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Hi all... I am new around here, don't have a bird yet but I am doing my homework on getting one. So I have been thinking about getting a lovebird for over a year now and I just wanted to know 1 thing, Are lovebirds loud? Now don't be biased or sugarcoat it... just lay it out there and let me know. I am going back and forth between a tiel or lovie... don't know which 1 and I know that may sound weird cause they are really completely different. Anybody have 1 of each... how do they compare as far as loudness, my husband works midnights and sleeps during the day is the only reason I am asking. Please ALL INPUT IS APPRECIATED... TRULY! Any other info would be appreciated. Thanks and God Bless!

I'm only going to ask one thing in representation of both birds. How soundly does honey sleep?

Well, he sleeps with a 7year old and 2 dogs in the house currently, and does pretty well. I think that he sleeps pretty sound really. I am currently working and that is the #1 reason I have put it off actually getting 1. I want to be back at home when I get a bird, which shouldn't be too much longer.

That's great that you will be at home! In my opinion and remember you may hear many, I would go with a nice HANDFED tiel. I have raised both lovebirds and tiels as well as many others. Though lovebirds come in so many beautiful colors and actually look like small parrots they tend to be harder to keep handtame. Now, don't get me wrong they are pretty good if you make double sure you get a handfed baby. Never put two together if you want to maintain a handtame bird. They will adopt the other bird as their partner instead of you. This is common when most birds are placed with another.Lets' talk tiels. They come in many mutations, from albinos, normal greys, white faced, pieds and cinnamons. It is best you buy from a home breeder where they work with the baby in handrearing and socializing. They make excellent pets, the males talk ( i recommend a male). They can learn full whistling songs and can be real clowns.
Both birds are great first time pets. With either bird try to get the biggest cage you can afford comfortably. Talk with the breeder about diet. Pellets with an addition of a small amt. of seed, nice fresh veggies and fruits is a good healthy diet. Try not to get artificialy colored pellets, go with natural colors made especially for tiels. Or Lovies if you choose them. Seeds are very. very messy!
Now, both birds can make some noise. Definitely not on the line of parrots! The lovie has a high pitched tweet that can be ongoing. The tiel can have a high pitch chirp or whistle that can be ongoing. Sunnydays are favorites of both birds to really show their noise talents. It is important for both birds to have several kinds of toys, such as bells, shreddables and wood chewies. The busier the bird the happier the bird and you. Even in a busy household it is important to let your bird have out of cage time with a watchful eye. Even if it means you hold the bird for 15 mins and interact then put him safely back. I highly recommend wing clipping, especially with children in the home, forget full minds leave doors open!
I'am sure I could go on and on. Remember to look for a breeder in your town or state, there is plenty around. Do not buy a handfed from a pet store unless it is a bird only store. In the ens I will say that both birds are excellent first time birds and great for families. **NEVER, NEVER TRUST THE DOG! I have horror stories.
I look forward to hearing from you. Take care, Judy

A diet with a large amount of pellets really isn't recommended for the little guys since it may lead kidney problems, however, a varied diet is still highly recommended.

There are many people who keep small species of birds and find the larger birds too noisy/loud. Likewise, many people keep larger species and find the little guys too loud. And others don't mind the noise of most, if not all, species. I don't find that cockatiels are noisy at all, although lovebirds *can* certainly be louder. However, I do know of people who have given up cockatiels for being -too noisy-.

Personally, I don't think this is a question to be asking us. This is actually a question you should be asking your husband. Will he be fine with the noise? The two of you need to go to a breeder or anyone who keeps cockatiels and/or lovebirds and visit with each species for a while to determine which one would be a better fit into your home.

WOW Judy you are full of info, if you have anymore i'll surely be listening! So Judy do you raise babies so sell, are you a breeder? Yes I do want to be at home so I can bond with a baby. I would feel bad if I got a new baby and then went to work every day 8-4 and left it in the cage! I actually have had a tiel before, it was a tragic experience and I think that is why it is taking me so long to decide on 1 now. I really want a bird have ever since I had the first 1. I only had it a couple of days and it died. I went to a "breeder" now that I look back she was more of a hoarder. She was getting ready to go on vacation for several weeks and had a housesitter coming, she didn't want anyone picking up birds while her house sitter was there. She asked me if I had time to feed 3 times a day and of course I said yes, well I'm not going to lie I had done no homework at all this was 10 years ago and I was 19, so then I guess it got choked that is what she told me happened I don't know. But anyhow 1 morning I got up and it was dead. I have wanted a bird ever since then but I think that is the reason I am a little slow about getting 1, I want to make sure I do it right!
I have heard boys are best, more musical but also that girls can get testy! I'M ENJOYING THE INFO KEEP IT COMING!

