Housing a Lovebird: a 80 × 50 × 60 cm cage, fully fitted
Lovebird : A cage at least 80 cm wide for a pair, with sturdy bars since its beak tests everything, around 80 to 150 euros. Despite the name, a lovebird can live alone if you invest serious time, but a companion bird remains the better option.
In our shop, for this use: Flexible pastel cotton rope perch, 35 cm, for budgies and cockatiels (€32.90) · the whole shop
Our products don’t ship to you yet, but the PDF practical guide is instant: Budgies, Cockatiels and Canaries: The Starter Guide (€13)
In short: 13 to 17 cm depending on the species, 10 to 15 year lifespan, moderate noise with piercing calls. A stocky little parrot, lively and energetic, capable of strong bonding but also of a territorial, nippy streak. Its name fuels a myth: a single bird can thrive with plenty of human attention, but its shrill, repetitive call surprises apartment dwellers.
80 × 50 × 60 cm: the serious minimum
For a Lovebird, the cage measures at least 80 × 50 × 60 cm, wider than tall: birds fly horizontally, not in lifts. Bars spaced 1 to 1.2 cm — any wider and the head slips through and jams.
Perches and layout
Untreated natural-wood perches of varied diameters (1 to 1.5 cm), placed at the ends to clear the flight axis — never above the bowls. Complete with no-waste feeders, a paper floor changed every two days and the bathing corner; rule out smooth plastic perches and abrasive sleeves, which wound the soles.
Placement changes everything
The Lovebird’s ideal address: back to a wall for safety, at eye height, at the heart of the living room but never the kitchen — an overheated non-stick coating releases fumes lethal to birds. Natural light without direct sun, 10 to 12 hours of calm darkness at night, and remember the Lovebird is genuinely loud — the neighbours will hear it: placement also manages your neighbourly relations.
Frequently asked questions
What cage size for a Lovebird?
80 × 50 × 60 cm minimum, wider than tall, bars spaced 1 to 1.2 cm — plus daily free flight, the cage being only base camp.
Where should a Lovebird’s cage go?
Against a living-room wall at eye height, away from the kitchen (toxic fumes), direct sun and draughts, with 10 to 12 hours of quiet darkness.
The guides that apply to you
- How many perches should you put in a bird cage? Finding the right balance
Too few perches limits movement, too many clutters the cage and blocks flight paths. How to gauge the right number by species and cage size.
- Why Do Birds Sleep on One Leg, Sometimes With One Eye Open?
One leg tucked into the feathers, and sometimes one eye that stays open: two distinct sleep behaviors in birds, one tied to thermoregulation, the other to vigilance against danger.
- Captive parrot welfare: what an expert consensus ranks at the top of the list
A 2024 study bringing together international experts ranks the most serious welfare issues for captive parrots — housing lands in third place.
- Why Does My Canary Sing Less in Winter? Light and Season
A canary's song follows a seasonal cycle driven by day length: understanding this mechanism prevents mistaking a normal winter lull for illness.