Found lovebird: need help with caring for it.

[SilverMissy]

Hello, I found a love bird on our roof. We took him in, bought a cage and posted on numerous sites for the owner as well as posters. Until I can track down the owner I was hoping for help. I feel like I’m missing important signals. I just want to make sure it’s happy until we find the owners.

The bird is really tame and like to be perched on my shoulder but that’s it. It often will go to my hand and start biting. I’ve started the tilting of my hand method and it is helping.

It seems to hate the cage, it starts to bite hard when I try to put it back in. Btw, I know now to react and make loud noises so I just put up with the pain,lol.

I try to take it out as much as possible because I feel like it’s lonely but we work so we’re away 8 hours of the day.

I also noticed it won’t take anything from my hand like fruit or play things. Doesn’t even liked to be pet which makes sense because it doesn’t know us. But than when it’s on my shoulders it likes to shove it’s head in the crook of my neck. So I’m confused as to what it wants. We’ve had the bird for 2 days now.

Any thoughts or things we should do differently ?

 

[itzjbean]

Thank you for taking care of this little lost lovebird. The most important thing it will need as you continue to look for its owner is keeping him/her fed, watered and cared for. I wouldn't worry much about it biting your hand or not allowing petting. As it is someone else's pet, you are right in that it does not know you and a lot of smaller bids don't like hands, though if he wants to sit on your shoulder, that seems fine. You can continue to keep him on your shoulder, and if he needs to be toweled to go back in the cage, then use a small washcloth to gently restrain him if the biting continues.

What are you feeding him? You should also try calling your local vets, animal rescues and tell them about the lovebird you found, don't give up looking for the owner, who is probably missing this little bid a lot!

 

[Owlet]

What does the cage look like? Some cages can make birds 're very insecure such as round cages.

 

[SilverMissy]

The cage is a standard cage for 1 parakeet. I’m feeding seed blend formulated for them. I’ve contacted our humane society as well so they will call if there is a match.

This is the cage:

https://www.petsmart.ca/bird/cages-...ngs-pavilion-bird-cage-43397.html?cgid=400103

I think his is the food I bought but I’ll double check when I get home:

https://www.petsmart.ca/bird/food-a...ure/lovebird-bird-food-41100.html?cgid=400110

 

[MonicaMc]

It's a horribly small cage, IMO, however this should only be temporary, until the owners can be found. Maybe remove the cage top and use millet to get him/her back in?

As far as food goes, I'd lean more towards a cockatiel diet... more grains.


As far as bites go... it's better to avoid them than ignore or punish a bird for biting. The more time a bird has "practicing" biting, the more ingrained it becomes. When I say practice, I mean the very act of "allowing" the bite to occur and not doing anything to stop it.

If you learn to read a bird's body language and stop the behavior before it occurs or redirect it, you can learn to avoid many bites. I know, it's easier said than done! This involves learning to avoid situations that you know will result in a bite, or redirecting the bite with a toy or something *before* it occurs, or cuing a learned behavior that is inconsistent with biting.

If you do get bit, get the bird off you! Gently, of course! But remove your attention. Think about it like this, if that little bird was a German Shepherd, a Mastiff or any other large breed dog, you wouldn't just stand there and ignore the dog as it tears into your flesh! You'd want to remove yourself from the situation. You show respect to the animal by backing off and, hopefully, before the situation escalates into biting. Dogs generally show behavior before they'll bite, and so do birds! Although birds behaviors can be more subtle, it's still there.

More going into that here.

http://www.parrotforums.com/training/57935-brainstorming-biting-parrots.html

 

[itzjbean]

I do agree that the cage is very small -- however it is not bad for a temporary solution.

If you are to keep this bid (should the owner not be found) or choose to get a parrot in the future, a cage like the one you posted is generally only suited for transport to a vet, but a bird of any kind would not thrive in a cage like that.

I want to show you my cage for my ONE cockatiel, just to show you what I mean...

Cockatiel mansion

See him hanging out on the bottom right corner, yeah, there's a lot of room! The bigger the cage, the better!!

 

[noodles123]

Have you had birds before?
In case you havent, here are my thoughts. If you have, ignore me lol.



Answer to your question:
You could try getting the bird to take food from your hand first thing in the morning by initially removing food dishes--obviously not for long, but long enough for him to decide it might be worth trying what you have to offer.




Other tips if you are a first-time bird owner:


Cage placement- Generally, you want at least one side of the cage against a wall so that the bird doesn't feel vulnerable to attacks on all sides.


Avoid over-crowding of cage


If you introduce toys, set them near the bird for days to allow the bird to get comfortable with them. Show interest in the toys in front of the bird.


Try feeding different fruits- birds can be really picky and so keep trying
Noodles can be a good treat in moderation (unsalted, plain, unfortified)


Change water and food daily and wash dishes each time


Make sure diet is balanced because behavior can be impacted by that


Make sure the bird is getting enough sleep---in a quiet environment (if you cover the cage, look into "night frights" and consider a night light to prevent injury if this is an issue). Also, make sure your cover (if using one) is breathable

Make sure you aren't using candles, teflon (PTFE), aerosols, paints, air-fresheners, bleach (or really any cleaners other than vinegar + water and/or avian safe cleaners) etc in the house with the bird.



Things to look out for:
- Poop that is super bubbly or neon green or poop with undigested seed in it (google is a good resource)

-Tail bobbing (like a rhythmic but slightly subtle bob when perched still) = breathing difficulties in many cases
- Wheezing or lots of sneezing
- discharge from nose or eyes
- weight loss (keel bone in chest should be palpable but it shoud have muscle on either side. If the chest feels concave around the keel (main bone in middle of chest) then that is bad. Similarly, if flesh sticks out beyond the keel or it isn't palpable the bird can be overweight.

- generally puffy appearance throughout the day
- HANGING OUT ON CAGE BOTTOM WHEN NOT PLAYING OR SCROUNGING CAN BE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION
-bleeding feathers (also can be an emergency)---must be pulled out or clotted to prevent bird from bleeding to death. Contact the vet if this happens and use cornstarch to plug the feather shaft in the meantime.



NO avocado, tomato, high fat foods, fruit pits, rhubarb, salty snacks, sugary snacks, alcohol, etc.


Limit seeds and avoid peanuts if possible.


Try to provide exposure to natural light or UV light for regulating hormones etc.

 

[EllenD]

I agree that the important thing for you to worry about at this point is simply making every effort to find the bird's owner, and keep the bird well fed, watered, and safe. Worrying about "training" the bird is not something that is of concern right now, as it's not your bird. We all appreciate you taking him in and caring for his needs until his owner is found, but you must remember that someone out there is desperately missing their bird, and is probably losing their mind with worry, grief, and sadness. As you said, the bird is "very tame", and the behavior you describe is definitely indicative of a hand-raised lovebird that belongs to someone who treats the bird very well and gives it lots of time and affection. So this should be your #1 priority...

Have you posted this Lovebird as "Found" on www.911parrotalert.com and www.parrotalert.com ? If not, please do so immediately. The other place, and one of the best places to post that you have found a lost bird is on all of your local Craiglist pages, as many people post here first when they lose a bird...Have you checked your local Craigslist pages for someone advertising that they have lost a Lovebird? This should be a #1 priority as well as the 2 websites above. When you post that you have found a bird on your local Craigslist pages, you need to post to Community-Pets, and then make the title something like "Found a Parrot in XXXXXX" (insert the town/city you found him), and then in the body do NOT list that you found a Lovebird, just state that you found a tame parrot in whatever city/town, and then have them contact you and describe the bird. Obviously if they immediately say they lost a lovebird and the colors match, then you know it's their bird, and this will keep the liars trying to get a free bird away...

Also, does he have a leg band? If so, sometimes they are trackable...

Also, you should take him to a local Vet office to have him scanned for a microchip, as they are getting more and more popular, and the Vet will scan him for free, it takes 5 minutes, and if he does have a microchip then you'll have his owner on the spot...

The cage is quite small for a Lovebird, but again, it's fine as a temporary cage, assuming you find his owner soon, once you post on all the appropriate sites, especially your local Craigslist pages and Parrot911, they are the best places to find a lost bird and find a bird's owner...

 

[EllenD]

I forgot something else very important that you do, as this happens all the time...You should absolutely contact all of the Vet offices local to where you found the bird, especially any Exotics Vets and obviously Avian Vets, all local Rescues and/or Shelters, as well as any and all local pet shops and birds shops. When people lose their bird, they very often contact every local Vet office and pet/bird store/shops, because many people who find a lost bird just take them in to a local Vet office, Rescue/Shelter, or Pet/Bird Shop. So you need to alert every local Vet Office, Rescue/Shelter, and any Pet Shops that you have found a Lovebird, give them a description of the bird, tell them whether or not they have a leg band, etc. and give them your contact information. That way, if the bird's owner calls around looking for their bird, or if they post a "Lost Bird" flyer in one of the Vets, the Rescues, or in the Pet Shops, the employees can alert the bird's owner that you have them and call you with the owner right there. Many lost pets are found by the person that finds the lost animal letting all local Vets, pet shops, and rescues/shelters know that they have the animal...I actually got my lost Pug back this way, I contacted and simply left voicemails at every single Rescue and Shelter, as well as Vet Offices, on the Saturday night he ran off...The following Sunday morning, a woman who found him laying on her back deck called every rescue as well, and someone was at one of the Rescues feeding the animals, and told her that I had left a voicemail last night about losing my pug, gave her my contact info, and she called me right away...I got him back in about 12 hours this way...

 

[SilverMissy]

Thanks for the replies and help. I knew it was small when I got it but it was only until I found owners. I wasn’t going getting a big cage and find the owner and can’t return the cage. However, my mom was passing by a pet shop and found a clearance cage that was bigger just a few hours ago so she picked it up and dropped by my place for the bird. Ill try to show you the cage.