How horrible to have gone through that. It is in poor taste to sell a baby to an inexperienced person who has never handfed. Reading about it does not give you the ability to handfeed. Way back when I was taken under the wing (so to speak) of a breeder with 30 yrs experience. She taught me everything I needed to know. She was not into breeding for the money but becaused she loved birds. I was a breeder for over 15 yrs, breeding parrotlets, tiels, lovies, english keets, red belly parrots, sun conures, brown heads parrots, senegals, quakers, indian ringnecks and yellow nape amazons. It was alot of work! Alot of heartache, alot of happiness.
I have since retired and just keep private pets of my own. I was diagnosed with an illness that keeps me in and out of the hospital so I had to retire breeding. I am on full time disability.
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT buy an unweaned baby. Even the most experienced face heartbreak.
I am sure there are lots of breeders where you live. Look on classifieds here and the back of Bird Talk magazine under your state.
I'm sure you read the other post here that did not recommend pellets as the soul source of food for teils and lovies. Many new ideas are constantly being introduced to see what benefits our birds. I definitely recommend you keep you mind open to what people suggest and listen to these experienced small bird breeders.
I will continue to help in anyway I can and if I don't know the answer I'll try to point you in the right direction. Avian humans only want what's best for their birds, nutritionally, mentally, health wise. I find that I am learning something new almost everyday. I hope you do too. Take care, Judy

Wow, not a lot of activity on here is there, I am just hoping for more stories, although i think i am leaning towards a cockatiel, still want to hear all about them!

I have always had a multi species household. And I have found that some pitches bother some people, and not others. For example....my Lorikeets used to drive my ex nuts. He said that the sound of their "screeches" just went straight through him. I can totally tune them out, but......Cockatoos....well.....they just put me on edge! (My ex wasn't the least bit bothered by them) I think Lovies are absolutely adorable, and I often get tempted to add a pair to our flock, but once I go into the shops and hear them I talk myself out of it! We have 10 tiels, and they just don't make enough noise to bother me or anyone else. And I find that its easy to teach them to channel their need to vocalise into whistles rather than just noise. I'd suggest if possible that you and your hubby expose yourself to both and then decide.

Good luck!

Just wondering which one you decided on? In my opinion both are excellent pets but the cockatiels have a more appealing "song" especially if you get a male.

Hello!

I've never had a tiel, so I don't really know, but I can answer honestly about a Lovebird. I've had Sawyer for three years and lived in apartments for all three years. He is incredibly attached to me, which is the MOST endearing thing about him. I've never had such a bird that took to me so well. He's goofy, he's cuddly, and he's a total loverboy. However, when I am not home, he is LOUD. Immediately when I leave, he chirps and chirps....or when he isn't uncovered in the morning when he thinks he should be, he chirps....Lovebirds have more of a shrill squeak than a song...but then again, I just love having Sawyer, and I don't know what I'd do without him!

I have two lovies and two cockatiels. I started out with one cockatiel, then added another. They can be noisey at times and honestly their shrieking is much more annoying to me than my lovie's sounds. I had one lovie for some time and he is a quiet one and usually makes very quiet, cute sounds. I've just added another lovie a few months ago and this one is much more vocal. I used to think that my lovie sounded like a squeeky wheel! but I really love their sounds and chirps and to me they aren't very loud, even the more vocal one. My tiels are mostly quiet, but boy every once in a while they can REALLY get loud! Usually it's the male who gets loud, but Boss, my female will get yelling too at times. So I guess with my birds, I would consider the cockatiels louder, but the lovies make more constant sounds, but quieter.

I raised both species of birds since I was a teenager. In fact I made considerable amount of money (combined with my paper route) to afford one of those brand new Roll Fast 5 speed bikes with a banana seat, sissy bar and head light that was so popular in the 60's. I had stacks of cages upstairs in my bedroom (loft) and I hand raised them for the local dime store (Woolworth's and Kresge's the for-runner of K-mart) Couldn't raise them fast enough as the stores would take deposits for them before I delivered.

My mother raised canaries downstairs in the kitchen and her sewing room and had her favorite male right next to the kitchen sink so when she did the dishes or cooked (we didn't have Teflon back then she would sing to her guy and he would sing back. Of course my dad had all the large parrots down in the basement (we have those here in Michigan) overflow from the flock my grand father kept over at the florist. Both mom and I had to take turns feeding those darn baby parrots for dad and grandpa because it took so long for them to be weaned.

So you can just about tell what our house sounded like. I can say for sure that upstairs with me was the most quite area in the house. Of course they all knew when I came home and would compete for my attention. But they didn't really have to because I faithfully took each and every one of them out everyday and played with them rigorously. The ones who would seem the loudest were my tiels. They have a kinda attitude so to speak. Higher in intelligence and seemed to not be as patient as the rest. But they were more lovable than the lovies. I refereed to my lovies as hamsters with wings!

Now I'm over 50 and keep a colony of lovies in my morning room and have coffee every day with them. They still fight for attention as they did 30-40 yrs ago. I let them out their cage and some fly around the morning room and sit on my shoulder and help me drink coffee and others just enjoy the free flight time. When they are out their sounds are like.... "look at me , hey over here, look at me" but in a nice way. I enjoy the way they put a bunch of peeps together to make a sound, and each one is unique so I can tell which one is which.

I still feed them fresh fruit and veg's every day but leave a bowl of fresh millit and pellets (a mix found at my local aviary supply store specialy made for them) in their cage all day long because, like I said, they are my hampsters with wings! They love to eat!