Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just wondering/asking for advice. One of my Lovebirds (1 1/2 years old) has died and i haven't got a clue why. Obviously you can't tell me why but just wondering if anyone has any ideas.

I came home tonight and i saw, Dum; my male love was dying and within a couple of minutes he had died. He seemed fine last night and this morning. Now i am concerned for the Dee, the female bird left. She is pretty quiet and not moving much now, she could be missing him she doesn't look ill , but then either did Dum.

I think i looked after them properly, changed the water 2/3times a day, regularly changed food and cleaned cage, a let them fly round the house a couple of times a week.

Just wonder if anyone has any advice what to do with Dee, the female left, and also any ideas of what couple have happened to Dum. i.e. is this a common story for lovebirds?

Thanks

I really don't think this is common for lovebirds or any other type of birds.

I would strongly suggest seeing a vet first and foremost to get a wellness exam done. Or a necropsy done on the one that died or both.

I would suggest removing your remaining lovebird from the cage it is in (I am guessing they shared a cage?) and clean the cage very thoroughly from top to bottom. Do not use a strong cleaner (like bleach) use a safe one like GSE or if you don't have or can't find that then use a mixture of vinegar and water. Make sure to clean all toys, perches bowls etc. More than likely if it was a bird contagious illness it will have already spread but still better to be safe. Make sure your female is eating well. Even though birds don't have the same feelings as humans (or at least not that we know of ) I do believe they show signs of grief. Whether that is because they notice a change in their owners attitude or mood, whether they sense the loss of a cagemate/playmate or if they actually understand death I don't have a clue, but they will show signs of moping around etc after a mate dies. Sometimes even if the other bird was of a different species and in a different cage. The lethargy etc could be caused by illness or by a kind of grief. They same would go for not eating as much. That is why either way I would suggest a trip to the vet.

As far as what caused the death I don't have a guess. There are so many sicknesses etc that a bird can get even if they are getting great care that without a vet checking a bird out I would't even be able to try a guess. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Thank you.

I have spoken to a vet, who suggested just keep an eye on the female for the time being. She seems fine for now apart from, like you say, not eating much. And also tried to get her out last night for a fly and she came out for 5 minutes and then went back into the cage. This is unusal for her as they never went back into the cage without my help. So i put this down to being alone and not having anyone to be with.

With this in mind, I think we will try and get the female a new companion. We are not there during the day so i think for her wellbeing she should have company. Once she seems to be back to her old self we will look into it. But i have a couple of questions regarding trying to find a new friend for her:

Does the type of lovebird make any difference? (she is a lutino and he was a Peach Faced)
Does age matter? She is about 18months, should we go for an older bird or baby?

Thank you