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Behavior and Training of Lovebirds
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Lovebirds can sometimes exhibit what appears to be very odd behavior. They might hang from the top of the cage and start bobbing. I have one lovebird who sits on the top of his swing and hits the bell, squealing as if another lovebird is attacking him. Many times I have come into the room to see if some lovebirds are fighting, only to see this battle between wolf and his bell. Saying what is normal for your particular lovebird is hard. I have yet to find two lovebirds whose behavior is exactly alike.
One behavior that some owners find discocerting is rubbing on the perches or toys in the cage. Most likely if you see this behavior you have a male. this is an instictive sexual behavior, and is totally normal. You may notice an increase in frequency during certain times of the year, especially when cold wheather first starts to turn warm. Some male lovebirds do this rarely; some seem to make it one of their primary activities. It is a way for them to release frustration. Spraying a male lovebird with water or otherwise punishing for this behavior is a waste of time. It is completely natural. One parent finally gave up trying to hide this behavior and actually used it to broach the subject of the lovebirds and the bees with her son. For both hens and males, you can avoid stimulating these types of behaviors when they are out of the cage by not petting the rump area. Males will also sometimes regurgitate for their owner the same way they would for their mate. Just be sure that this is merely a mating behavior. If you see any signs of illness, this could be due to something other than affection toward you.
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