way if I find the owner even after a year I’ll be giving him his bird back for sure
And you can see I sympathized with the bird about the mate thing that’s why i was asking if I could buy another one so that he doesn’t feel lonely
And thank you for replying

 

[Habiba]

Just thought I would throw this out there. This is the Eclectus sub forum for future reference. You may have posted here on accident. There are sub forums for specific species.

Yeah I noticed that after posting lol thank you