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Question:

November 4, 2020

lovebird scared


hi so we just got a lovebird a little over a week ago and he loves to come out of his cage but runs away when we get near him. we had his wings clipped but he still flies away and also flies into walls and objects which scares me because i don’t want him to get hurt. will he ever be comfortable with us holding him?


Answer:

Hi Sam,

If he wasn’t hand fed, he will be challenging to try to tame. It isn’t impossible, but you are looking at months, or much longer. It depends on the bird, age, individual temperament and what species of lovebird. Some are easier to tame than others. even the color mutation can have an effect on temperament.

To begin with, it is much too soon to be letting him out of the cage or to be trying to handle him. He needs to learn to trust you first. If you just let him come and go as he pleases, he has no reason to bond with you. You need to start with just sitting near the cage and talking to him, keeping your hands out of sight. When you notice he is showing an interest, making eye contact and moving closer to you, the next step is getting him used to your hands. This means just resting your hand near the cage. You never want to reach for him or grab him. Birds are prey animals, and if you grab him, it makes him feel like you are a predator who wants to hurt him. I’m going to give you the links to our taming and training information as well as bird behavior. We also recently hosted a webinar that discusses how to develop a bond with your bird. You need to be patient and consistent. And again do not let him out or he will just keep fleeing and can end up injuring himself or worse.

Teaching Your Bird

Pet Bird and Parrot Behavior

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda

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