I’ve had 2 love birds before but I was younger so I didn’t have a lot of hands on with them. My mom did.

I’ll look into the food.

 

[SilverMissy]

Wow, my mom is amazing I just came home to a cage way bigger she got her new toys and more food which it seems she likes because she’s eating it more than the food I bought.

I have tropical fruit nutri-berries for parakeets lovebirds cockatiel and conure

Hagen cockatiel seed fruit and veggie mix

Zupreem pure fun fruit veggie and seed blend.

She’s eating like crazy!!! Omg I hope I wasn’t starving her. Can you tell my mom is used to owning love birds. I’m blessed to have her. What do you guys think of the foods? I’m also heading out now with more found bird posters.

My husband is groaning because now I’m excited. Me thinks I may get a bird after this little girl find her home. they’re so wonderful!

Guys I can see a complete difference in her behaviour. She is playing and chirping happily. Giving herself a bath EATING. Okay I need to stop I’m repeating myself here....

 

[YUMgrinder]

Location? I lost my Boomer last spring in Cheyenne Wy. she was blue. I'm still holding out hope for her return.

 

[GaleriaGila]

Thanks for the rescue!

And thanks, members, for helping this new member help this rescued bird!
Thanks for the encourgement to find the owner. Ellen, thanks for offering all that information.

 

[SilverMissy]

Location? I lost my Boomer last spring in Cheyenne Wy. she was blue. I'm still holding out hope for her return.

Milton Ontario, Canada. I’m very far and our winters are cold not sure is it’s possible. My girl is lime yellow with peach face.

 

[Squeekmouse]

You and your mom are wonderful to be caring for the little bird so much. He is lucky you found him and took him in! I hope you are able to find the owner, good for you for making such an effort!


If you do decide to get a bird of your own once the Parront is found, (or if you keep this little guy because the owner is never found), you'll certainly find lots of friendly and helpful advice here. The folks on this forum care very deeply for birds and are always happy to help. Just don't let your feelings get hurt if some advice sounds critical, like I said, everyone here cares VERY deeply for birds. We all want what's best for the little guys. (Not that I think any of the responses you got were critical or anything, in fact you have gotten some REALLY good advice).



Ok... enough rambling. Thanks again for reaching out to us and for caring for the little lovebird!!

 

[GaleriaGila]

What Squeekmouse said!

 

[SilverMissy]

You and your mom are wonderful to be caring for the little bird so much. He is lucky you found him and took him in! I hope you are able to find the owner, good for you for making such an effort!


If you do decide to get a bird of your own once the Parront is found, (or if you keep this little guy because the owner is never found), you'll certainly find lots of friendly and helpful advice here. The folks on this forum care very deeply for birds and are always happy to help. Just don't let your feelings get hurt if some advice sounds critical, like I said, everyone here cares VERY deeply for birds. We all want what's best for the little guys. (Not that I think any of the responses you got were critical or anything, in fact you have gotten some REALLY good advice).

Ok... enough rambling. Thanks again for reaching out to us and for caring for the little lovebird!!

I think you guys and the information has been great. Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there about pets and the poor animals get the brunt of it. I’m a fish keeper and the Misinformation about them is horrendous. You can’t keep a fish in a fishbowl just like you can’t keep certain birds in certain size cages. Everyone needs to start somewhere. The problem in some newbies don’t want to hear the truth which is annoying because they’re seeking more knowledgeable people out. But whatever, I’m here to learn so I’m cool. I don’t think anyone has been critical especially since they know the situation I’m in. They’re just saying facts and the last cage was definitely too small. She’s already showing happier behaviour. The nipping is very minimal. I think t was the cage and food combined.

 

[Squeekmouse]

Silvermissy, You rock.

 

[gracebowen]

Hah that's the exact same cage my lovie had when I got her. I asked an acquaintance for help and got her a much bigger cage within a week. I'm not sure of the exact size but I can stick my whole head inside the main door.

 

[SilverMissy]

Hey guys, another question. I’ve noticed the bird getting nippy at night so I assume she needs bed time. If I come home at 6pm is 8pm bed time not enough time spend with the bird? She gets cranky after 8 I’m noticing.

Also, I’ve literally have had no matches on the owner. I’m at a loss. I’m getting the itch to start buying her a hammock for bed time and a perch but I don’t want to invest if I find the owner. It’s almost been a week (shy 2 days) and nothing. I’m really trying to not get attached to her. I named her Petrie which is awful I know. I shouldn’t be naming her. I guess I’m just confused and it doesn’t help my dog is so jealous of this bird. I’m making sure the time after she’s in bed is my dogs time with us but I feel I’m letting my pets down. The bird and my 2 cats which love to cuddle but can’t because I’m afraid for the bird. The dog seems interested in the bird but I don’t trust enough to get close because it’s not my bird.

I even looked through local areas lost pet listings and found nothing.