Lovebirds are a favorite among pet birds, often called “pocket parrots,” and among the most colorful you’ll find. While there are several lovebird species in the world, not all of them are kept as pets. The three most popular species can make charming and loving companions for a bird lover and you don’t necessarily need a pair of lovebirds to keep them happy.
All lovebirds belong to the genus Agapornis and the order Psittaciformes, making them small parrots. In total, there are nine species of lovebirds. The most common to be kept as pets are the Fischer’s lovebird, black-masked lovebird, and peach-faced lovebird.
Care & Feeding
Like most birds, lovebirds love to exercise and require the largest cage that your budget and space can afford. Lovebirds that are cooped up in a small cage and never given any freedom tend to become neurotic and can develop self-mutilating habits. Toys are a must for these active parrots. Keep in mind that lovebirds are strong chewers, so choose toys that can stand up to chewing without causing a hazard. With proper care and a well-balanced diet, a lovebird can live between 12 and 15 or more years.
Lovebird Colors and Markings
Lovebirds are known for their short and rather blunt tail feathers. Beyond size, this is one of the primary features that distinguish them from budgerigars. Lovebirds also have a stockier build.
The colors that these species come in can vary widely from peach to teal to white to green. They all tend to be rather vivid with heads and faces of a different color than the main body feathers. Many of the popular pet lovebirds have mostly green plumage.
Speech & Sound
Lovebirds are a chatty bunch, singing and whistling all day long. Check out this YouTube video by Relax With Nature that captured an hour of lovebird sounds. Lovebirds are especially vocal at dawn and dusk.
With all that vocalizing, you might think that lovebirds talk. Well, lovebirds usually do not talk in the way you expect. They talk to each other, but not so much to people. Although they are not known for their talking ability, their song is pleasant, more so than many other companion parrots. The more lovebirds you acquire (and it’s difficult to buy just one) the noisier they will become. They are flocking birds in the wild and love to talk to one another.