Know before you bring one home
Meet the Peach-faced Lovebird.
A tiny parrot with no sense of its own size — bold, busy and genuinely territorial. Two widespread myths about lovebirds cost birds their lives every year, and both are worth clearing up before you buy.
Recognise the bird
Common colour variations.
These are colour mutations of the same Peach-faced Lovebird species and have the same care needs.
Wild type
Green body with a peach-pink face.
Lutino
Yellow body, orange-peach face and red eyes.
Turquoise / blue series
Blue-green body with a much paler face.
Daily life
Personality, housing & routine.
A safe enclosure is the starting point, not the bird’s entire world.
Personality
Fearless, energetic and full of character. Lovebirds are affectionate with their chosen person and openly hostile to birds they did not choose. They chew constantly and hens build nests out of anything they can shred.
Cage size & type
Minimum 80 × 50 × 60 cm, longer by preference. Bar spacing 10–13 mm. Never house lovebirds with budgies, cockatiels or any other species — lovebirds attack birds several times their size and cause serious injuries, including lost toes and beak damage.
Perches, toys & setup
Natural branch perches (10–18 mm), a constant supply of shreddable palm, paper and soft wood, foraging toys and a shallow bathing dish. Remove nest boxes and dark enclosed huts unless you intend to breed.
Time & social needs
2–3 hours out of the cage daily plus company. Lovebirds are busy birds that need something to destroy and someone to be near.
Exercise & enrichment
Shreddables above everything — palm leaf, plain paper, soft untreated wood, cardboard. A lovebird with nothing to shred will shred your wallpaper, books and curtains.
Noise & neighbours
Sharp, busy chatter and a high-pitched call. Not a screamer, but persistent and piercing for its size. Acceptable in most homes and workable in a flat.
Sleep
Provide 10–12 hours of quiet, uninterrupted darkness on a predictable schedule. Sleep-deprived parrots become irritable, scream more and are more likely to pluck.
Household safety
PTFE and non-stick fumes — pans, air fryers, self-cleaning ovens, some heaters and hair dryers — kill birds within minutes and are the most common preventable household death. Never house a bird in or near the kitchen. Also keep away from scented candles, incense, air fresheners, aerosols, cleaning sprays, pesticides, cigarette and vape smoke, ceiling fans, open water, hot pots, open windows and doors, electrical cables, toxic houseplants, and zinc or lead sources such as galvanised wire, costume jewellery and old paint. A cat scratch or bite is a medical emergency — cat saliva carries Pasteurella, which is usually fatal without immediate antibiotics.
Behaviour & warning signs
Two myths worth correcting. First, a lovebird kept alone does not die of loneliness — a single hand-tame bird thrives with daily human company, and a bonded pair will usually bond to each other rather than to you. Second, they are not gentle simply because they are small: territorial biting is common, particularly around the cage, and hens become markedly more aggressive when hormonal.
Important: Use positive reinforcement only. Never hit, shout at, squirt, drop or “beak-flick” a bird for biting or vocalising — punishment reliably makes both worse. Parrots are prey animals: they hide illness and they bite because a warning signal was missed, not out of spite. Learn your bird’s body language and the biting mostly stops.
Nutrition
Build health in the bowl.
A seed-only diet is the most common cause of premature death in pet parrots. Every species below needs a formulated base, daily fresh vegetables and measured portions — change any diet gradually, with an avian vet’s guidance.
What to feed
- A small-parrot or cockatiel-sized complete pellet as the foundation, converted gradually.
- If seed is fed, a measured 1–2 tablespoons of quality small-parrot mix per bird per day.
- Fresh greens and finely chopped vegetables daily: kale, broccoli, carrot, peppers, dandelion.
- Small portions of cooked legumes and whole grains.
- Millet and sunflower kernels only as training rewards.
- A cuttlebone at all times — critical for laying hens.
- Clean fresh water daily.
AVI Plus Complete Diet MaintenanceComplete formulated maintenance food.
Nature’s Nest Avian SoftgrainVet-formulated complete daily nutrition.
What NOT to feed
NEVER SHARE FOOD FROM YOUR MOUTH OR PLATE
- Avocado — every part of the plant, including guacamole.
- Chocolate and cocoa.
- Caffeine, alcohol and xylitol (sugar-free sweetener).
- Onion, garlic, chives and leeks.
- Fruit pips and stones: apple, pear, cherry, apricot, peach and plum.
- Raw or dried beans — all legumes must be thoroughly cooked.
