why is he doing this

[julywandy]

Hi
Kiwi is a Love Bird and he has been doing something that I've never seen, he picks on the newspaper and he rolls up the pieces and sticks them in his feathers it is so weired and at the same time funny when he continues playing and walking all over as if he had nothing on him. He won't let me take the pieces off from his back feathers, his back looks lumpy from the newspaper pieces under his feathers Is there a reson for him to so this or is it some kind of game for Kiwi? he surprises me every day...

[willowbirdy218]

I think that would be nesting behavior...

[Melika]

Originally Posted by willowbirdy218

I think that would be nesting behavior...

That it is. :) Lovebirds, both male and female in most subspecies, both help build the nest. They tend to cut strips of papers up and tuck them on their back. Try not to give your lovebird and dark spaces to be in all the time, as this can stimulate breeding behavior in lovebirds and many are quite protective of whatever they deem to be their nest. But even a bird not breeding will tuck paper in their feathers. It's very fun to watch!

May I ask if you know for sure your lovebird is male? Most lovebirds, including the peachface, are monomorphic meaning both sexes look alike. You cannot determine the sex of your lovebird just by looking. DNA testing is the most stress free way to determine gender. But for a pet, it really doesn't matter! :icon_surp

[Beaks]

Quakers do the same thing it's pretty funny to watch them run around like porcupines lol.

John

[Monica]

I'd say that you most likely have a female lovebird showing nesting behavoirs as it usually takes males a long time to master this technique usually learning from females and most males never learn to do this...