lovebird help

[mxmvlcty]

hi everyone. I have never had a bird before...and so I am here to ask for help regarding a lovebird. I recently moved into a new apartment, and my roommate has a male lovebird, Sugar. she rarely spends any time with him, and he spends a lot of time screeching. I'm pretty sure he's very lonely. Sugar will step up and let you hold him, but he does try to flutter away a lot of the time (his wings are clipped, though, so he can't get very far).

I am home a lot and would like to help him feel better by letting him sit with me, but I don't want to make him even more uncomfortable. is there anything specific I should do to help him be more comfortable with people and less lonely? is letting him sit on my lap all it will take for him to become more tame?

thanks in advance for any advice you can give me!

[Mygala]

Food.

...that and interaction. Handing him a little treat, letting him see that you have more. Everytime he steps up on your hand, pay him. Hold him for a short time and then put him back, ..and pay him.

Rinse and repeat.

Soon he'll be looking forward to stepping out with you for those treats. Later on, as he gets more comfortable with you, you'll find the treats aren't as important.

Talk to him when you pass, sit next to him when you read or watch tv, ...the more he sees and hears you, the better it is.

bob

[mxmvlcty]

ok, thanks! now...what do lovebirds like to eat?? there is a bag of normal food here, but what about for treats?

[MzKityLvsBrdsTo]

I used to have a lovebird a long time ago. He used to scare me to death! I would come in and he would be playing dead on the bottom of the cage! Yep, on his back, just laying there, feet up in the air. That silly bird. He would lay really, really still and then... he would start moving again! He was scratching his back by scootching along the bottom of the cage and when I walked in, he would stop, thus, looking dead!!! Used to really freak me out until I figured out what he was doing.

[Mygala]

Quote: Originally Posted by mxmvlcty ok, thanks! now...what do lovebirds like to eat?? there is a bag of normal food here, but what about for treats?

Small seeds are good to try (black oil sunflower seeds are great), but little bits of 'grain foods', like bread or crackers work too. See what your bird likes best.

Bob