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Lovebird nighttime behavior

Hello! I have a two-part question about my budgie (male) and lovebird (female). 1- Since they are tropical birds, should they have a lamp giving them extra daylight in winter months, when night lasts around 15-16 hours where I live? 2- My female lovebird has a habit, when it gets dark, of gripping the bars at the bottom of her cage with her feet and madly flapping her wings for minutes at a time. Is she just exercising or is there something else going on? Usually this stops when I cover the cage, though she keeps fussing around a bit before settling down. Not sure if she needs something, or if it’s normal behavior. Thanks!

Hi,

I would not provide extra light, or this could actually trigger their hormones. In the wild, they would experience the same changes in the length of day that we do – only at different times of the year. You don’t want the female to become a chronic egg layer, and longer days can do that. As for her behavior, she is getting some exercise. This may be her routine for winding down at the end of the day. I’ve had lovebirds that do that. She sounds very normal.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda