Breeding Lovebirds in Captivity: an Introduction

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog. A calcium deficiency may be involved, in which case the eggs shells will be thin, and easily broken as the adults incubate them. Your vet can run a blood test to check calcium levels. Another factor might be stress; birds sometimes crack their eggs if they are startled while on the nest. If the box is not secure or too small, they may continually try to “improve” the site, and crack eggs in the process.

Please write back with further details and I’ll be happy to offer more specific advice.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Jeff, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog and for your observations – very useful to other readers.

Bird copulation is usually a very quick affair – just as you describe.. so your lovebirds might be insulted by the “mating” comment : ). The male transfers sperm by lining up his cloaca/vent with the female’s (sometimes she continues to eat or preen and seems not to notice!). So the eggs may be fertile. Usually they will behave as you have described – the male spends most of his time outside the nest, and may even feed the female during the incubation time (21-26 days). Both will tend to be more aggressive and high strung at this time, so disturb them as little as possible; try to minimize cleaning etc. if possible. Usually they will return to their former selves once the chicks have fledged.

Please let me know which species you have…most raise the young well if not stressed. Be sure the parents are given a varied, balanced diet. Adding some sprouts and additional greens is useful, and continue with or add a high quality vitamin supplement and a calcium source. Egg Food should also be offered, although not all Lovebirds will accept it.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Jeff,

Thanks for the feedback. They may be Peach Faced L:ovebirds – please check These Photos.

Please do not check the eggs, as this will stress the parents,. Possibly cause them to abandon the nest. Nothing you could do in any event if the eggs are broken, If they are not fertile, the female will abandon them at the end of the usual incubation time.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Hello Jeff,

Thanks for your note…good idea to move them, just make sure you alert them via a whistle that you are approaching if the room’s door is closed – don’t just open the door w/o warning, never put on a room light in an otherwise dark room, etc.

Lovebird parents usually do very well,….just add the food items I mentioned last time, and please write back anytime.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Jeff,

Gad you identified them and yes, please check in. I’ve spent most of my career at the Bronx Zoo, still do some field work when the opportunity comes up. I post new articles twice weekly on ThatBirdBlog, should you wish to take a look.

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Shanyn, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog and sorry for the bad news. Had your bird actually killed the other, you would have seen more evidence of trauma…in any event, this is very rare; stress is not good for any bird, but also would not likely have caused the death. Lovebirds can form same sex pairs, courting and nesting without mating…this can lead to problems in captive birds; mated pairs also may suddenly fight when on eggs – there are lots of hormones affecting birds at this time, and the confines of captivity what might have otherwise been a squabble may turn very serious.

Lovebirds are misnamed in some ways – they are among the most aggressive of parrots, and very hard to pair up. A new bird at this point would be risky – you would need to be sure of the sexes and to be prepared to house them apart. They are social by nature, but will not expire/pine away w/o a mate as is sometimes suggested. Its better for them to have company, in order to avoid boredom, screaming, plucking and so on, but having a canary nearby will help, as will attention from you – you may find that the bird becomes closer to you in time than it was in the past. Plenty of toys and activities are important – foraging toys and the like are especially useful.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Jeff,

Great news, thanks for letting me know! There is usually an interval of 1-2 days between hatching, but this can vary by a day or so. Usually all are fertile. Just try not to check on them too much, keep the room quiet and limit what you do in the cage, cleaning and all, as stress can cause them to abandon the eggs., Lovebirds may also become aggressive toward people at this time, even if usually friendly.

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Shanyn,

Thanks for taking the time to write back, I’m glad the info was helpful. Please check in from time to time, and let me know if you need anything in the future,

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Falvo, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog. Unfortunately, is nearly impossible to distinguish the sexes of the most commonly-kept species (I don’t believe you mentioned what species you have) by eye…you’ll need to watch their behavior carefully (please see article text for further details). DNA testing is the most reliable method, if that is available to you.

Taming lovebirds kept in a group is not easy, and their personalities vary a great deal. Please check out this article on Parrot Socialization, which is the first step in taming.

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Giovana, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks so much for the kind words.

The two species can breed – please check out this photo of Peach-faced/ Fischer’s hybrids.

You will likely tire of adding wood chips before the birds tire of discarding it! Some pairs will use chips, but most prefer to strip bark from fruit tree branches (be sure they are pesticide-free. Dried palm fronds are also favored – florists/greenhouses usually have these on hand and have no real use for them. You can also try dried grasses, especially long, thick-bladed varieties.

