Ask Lafeber

Mating Behavior

Hi! So a few years ago my mom got a lovebird who we were told was a male but then she laid eggs lol. She has always been kind of aggressive to everyone but recently she has begun to like me, starting to lick my fingers from its cage. But one day we were listening to music and I was by her cage and she was dancing, then later she started mating behavior going into the stance and does this when I go to her cage. I know this can cause behavior issues so I don’t really know what to do about it.

Hi Sav,

One thing is to make sure she doesn’t have a nest, bird hut, tent or anything she can sit in and use as a nest. Also, don’t give her any paper or cardboard to shred, or anything she might try to use doe nesting material. When she exhibits this mating behavior, ignore her or try to get her interested in playing with a toy. If you do handle her, limit any petting to her head. Sometimes they will still end up laying eggs, and as long as it’s just one clutch and she stops, that’s OK. The issue is when a bird keeps laying eggs without stopping. When a female gets like that, you need to take her to an avian Vet for a hormone shot or implant.

Thank you for asking Lafeber,

Brenda