The Basics:

This is a small bird with a big personality and a beautiful face dramatically set off by its distinctive “mask” coloration. Like all Lovebirds, it is smart, active, curious and full of life. It can also become devoted to its human companions. However, like all Lovebirds, it can also be aggressive, territorial and nippy. Unless it is socialized early, it may well have little use for the company of humans compared to other birds.

Cage:

Masked Lovebirds are active, curious birds that need room to play and explore inside their cage.  The minimal cage size for a Masked Lovebird would be 24” long by 24”wide by 24” high. This space should be increased by 50% if a second bird is added. Space between the bars should be 3/8”.

CAUTION

In most cases, more space is more desirable for birds. However, when increasing the size of a Masked Lovebird’s cage, the bird’s human companion must be careful to maintain a safe (narrow) space between the bars. The bars of a cage have to be narrow enough to prevent a bird from sticking his head in between. Bars that are spaced too far apart for the bird’s size can result in serious and even fatal injuries.

Positioning The Cage:

Positioning the Masked Lovebird’s cage in a family room or other area where there is a lot of activity will help socialize this bird and strengthen his bond with his human companions.  However, it’s important to provide the bird with a sense of security by placing his cage in an area that is not in the direct traffic path of his human companions. Ideally the cage should be placed with a wall near two of its sides, so no family member can walk all the way around it. Areas exposed to direct sunlight or drafts should be avoided when choosing a spot for a bird’s cage. Any place in or near a kitchen should also be off limits, since smoke from cooking and fumes from nonstick cookware can prove can cause serious, even fatal, complications for a bird.

Playthings:

Playing provides a good outlet for this active, intelligent bird, so plenty of toys, including some good climbing ones, should be provided. Since Masked Lovebirds are also inveterate chewers, their cage should be stocked with toys that they can work over with their busy beaks.

Perches:

A variety of perches of made of different materials and of different diameters should be provided to the Masked Lovebird. A perch should be placed in front of, but not above, food and water dishes.

Play Time Outside The Cage:

Masked Lovebirds can become quite tame, but must receive regular handling and attention to reinforce their good behavior.  Outside the cage playing on a play gym and with other toys also provides mental stimulation. Extra care should be taken to supervise Masked Lovebirds outside the cage. Their small size makes it easy for them to become lost in the folds of a drape or under a pillow. They are also fast flyers with a talent of escaping. Any Lovebird should be trained to play in an avian playpen.

Grooming:

Consult veterinarian or literature about trimming nails and possibly flight feathers.

Bathing:

Provide a shallow bowl of chlorine-free water for supervised bathing or mist bird with chlorine-free water at least 2-3 times weekly. Avoid drafts. Remove bath bowl when finished. A Lovebird should be given a bath or misting at least two to three times a week. Many Lovebirds like to give themselves a bath by going into a shallow bowl of water and flapping their wings.

Diet:

Between 70%-80% of a Masked Lovebird’s diet can consist of pellets, with fruits, vegetables and nuts providing most of the rest, along with seeds as occassional treats. Pellets must be replaced if they become soiled, damp, or mixed with other foods. Fruits and vegetables can be offered twice daily for as long as they are fresh, usually about 2 hours. Fruits and vegetables should be rinsed, dried and cut into appropriately sized pieces before being offered to this bird. Masked Lovebirds like to use their powerful beaks to crack open nuts. Provide additional calcium i.e. cuttlebone during egg laying. Clean, filtered chlorine-free water should be consistently available.

A Note About Water:

All water given to birds for drinking, as well as water used for misting, soaking or bathing must be 100% free of chlorine and heavy metals.  (Not all home water filtration systems remove 100% of the chlorine and heavy metals from tap water, so check your system's specifications before using it to filter water for your pet.) We recommend that you use unflavored bottled drinking water or bottled natural spring water and never untreated tap water. Do not use distilled water, which can cause severe medical problems, since it lacks minerals that are essential to important body functions.