The Best Living Environment for Lovebirds
What should
temperature of your lovebird's environment be? Where is it safe to
put your lovebird's cage? How can you protect your home from messes?
Can lovebirds share a home with other bird species? Why do lovebirds
need to sunbathe?
1. Temperature
Keep your lovebirds in a warm environment.
Lovebirds, especially Peach-faces, are quite hardy, and can even
stand temperatures as low as 12º F (-10º C.) However, they are much
more comfortable at warm or room temperature levels. Keep your house
warm enough so that you and your pets are cozy and happy. Check the
lighting and temperature of your bird's room frequently.
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2.
Location
Put the birdcage in a dry, bright, draft-free
corner of your chouse. Do not place your bird near a door that leads
outdoors, a heating vent, or an air conditioner. These areas can
have sudden, extreme temperature changes.
Place the bird cage at eye level, preferably on a stand. Lovebirds
feel more secure when the cage is in a corner or near a wall. Make
sure that other pets and street traffic will not disturb them.
The lovebird's environment should have natural light, but her cage
should not be too close to the windows or she will get cold.
Lovebirds need UV light in order to build up cholesterol and convert
it to vitamin D.
Read up on household hazards, and keep your bird away from them. Do
not keep your birds in the kitchen or bathroom, because these places
contain a lot of hazards and fumes.
It is best to put the cage in an open area that people gather in,
such as a living room or recreation room, so that your birds can fly
around while you supervise them. In order to have healthy birds, you
MUST allow your lovebirds to fly around for at least an hour a day.
Lovebirds, especially young ones, must fly around and develop their
muscles and organs. They will leave bird droppings around and will
chew up any paper that you leave around. However, you should not
discourage your birds from working their jaws and chewing paper into
strips.
Make sure that the
room is not infested with insects, rodents or bacteria. If the cage
is placed over a hardwood floor, carpet or other stainable material,
cover the floor with a mat to protect it.
If you leave for work in the morning, you don't have to leave on
many lights, because natural sunlight will brighten the room. You
should leave a night light for your bird, so that she can find food
and water in the middle of the night.
Keep lovebirds away from radiating objects such as microwaves. Do
not place them close to TV sets, because TVs are noisy and radiate
rays that may harm lovebirds. However, the sounds and lights of a
television do not bother most lovebirds.
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3.
Sharing Housing with Other Birds
Placing lovebirds with other bird species,
such as cockatiels or finches, is not recommended. Never put a
peach-faced lovebird in a cage with a different bird, because they
are aggressive. If you must put different species together, make
sure that they will get along and will not compete for food and
space. You can place different lovebirds species together, but do
not place two pairs of male and female lovebirds together. You must
put three or more couples in the same cage to avoid fights. Each
couple should consist of two birds of the opposite sex, so make sure
you know the gender of your birds.
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4. Sunbathing
Lovebirds need sunlight to build up
cholesterol and vitamin D. On warm, sunny days, you can take your
bird outside to your backyard, or to the park. Don't go to the
beach, because it is usually too windy for your bird. You can both
soak up the sun's rays, and your bird will happily twitter away. You
might also want to spray her with water while she is outdoors.
Unless your bird's wings are clipped or she will not fly away, you
should take your bird outside in her cage. Keep an eye on your
lovebird and don't leave her alone, or she may be attacked by cats
and insects. Keep wild birds away from your pet lovebird, because
they can pass on diseases. Place the cage on a raised surface, such
as a table, to keep it away from bugs. Don't leave your bird outside
for over a few hours, and if she appears to be uncomfortable, take
her back inside. Make sure she has enough food and water. When you
go back inside, you should clean the cage and check the seeds for
insect invaders.
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