Lovebirds are granivorous birds that base their diet on the consumption of seeds. However, their diet also includes other foods such as fruits, vegetables and foods of animal origin. To meet the nutritional and behavioral needs of lovebirds, we must offer them a varied and balanced diet, while at the same time implementing environmental enrichment methods that stimulate their natural behaviors.
If you are wondering what lovebirds eat, we recommend that you read the following article on our site where we explain what foods you should include in your diet and how you should provide them.
Nutritional needs of lovebirds
The diet of small parrots, including lovebirds, should include the following proportion of food:
- 40% feed: feed for lovebirds should have around 15% protein, 8% fat and a 3% fiber.
- 30% fruit and vegetables: they are a source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- 30% of other foods: such as legumes, pasta, rice, sprouts and animal protein. They allow to complete and balance the diet.
We must bear in mind that the nutritional requirements of the animal will vary depending on the body size. For example, the larger species of lovebirds will have somewhat higher requirements, their activity level, age, time of their reproductive period and environmental conditions are also factors that will determine the proportion of their food. Therefore, it is important to take each of these aspects into account in order to offer your lovebird a adjusted diet to its needs.
Lovebird feeding
There are 9 species of wild lovebirds. Among them, the Agapornis roseicollis, personatus and fischeri are very common as domestic animals. Others such as the Agapornis lilianae, nigrigenis, pullarius, canus and taranta are much less frequent as domestic birds, and the Agapornis swinderniana are not directly found in captivity. Next, we are going to talk about the feeding of lovebirds, but first we will make a distinction to know what wild lovebirds and domestic lovebirds eat.
Feeding wild lovebirds
In their natural habitat, most species of lovebirds have a fairly similar diet. They are primarily granivorous birds, so much of their diet is based on the consumption of seeds. To a lesser extent, they also consume some leaves, young shoots, berries and fruits. Also, anecdotally, they may consume some flowers and insect larvae. It is worth mentioning that there are three species of lovebirds with a somewhat different diet, although they also they are granivorous.
- In the diet of the Agapornis pullarius, animal protein is somewhat more important, so they consume insect larvae more frequently than other species.
- The taranta lovebird is much more frugivorous than the rest (it often consumes the fruits of the fig tree).
- In the Agapornis swinderniana both the fruits and the insect larvae are particularly important.
However, these three species are very rare as pets, so most lovebird keepers will not have to consider the specific requirements.
Feeding domestic lovebirds
As we have already explained, lovebirds are granivorous birds whose diet is based on the consumption of seeds, but which also consume other types of food on a regular basis. Therefore, a suitable diet for domestic lovebirds should combine different foods in the right proportion. Next, we list the foods that should be part of the lovebirds' diet:
- Pelleted feed: they are made from cereal grains, legume seeds and oleaginous fruits. They should be the basis of the lovebirds' diet. Each grain of feed contains the right proportion of nutrients that the bird needs, which makes extruded feed perfectly balanced and homogeneous.
- Seed mixes (mixture): Mixtures for lovebirds usually include millet, hempseed, flaxseed, sunflower, oatmeal, etc. Although these seed mixtures have traditionally been used to feed birds, they have a major disadvantage compared to pelleted feed. Being mixtures of different seeds, birds tend to select those for which they feel predilection and discard the rest, which can unbalance their diet and produce nutritional deficiencies. For this reason, it is preferable that the basis of their diet be pelletized feed and offer seeds only occasionally.
- Fruits and vegetables: these are foods rich in vitamins and minerals that are also an important part of the lovebirds' diet. Fruits and vegetables rich in carotenoids and vitamin C (such as carrots, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli) and green leaves rich in vitamin K (such as lettuce, lamb's lettuce, spinach and arugula) should be included in the diet.. We can also provide other vegetables such as celery, green beans, pumpkin, sweet potato, strawberries, figs, etc.
- Grouted seeds: such as buckwheat, millet, barley, oats, wheat or hempseed. You can buy them directly or germinate the seeds yourself.
- Cooked legumes: chickpeas, lentils or soy.
- Cooked pasta and rice: including wholegrain pasta and rice.
- Animal protein: boiled egg and dairy (fresh cheese without s alt or natural yogurt).
How to feed a lovebird?
In this section we explain how and how often you should offer the different types of food to your lovebird:
- The feed: must be provided daily, as it is the basis of their diet.
- Fruits and vegetables: must be provided daily and vary each day of the week. Every day we will offer three or four different fruits and vegetables, specifically two fruits or vegetables rich in vitamin C and carotenoids, and some leaf rich in vitamin K. We will offer fruits raw, and vegetables we can offer them raw or cooked. Preferably we will cook those vegetables that improve their nutritional value when they are cooked, such as carrots or pumpkin.
- Cooked legumes: we will add them two or three times a week. We can combine the legumes with pasta or cooked rice: to improve the nutritional quality of the mixture. It is advisable to modify the type of pasta (spaghetti, spirals, etc.), since the different shapes and colors will also be a source of stimulation.
- The seed mixes: we will provide them once a week.
- The germinated seeds: we will provide them once a week. You should know that sprouts are products that are easily contaminated by fungi, so before offering them you should make sure that they are in perfect condition.
- Animal protein (egg or dairy): we will provide them once a week. You can offer the eggs with the shell included if you want to get an extra supply of calcium in their diet.
At this point, it is important to mention that lovebirds are very active birds that, in their natural habitat, are accustomed to foraging large part of the time and to fly long distances. Since pets cannot carry out these behaviors, it is important that we provide them with other strategies to maintain their high level of activity.
On the one hand, we must offer them a varied and different diet every day, since in this way we will be able to stimulate them sensorially and reproduce to a great extent what What would your diet be in its natural state? On the other hand, it is important that we provide some of the foods in their diet by implementing methods of environmental enrichment to stimulate their natural behaviors. The objective is to hide the food or complicate access to it so that they have to spend time getting the food. To do this, you can use toys with interior cavities or make homemade toys with paper rolls, strings. etc. With these strategies you will be able to cover their physical and emotional needs and you will favor the development of instinctive behaviors.
If you have doubts about whether you can have a lovebird alone?, don't hesitate to take a look at this other article on our site.
Forbidden food for lovebirds
In general, lovebirds can consume most foods of plant origin. However, there are some ingredients that we should exclude from your diet:
- Avocado.
- Eggplant.
- Parsley.
- Raw beans: they contain protease inhibitors but are inactivated by heat, so they can be offered cooked.
- Food of animal origin: meats, sausages and fish.
- S alty cheeses.
- Candy and chocolate.
- Coffee.
To care for your lovebird in the best way, we recommend that you read this article on the most common diseases of lovebirds and thus have a better understanding of their needs.
