Lovebird vs Linnie

[wafic]

I want to know which parrot I want to get. I previously owned a lovebird but it sadly died. I want a parrot with the following personality traits:
-fun
-not too loud(doesn't scream constantly)
-likes to be pet
-doesn't pluck feathers
-likes to hang out

I heard that linnies are bad pets because they are hand shy and become afraid of a persons hand. I want to know if this is true?

Also I am leaning towards a lovebird and I want to get one that is very young. So which sub species do you guys recommend?? and there are no breeders that sell lovebirds, so does it matter if I don't get a human raised one.

Ok thank you

[LadySaphine]

Steve is such a great little bird! Yes, he is a little shy, but he steps up. He makes the cutest little laughing and grumpy noises and when he chirps he sounds like a budgie. He was really bitey when we first got him (in the first two days) but hasn't bitten hard yet. He loves to explore and just be on your shoulder.

He's also very clumsy and loves food. He is clipped, unfortunately (the breeder clipped him), but he does want to fly, since he does make many crash landings.

So far, Steve seems to be the perfect apartment pet (we have a house, but if you live in an apartment...) because he's pretty quiet. Linnies are known to be ground feeders and Steve likes to walk around on the bottom of his cage. He will also hang from the top of his cage and be 'Batbird'!

The breeder we got Steve from had also raised parrotlets and lovebirds, and from her I've heard lovebirds can be mean and territorial to each other. But I've never had a lovebird before, only South American birds!

[Pajarita]

Linnies do much better as aviary birds than pets and they are not what you would call cuddly. Lovies are usually territorial and bitey but I've had a couple that were very affectionate and mild-mannered - granted that I've had many so I would say the percentage of 'good' ones is very small.

[hnhobu]

Breed only has so much to do with a parrot's personality. You could adopt the nicest most social bird in the world, but if you don't train it right it will become aggressive and adopt behaviors like plucking.

Any bird can have the qualities that you listed (although, some breeds are just loud no matter what...), but it will take a lot of work and patience to get them there.

With that said, some breed are more prone to certain things. Lovebird are very loveable entertaining birds, but they are very hands-on and require a lot of time and a lot of training. They will always push the boundaries, and if you give them an inch they will take a mile. They require a lot of exercise and a lot of snuggling.

Linnies are comparable to lovebirds, but they're more nervous and a bit more cautious and timid. They're not as testy as lovebirds, but they still require a lot of patience and a lot of training.

Other breeds you might be interested in are Cockatiels and Maroon Bellied conures.

[Pajarita]

I disagree. There are hundreds of species of psittacines living in different continents and different climate zones and, although they all share certain physical characteristics, their temperaments vary as night from day. Some are naturally cuddly (like toos), some are very highstrung (like grays), some are little clowns (like caiques), some are borderline cantankerous (like quakers), some are perch potatoes (like zons), some are mate-oriented (like lovies) while others are more flock-oriented (like budgies and tiels), some would never bicker with a flock mate (like conures) while others would (like zons) and I could go on and on. And I am not speaking from something that I read on a birdsite, I am speaking from personal experience.

[hnhobu]

Oh, I agree but when it comes to having a bird that likes to hang out and doesn't scream, it really comes down to training.

[wafic]

OK thank you to everyone that answered (Pajarita, hnhobu, and LadySaphine)!!! I decided to drop the idea of getting a Linnie, mostly because of the unavailability of their species in my country. So, I am now stuck between parrotlets and lovebirds... I am obsessed with the blue pacific parrotlet and the blue masked lovebird. I just want to know now if their are any big differences between lovies and p'lets, and do they really become untame if you don't handle them every day??

[hnhobu]

P'lets and lovebirds are a lot alike, but parrotlets are much feisty and require a lot more patience and training. I've found in my experience that love birds are more affectionate and handleable in the long run, but again, it depends on the temperament of the parrot. In general, lovebirds are a safer bet when you're a relatively new parrot owner.

Both breeds are very hands-on and require you to spend a lot of time handling them or else they will become aggressive. They will always try to test the boundaries, and they will have little hissy fits here and there just like a toddler would.... You just have to be patient and stick to your training routine.

[Pajarita]

The trick to an even-tempered bird is a strict solar schedule (to avoid sexual frustration), good full spectrum lights during the day (for good vision, healthy appetite and serotonin production), a healthy diet (we all are what we eat) and a super strict daily schedule (and that means weekends and when you are not feeling well, also). But, in the case of lovies and plets, you also have to spend many, many hours with them.

[wafic]

Ok everyone so I got a fishers lovebird and I want to let him breed. The babies will be parent raised but I want to get them to socialize with humans at an early age. Would it really matter if they were parent raised when I want to socialize them?


Ok bye