BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Birds Peachface Lovebird question.

Okay, I got a Peachface Lovebird Parot for my birthday a month ago. I have seen good results.. Let me just tell you what I did, then I will ask my question.

When I first got it, It was extremly skidish around everyone. So, I kept beinging it out, and bringing it back to me until it would stay on me. I trianed it to my left shoulder. Then, after I would fight it outr of the cage, I would put it on my shoulder, and sit down and watch T.V. with it. Then, after that, I trianed it to come to my right hands index finger. Now im teaching it to fly to me.. I have gotten good results.

The problem I have is getting it out of the cage. It just doesnt ever want to leave. And, it does play with any of its toys. I have a mirror, 3 bells, Different colored shapes, and different colored flavored block on a chain. PLUS, and chain hanging so it can climbd it. But it does play with them.. The questions I would like answered is, why doesnt it want to come of its cage? Why wont it play with its toys? And, How can I get it to do these things?


NOTE: I take the bird almost everywhere with me. Even outside, and it almost never flys off.. Not even when Im around hundreds of other birds, it dont come off my should unless I take it off. Just incase it helps.


Thanks guys.

You're actually doing great with your little guy. In one short month, you have him enjoying your company enough that he stays on your shoulder as well as coming to you when you call him. Thats terrific! :music:

Many birds are possessive of their cages & don't like a hand going into it. They prefer to come out on their own & come to you from the top of the cage. Have you tried just opening the cage & walking away for a short distance to allow him to come out on his own? :beamedup:

You do want him to come to you whether he is in the cage, on top of the cage or somewhere else though. So, as well as allowing him to come out on his own & then step up some of the time, you really should continue taking him out of the cage so he understands that he has to come. Don't be forceful - but insist that he come.

My lovebird Tracy, doesn't play with toys either. He never has & he has plenty in his cage all the time. I put in different ones, but he never plays with one (at least that I've seen). You could play with the toys yourself a bit while he is watching & possibly he will decide to play with them himself.

Now - the part about you taking him outside on your shoulder scare me. If there is a bit of a wind, just as he tries to fly, he will be taken away from you by the wind. I know of someone who lost a baby lovebird that had its wings clipped and never found him again.

Okay, Allow me to put some more info on this. Just yesterday I have taken off the top of the cage so that it came come in and out when it pleases. And I also keep the door open just incase he would prefer going out that way.

As for me taking him outside. Well, I'm normally in my back yard. Its wide open, no bushes.. Just grass. And I even let him down, he loves to play in the grass. Thats why I take him out there. Oh, and he also like to eat it <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> .

I guess Im doing okay, I was just getting a bit unpatient. After I got the top of the cag off, I put his top pirch right near the top. And, then I started to put my finger out, and started calling him like I do when he is out. He wouldnt come, infact he went the other way. But the way I train my bird is, I have a big container of nothing but my birds favorite seed. And I poor some into the cap, and reward it with them everytime it does something I want it to do.

Anyway, I showed him the cap of seeds, and thats all, and then called him. He cam running on over, jumped on my hand. I rewarded him. Its going smoothly. As long as I keep rewarding him, and giving him a fun time while hes out. I think the proccess would move along quite quickly. :rolling:

P.S. Happy Easter!

Sounds like you are really enjoying your bird! But please be careful to pay attention when he is outside as anything could happen...another animal could be hiding and ready to pounce, he could eat something harmful or get parasites, or he could fly away if his wings aren't clipped! Never ever think they wouldn't fly away, as mine did once from being startled and fortunately we got him back but only after a very long, restless 3-days! Also, I think you have to do more enjoyable things with your bird when he is out for him to associate being out with paying attention to you. Take some time to hold him on your finger, maybe pet him abit, talk to him, or jiggle a toy around for him to play with in your hand. If memory serves me right, lovebirds are pretty hyper, but playful and probably just have a smaller attention span...sorta' like a 3-yr old!LOL! Good luck! :rolling:

I'm also frightened about the part of taking the bird outside. I've read of birds of prey swooping in and grabbing parrots off their owner's shoulders. Since you're doing such an amazing job taming this lovely pet, how about training it to a harness or flight suit so you at least have it under some control outside? I see another thread on this somewhere below this one. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />