How to stop a lovebird from biting

[BirdDisaster]

I’ve recently gotten a pair of lovebirds that were probably taken out of their nestbox too late, I received them as they were essentially “rejected” bu their previous buyer, I was hoping I could help them in someway. They are scared of human hands and would fly away if too close or bite very painfully. What should I do? They also often fight with each other, is this normal? Ive only ever worked with parrots who were rejected but at the very least friendly.

 

[SilverSage]

First off, separate them. If they are fighting they shouldn’t be housed together and lovebirds absolutely WILL kill each other if the notion strikes them.

Lovebirds usually don’t tame well. In my experience they usually don’t make great pets once they hit maturity, with the exceptions being VERY well raised and heavily socialized hand raised males.

So I would buy them the biggest cage you can afford, well the two biggest cages since they are fighting, and work on giving them the best life you can manage without trying to force them into a relationship with humans.

If you are DEAD SET on trying to tame them, I suggest you start with target training.


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[BirdDisaster]

We have given them a very large cage! Probably 5ft tall for flying about. They’ve been around each other I believe since 2 weeks old? Definitely from different clutches (ones green and the other’s white).

Although they fight, they seem to also get along? Preen each other and all, sleep together, sing together, but do often fight (bite each other on their feet or sometimes head) but they get along okay. (I sorta perceive them as acting like siblings, so they get along but still fight lol) So I think its maybe be fine to but them together.

I’ll give target training a try, right now, I’ve been advised to try hand feeding them to gain trust. But they bite my hand very painfully. I’ll see what I can do, I want them to be tame and calm that way I can bring them out of their cage for a little more freedom and flying.

 

[SilverSage]

It’s your choice what to risk given that you are the one observing them, but lovebirds can be murderous little creatures. Why do you assume they are from different clutches? Do you know their history from their previous home? In my experience people often buy lovebirds in pairs at a time and they are frequently siblings. One being green and the other white doesn’t mean they aren’t full siblings. What kind of lovebirds are they?

The target training is your best bet to get on some training while saving your fingers


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[BirdDisaster]

Well, I suppose they might be siblings despite their appearance difference.

(Yeti: white lovie with mask that seem to fade? And bluish spots on their wing, and a pinkish beak and blue feet)

+ (Basil: supposedly a peach face lovie, so green and peach on their face, but they seem to have grown red? Their red has expanded from their fore head to the back of their head and seem to have red on the center of their tail. No blue feathers like a normal peach face though and seem to act an eye ring? Like the white ring around lovie’s eyes? Basil doesn’t have them, they just look like semi-translucent skin)

but thank you so much for your help! I hope they become tamer (plus they are looking very soft and round, I wann pet em )