Ask Lafeber

Do lovebirds need separate space to sleep?

I have a 4 month old african lovebird (lutino) , a single bird. He/she , i dont know about its gender, i believe its a male. He was wounded and i found him in my backyard , but my question is when ever i switch off the lights during night time he latches on to the mesh of his cage and sleeps just holding on to it for about 6-8 hours , i feel bad for it . Do i need to get him anything to sleep like a box/nest/bed etc or is it just fine.

Hi Barath,

I actually just replied to this same question in regards to a green cheek conure. Lovebirds are another bird that likes to sleep hanging from the side of the cage. In the wild, they sleep in tall trees, and in captivity, they tend to prefer a high perch or they hang from a high point in the cage. I do not recommend the bird huts or tents. Birds do not sleep in a nest in the wild – a nest is a tool they use only during breeding season. A single bird never needs a nest, bird hut, tent, etc. Anything that is enclosed or partially enclosed will be viewed as a nest and your bird will become hormonal. With females, this can result in chronic egg laying and with males this can cause territorial aggression. I’m glad you were able to rescue this little guy. He is fine the way he sleeps, so don’t worry about him.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda