Buying a lovebird that looks sick or depressed just because you feel sorry for it is not a good idea. If you truly feel that trying to save such a bird is your mission, then you should feel free to do so. However, you must remember that such birds will need the attention of an avian veterinarian, and you may have to administer medications for some time to bring the lovebird to a good state of health. In some cases, you may end up with a chronically ill lovebird or one that has a long-term, debilitating disease, such as psittacine beak and feather disease(PBFD).
Unfortunately, recognizing a sick bird is often difficult. Birds instinctively know this bird may attract predators and threaten the safety of the whole flock.
You have to be observant to recognize the more subtle signs of health:
* Slightly fluffed appearance (not when the bird is sleepy)
* Discharge from the nares (nasal area)
* Stained vent (soft feces or diarhea)
* Wheezing sound
* Feather deformities
* Lethargic or uninterested in activity or interaction

A healthy lovebird should have bright eyes, full healthy feathering, be active and alert, and be generally clean and well-groomed. If in doubt, trust your instincts. Remember that young lovebirds have muted colors compared with adult lovebirds. A lovebird may take up a year to achieve the colors of an adult bird fully. With peachfaced lovebirds, you can sometimes determine the general age of the bird by looking at its beak. A very young bird will still have some black on its beak. However, this is not true of all mutations. For example, pied peachfaced lovebirds do not usually have any black on the beak.