Picky, picky, picky

[Quail]

After my conure passed I had no intention of getting another bird for awhile.. buuuut.. I was at a reptile store with a friend and heard squeaking coming from the counter. I asked the lady working there, "are those mice? What is that?"

Lo and behold, she shows me a birdie backpack with the cutest little baby I've ever seen in my life inside. Apparently he was a rescue and she was looking for someone who could take him, and I already had a cage prepped and ready to go..

I do wish I had done a bit more research about lovebirds as a species before I took him in, because he certainly is a character LOL. I don't regret getting him though, he's such a goofball.

The best thing is that he is *extremely* food motivated, so much so that within the first month of getting him I trained him to be comfortable with me using a lot of millet as a bribe.

On the flipside.. he is *so* picky. It took nearly 4 months to completely switch him off his old seed diet and on to pellets. He wouldn't even *try* the fruits and veggies I offered him for the longest time (although that was before I had gained his trust).

Lately my method for getting him to try something has been to pretend I'm eating it or take a bite myself, and he instantly comes over to take a bite. Still, though, he is apparently not a fan of strawberries..I've tried offering it in little bits in his food but from what I can tell he just throws it on the floor. I've tried offering all kinds of stuff to him cold (absolutely hates it haha), warm, chopped up, whole.. I've offered kale, cilantro, raspberries, blueberries, apples, celery, bell peppers.. no luck. Most of this I hadnt tried my pretending to eat method so i might try again.. Any suggestions?

 

[Quail]

His name is sunny by the way! Just turned a year old in June

 

[WillowQ]

Lovebirds are so cute! So tiny and so much energy.

I find that eating the food and NOT sharing a few bites works well, too.

 

[Quail]

Lovebirds are so cute! So tiny and so much energy.

I find that eating the food and NOT sharing a few bites works well, too.

Ah that makes sense! Gotta play hard to get thanks!

 

[Zara]

Ah yes, picky

not a fan of strawberries..

I have four cages, and when I offer strawberries (I usually give them whole),
Nube/Lapis will eat the green tops.
Adelie/Sydney will pick all the little seeds off all over.
Aldora/Jaime go for the red flesh first, and then really reluctantly eat the rest. Though Jaime does like the seeds.
And Gis will eat the whole thing in no particular order like a champ.

My birds don't like any small berries chopped up I have found so the small things always get given whole.

Keep offering him things, eventually he will take to them. Have you tried peas?
And keep trying with the peppers, most lovebirds love those.