Do lovebirds mate for life ?

[IwannaBEaMERMAID]

I wanted to get some lovebirds, I found an add online for really nice looking blue masked lovebirds

, but . .. the breeder guy, colony breeds them. He has about 30 in a HUGE aviary, im mean like 20x10 !! I was planning on getting 4, but I wouldnt want to break up a pair that mates for life.

What do you guys think ?

 

[sourland]

Most birds that 'mate for life' do so only as long as the mate is present. Once separated they will develop a pair bond with another individual.

 

[Nambroth]

Most birds that 'mate for life' do so only as long as the mate is present. Once separated they will develop a pair bond with another individual.

Correct. People attach all sorts of weird ideas to Lovebirds simply because they are called "love" birds!

Note however that all animals are individuals, and this seems to go doubly so for intelligent species such as parrots. Not all pairs of parrots will like one another (individually) and form a bond. Lovebirds that dislike one another have been known to pluck, injure, or even kill a partner. Always have backup plans for your birds!

 

[trailchick]

Many parrot species, like a lot of songbirds will mate for life. My grandmother always said
not to kill the mourning doves because they are mated for life.

I have a pair of congo greys that I have had since 1990. During the 1990's the male couldn't fertilize his mate's eggs so I "borrowed" a male from another member of the Rocky Mtn Society of Aviculture, for about a year. The hen never bonded with him and never laid eggs. I did keep the first male within hearing distance so that might have had a part in her rejection. When I returned the borrowed male and put the original pair back together, they were so happy & she immediately laid more infertile eggs!
So they are still together and I don't keep them with a nest box.

I have also seen a male bluebird keep two hens busy in 2 separate bluebird boxes in the wild,
so there is always the exception to the rule!!!!!! So it may be more an innate female preference
to be "faithful"...

If the birds you buy are young, no strong bonds are probably present yet.

Good luck!