Are you considering adopting a peach-cheeked lovebird? These birds are adorable, smart, and playful! While they can make great companions, prepare yourself for a large enclosure that will get messy, hours of daily interaction while your bird gets time outside of the cage, and a 15+ year lifespan.
Continue reading for our full peach-cheeked lovebird care guide.
What is a Peach-Cheeked Lovebird?
Peach-cheeked lovebirds are small parrots known for their playfulness, sociability, and tendency to mate for life. Though they’re highly intelligent, they aren’t known for speaking human language, though they can be chatty when it comes to chirping or whistling.
While some of these lovebirds can be feisty, this is usually due to poor socialization. With consistent, kind interactions, they can make sweet, loving pets.
From head to tail, peach-cheeked lovebirds are about five to seven inches long. Male birds tend to be small and lithe, while females are more plump. The most common coloring in peach-cheeked lovebirds is green with a peach-colored face and blue on the backside. However, selective breeding has led to a wide range of color variations.
These birds can live 15+ years with proper care.
Should You Adopt One or Two Peach-Cheeked Lovebirds?
As you may imagine, these birds do best with the companionship of other peach-cheeked lovebirds. This typically means housing them in pairs, though they can also do well in groups. Bonded pairs can live together, but sometimes birds prefer having their own space and interacting outside of their cages.
While some people say that bonded birds won’t be as willing to interact with their human families, this isn’t true if the birds are well-socialized. It can take time to bond with your new birds, but you never want them to interact with you out of desperation for company but because they want to!
Humans cannot fully replace the enrichment and socialization that another bird can provide.
Setting Up Your Peach-Cheeked Lovebird Enclosure
Preparing the Environment
First, let’s discuss some changes you may need to make in your home before adopting a peach-cheeked lovebird and the best place to keep their cage.
Unfortunately, many common household items are toxic to lovebirds. Notably, you’ll want to replace any nonstick cookware, such as Teflon, as these items produce fumes that are highly toxic to birds. Smoking in the home should also be avoided.
Other things to avoid include candles, air fresheners, and scented cleaners. These items may be okay in a far-off room, but never near your lovebird or their cage.
When it comes to location, place your lovebirds where they’ll get the most interaction day to day, such as in the living room, where your family spends a lot of time together. Avoid the kitchen so that your birds aren’t breathing in fumes from the stove.
Ensure that your birds are safe from other pets, with a secure cage kept well out of reach of dogs and cats. Ideally, choose a space that other pets can be shut out of while the birds are out of the cage. Peach-cheeked lovebirds should be kept in an indoor environment that remains between 65-80°F throughout the entire year.
Setting Up The Cage
While 24” x 24” is the minimum cage size for peach-cheeked lovebirds, bigger is always better. Remember that these birds are playful and energetic and need space to fly around. We suggest purchasing the largest cage you can fit into your space, with one caveat. The space between cage bars should be around ⅝” or smaller to prevent your lovebirds from getting their heads stuck or escaping the cage altogether. Once you have a cage picked out, here’s what you’ll need for set-up:
- Paper-based substrate
- A variety of toys
- Two food dishes per bird – one for fresh food and one for pellets
- One large water dish per bird that they can fit inside to bathe
- A variety of perches in various sizes and materials to keep your birds’ feet healthy
Toys should be rotated to prevent boredom. Keep a few in the cage at once and add new toys one by one to prevent stress. Avoid toxic materials, including lead, zinc, and galvanized metal, as well as toys with small parts that may become choking hazards. When it comes to perches, avoid abrasive materials that can hurt the feet.
If you have more than one bird, set up separate food and water stations for each to decrease the risk of territorial behaviors. Avoid setting bowls below perches, as the birds’ poop may fall into the bowls.
UV Lighting
Most windows filter out UV light, meaning that indoor birds may not get enough of it to stay healthy. Birds use UV light to produce vitamin D.
Your lovebirds will either need a couple of hours of safe outdoor time or 10-12 hours near a full-spectrum UV light each day. Keep supplemental lighting about 12-18” away from your bird’s favorite perch.
Remember to never leave your birds outside unattended and to keep them in a very secure cage or harness at all times. Monitor them closely and never place them in full sun.
Peach-Cheeked Lovebird Diet
The majority of your peach-cheeked lovebird’s diet should consist of a high-quality parrot pellet, with the rest consisting of fresh fruit, vegetables, and a small amount of treats. Remember that treats should never make up more than 10% of your bird’s daily calories.
It’s important not to overfeed seeds, as too many can lead to health problems. Always research fresh foods before feeding, as some foods are toxic to birds or otherwise unhealthy.
If your bird doesn’t eat their fresh food, remove it within 10 hours so that it doesn’t rot or attract pests. Dump and replace uneaten pellets once a day.
Peach-Cheeked Lovebird Care and Grooming
Cleaning the Enclosure
Clean food and water bowls daily, removing any uneaten food from the dishes. Clean the entire cage at least one to two times weekly, replacing the substrate and wiping the cage down with a cleaner made for bird enclosures.
Do not use regular household cleaners, as they can cause respiratory problems. Remove your birds from the area before cleaning, rinse items thoroughly with water before replacing them in the cage, and allow everything to dry before putting your birds back into their enclosure.
Time Outside of the Cage
These birds will need at least 4-6 hours outside of their cage every single day, with more being ideal. This is a great time to get them used to handling and human attention and to get to know your unique birds!
Peach-cheeked lovebirds are smart, social, and energetic. Enrichment through foraging toys, interacting with humans and other birds, and time outside the cage is essential to keeping them happy and preventing unwanted behaviors.
If your bird is biting the cage bars, feather-plucking, screaming excessively, or exhibiting other stress behaviors, they likely need more enrichment.
Grooming
These lovebirds require large water dishes where they can bathe themselves regularly. If your bird doesn’t bathe themself, you can gently mist them with a spray bottle a few times a week.
Your bird shouldn’t need their beaks trimmed so long as they’re healthy and well-cared for. If you notice abnormalities or overgrowth, speak with your veterinarian.
Carefully trim your bird’s nails as needed, or hire a professional for help.