The birds may be difficult to handle when they pair up, but their interesting behavior is a fine trade-off!

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Giovana,

My pleasure, thanks for the feedback.

Perhaps there are eggs?…although in this case usually only 1 would incubate. I wouldn’t disturb them to check, but try to peek in when they both come out. Females also tend to stay in the nest just before laying; also, it’s easy to make a mistake when sexing the birds – sometimes 2 females will bond and lay infertile eggs.

Please let me know how things progress,

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Giovana,

Perhaps there are eggs?…although in this case usually only 1 would incubate. I wouldn’t disturb them to check, but try to peek in when they both come out. Females also tend to stay in the nest just before laying; also, it’s easy to make a mistake when sexing the birds – sometimes 2 females will bond and lay infertile eggs.

Please let me know how things progress,

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Anne, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog. Check out some online photos of Peach-faced Lovebirds; the green/orange combination is typical, the other bird may be a different color phase that has been developed by breeders.

There’s no way to predict the chicks’ colors or sexes; but they will likely be a very interesting mix considering the parents. Best to leave them alone as much as possible – don’t look into nest, just do basic cleaning/feeding, keep room quiet, don’t turn lights on suddenly if dark, etc. so that they do not abandon the nest. Let me know if you need more info,

Good luck and please keep me posted; I look forward to some good news!

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Anne, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for the feedback and congrats on the good news! Lovebirds are usually good parents, but small, weak chicks sometimes do not survive. Unfortunately, it’s best not to intervene…if you try to remove the chick and hand feed (very difficult) the parents may abandon the nest.

Be sure to provide them with extra greens (sprouts, kale, dandelion, romaine lettuce, etc.) at this time. It’s also useful to add some moistened tree bark (fruit tree bark, willow) if available, or some pine wood chips (as sold for use with small animal pets) as the parents may add this to the nest to raise the humidity. Do not used cedar, as it can be toxic.

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Giovana, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest in our blog. It’s not uncommon for females to bond, act as a pair and become territorial. As you suspect, separating them can cause problems, including screaming, feather plucking etc. Unfortunately, it would be very difficult to introduce a male to 2 females under any circumstances…if he paired with one, both might attack the other when they nest. You can sometimes give the mail a “home advantage” by introducing an aggressive female to his cage, but introducing the 2 would not work. In large outdoor aviaries multiple pairs sometimes work out, but you would need 2 males and plenty of space…sorry, no simple answer to this one.

Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello Sheila, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your kind words and the interesting post.

While mixed-species pairs can work out, problems such as you describe are very common; added to this is the fact that captivity itself often influences normal nesting behavior. Despite the “love” part of their name, lovebirds are actually among the most difficult birds to pair up – established pairs of the same species, however, are usually good parents.

It may be that the male is programmed to spend time in the nest, but, as this is not the norm for peach-faced lovebirds, the female is trying to keep him out. Stress, even after he is removed, may prevent her from incubating the eggs. If she does incubate, the clutch may not hatch as, without a male, she’ll need to leave for food and water.

Unfortunately there’s not much that can be done…they will continue to fight if re-introduced, and the chances of the eggs hatching will be reduced further. I would keep them apart (different rooms may be necessary at this point, in order to reduce stress on both. She’ll abandon the eggs if they do not hatch within the usual incubation period. A same-species mate would be best, but give the female a month or so after she leaves the nest before trying to pair her.

As for heat, depending upon the size and temperature of the room, you might wish to consider an oil-filled radiator (these provide even heat throughout the room) or, for localized heating, a ceramic heater as is sold for use with reptiles.

Sorry I do not have brighter news,

Good luck and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for your interest. I answer all questions promptly – have I missed a post of yours? I look forward to hearing from you,

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.

Thanks for the feedback, congrats! Development is fairly slow – they take 6-8 weeks to fledge, so you may not see noticeable changes right away. The parents are very cautious at this point, which is why they are coming out when you are nearby. They can still abandon the nest at this stage, so avoid disturbing them. Provide soaked seeds, sprouts and chopped kale, dandelion and other greens, which they will feed to the chicks, as well as extra food for the adults, as the female especially will need extra calories now.

Please see this article on sprouting seeds.

Please let me know if you need any further information. Good luck, enjoy and please keep me posted.

Best regards, Frank Indiviglio.