- Rhubarb leaves.
- Salty, sugary, fried or processed human food.
- Dairy in more than a trace — birds cannot digest lactose.
- Mouldy or fermenting food, including fruit left in the bowl.
- Anything from your mouth, plate or fork — human saliva carries bacteria that kill birds.
- Grit. Parrots husk their own seed and grit can cause fatal impaction.
- Human medicines or supplements unless prescribed by an avian vet.
Peach-faced Lovebird-specific: Calcium is the priority in this species because so many hens lay. If your hen starts laying repeatedly, see an avian vet early — managing daylight hours, removing nesting material and adjusting diet is far safer than treating egg binding. Portions, hygiene and change: Measure food rather than filling a bowl to the brim, and weigh your bird weekly on a gram scale — appetite is a poor guide, weight is not. Remove fresh food after two to three hours in warm weather; bacteria in a warm bowl cause more illness than most owners realise. Wash bowls daily in hot soapy water. Change any diet gradually over several weeks under an avian vet’s guidance — a bird that stops eating during a rushed pellet conversion can die in 48 hours.
Health & veterinary care
Birds hide illness. Act early.
Chronic egg-laying and egg binding are very common in hens, even with no male present. Also watch for obesity, PBFD, feather plucking and Pacheco's disease.
Recommended specialist
Bryanston Avian, Exotic & Small Animals Clinic
99 Grosvenor Road, Bryanston, Johannesburg
011 706 1381 · WhatsApp 061 533 9950
info@baesac.co.za · baesac.co.za
Arrange an avian-vet examination within the first week after purchase, and weigh your bird weekly on a gram scale. Not every vet treats birds — find your nearest avian-experienced practice before you need one, and save the number.
Seek avian-vet help urgently for:
- Difficulty or open-mouth breathing
- Pronounced tail bobbing at rest
- Fluffed, quiet and sitting on the cage floor
- Collapse or severe weakness
- Bleeding that does not stop, including a broken blood feather
- Seizures or loss of balance
- Repeated vomiting or regurgitation
- Not eating, or noticeable weight loss
- Straining, a swollen abdomen, or a hen unable to pass an egg
- Sudden major change in droppings
- Any contact with a cat or dog, even a minor scratch
- Suspected poisoning, fumes or trauma
- A hen straining, sitting fluffed on the floor or walking with a wide stance — suspect egg binding
- Any wound from another bird
Before you buy
Ask the seller for the hatch date, the closed ring number, a DNA sex certificate and any disease screening already done. A seller who cannot answer those questions, or who will not let you watch the bird eat, is a seller to walk away from. Ask what the bird is currently eating, so you can keep it stable for the first fortnight.
Your first month
Book a wellness examination in the first week, not just when something looks wrong. Quarantine a new bird for 30–45 days away from any birds you already keep, ideally in separate air space. Recommended screening: psittacine beak and feather disease (PBFD), psittacosis (Chlamydia psittaci), polyomavirus and avian bornavirus.
Ongoing & human health
Annual check-ups, moving to twice yearly for larger species over ten. Wing clipping is not routine care — discuss it first, because flight builds fitness, balance and confidence. Psittacosis passes to people as a flu-like illness or pneumonia: if you develop unexplained respiratory symptoms, tell your doctor you keep birds.
Is this your bird?
Who this species suits.
Being honest about this before you buy is the kindest thing you can do for a parrot.
First-time owners
Yes, for an owner who wants a small, characterful bird and accepts that lovebirds bite when territorial.
Experienced owners
Rewarding and easy to keep well; often kept as breeding pairs or as a single closely bonded companion.
Families & children
Suitable for families with children roughly eight and up, supervised — the bite is sharp for a bird this size and comes with little warning.
Whatever your experience: buy from a seller who lets you meet the bird, answers questions about diet and hatch date, and takes the bird back if things go wrong. Ask about adoption too — rescues and sanctuaries are full of the species on this list, and an adult bird’s temperament is already known.
The commitment
Can you provide a good life?
“A happy bird isn’t just loved — it is understood, fed properly, kept safe and cared for every single day.”
I will not house this bird with budgies, cockatiels or any other species.
I can supply shreddable material every single day.
I understand a single lovebird is fine with daily company, and a pair will bond to each other.
I can get avian-vet care quickly if a hen has egg trouble.
If several answers are “No”, this is not the right bird for you — and walking away is a good outcome, not a failure.
Love birds? Help one that needs you.
Support Wings of Kindness and help us care for birds in need.