How to Care for Fischer’s Lovebirds: Diet and Cage

Written by the Birdsville team. Last updated October 2026.

Fischer’s Lovebirds are small, bold and brilliantly coloured parrots from East Africa, with a bright orange face, a green body and a white ring around each eye. They are full of personality, and a hand raised Fischer’s Lovebird can become a loyal, playful companion. This guide explains how to care for a Fischer’s Lovebird: diet, cage setup, toys and enrichment, breeding and the health problems to look out for.

Birdsville has Fischer’s Lovebirds in store from time to time, both hand raised birds and aviary birds. We stock everything they need, in-store at 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015 and online through Petsville with delivery Australia-wide.

Fischer’s Lovebird Quick Facts

Scientific name: Agapornis fischeri
Native to: Tanzania, East Africa
Adult size: about 15cm, 42 to 58g
Lifespan: around 10 to 20 years with good care
Colours: wild green with an orange face, plus many colour mutations
Diet: small parrot or lovebird seed, pellets, greens and vegetables
Cage: at least 90 x 60 x 60cm, bigger for a pair
Noise: lots of high pitched chatter
Talking: rarely talk
Clutch: 3 to 6 white eggs
Experience level: good for beginners who can give daily attention

Fischer’s Lovebirds as Pets
One Lovebird or Two?
Essential Supplies
Cage and Aviary Setup
Toys and Behavioural Enrichment
Diet and Feeding
Water and Bathing
Vitamins and Calcium
Handling and Training
Common Health Problems
Worming and Parasites
Cleaning
Household Dangers
Choosing a Healthy Lovebird
Sexing Fischer’s Lovebirds
Breeding Fischer’s Lovebirds
Record Keeping
Holiday Care
Transport
Mixing With Other Birds
Boarding
FAQ
Recommended Vets and Links

Fischer’s Lovebirds as Pets

In the wild, Fischer’s Lovebirds live in small flocks in the grasslands and acacia woodland around Lake Victoria and the Serengeti in Tanzania. They feed on grass seeds, berries and fruit, and they are fast, noisy and confident little birds.

That confidence comes home with them. Fischer’s Lovebirds are curious, playful and clever, and a hand raised bird will happily ride on your shoulder and explore everything you’re doing. They are small enough for an apartment, though they chatter a lot and can be territorial, so they suit owners who enjoy a lively bird and can spend time with it every day.

One Lovebird or Two?

A single hand raised lovebird usually bonds very closely with its owner, but it needs plenty of daily attention to stay happy. If you’re out at work all day, a pair is often a better choice, as they keep each other company.

Two lovebirds will bond strongly with each other and may become less interested in people, especially aviary birds. If you want a tame pet, a single hand raised bird is best. If you want birds to watch and enjoy, a pair is ideal.

Essential Supplies for Fischer’s Lovebirds

All of these, and much more, are available in-store at Birdsville and online at Petsville.

Cage and Housing

Cage at least 90 x 60 x 60cm with bar spacing of about 1.25cm
Natural branch perches in different thicknesses
Nest box or sleeping hut for roosting
Paper bedding or newspaper for the tray
Cage cover

First Aid

Digital scale in grams
Styptic powder
Heat lamp

Travel

Small carry cage

Worth Considering

Vetafarm Spark Liquid for moving day (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-spark-liquid-50ml)
Vetafarm Breeding Aid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-breeding-aid-100ml)

Cage and Aviary Setup

Lovebirds are small but very active, so give them the biggest cage you can. A single bird needs at least 90cm long, 60cm deep and 60cm high, and a pair needs more. A long cage is better than a tall one, because lovebirds fly from side to side. Daily supervised time out of the cage is important too.

In an aviary, Fischer’s Lovebirds do well in a flight at least 1.2 metres long, with a sheltered end out of wind and rain. They come from a warm climate, so give them a draught free shelter in a Sydney winter. Lovebirds are strong chewers and can get through soft wire and timber, so choose sturdy mesh.

Lovebirds like to sleep in a hollow, so a small nest box or sleeping hut gives them somewhere to roost at night.

Setting Up a Lovebird Cage

Place the cage in a bright, busy room, away from the kitchen and draughts.
Fit natural perches at different heights, leaving space to fly.
Put food and water dishes up high, away from perches.
Hang two or three toys and a swing.
Add a sleeping hut or small nest box.
Offer a bath a few times a week.
Cover the cage at night for 10 to 12 hours of sleep.

Toys and Behavioural Enrichment

Fischer’s Lovebirds are clever, busy chewers, and a bored lovebird can become noisy, nippy or start plucking its feathers. Good enrichment keeps them happy and easier to handle. You’ll find our full range of hanging toys, foot toys, swings, ladders and perches on Petsville.

Chewing: give them soft wood, palm leaf, paper and cardboard toys to shred.
Foraging: hide millet or treats in paper cups, shredded paper or foraging toys.
Climbing: ladders, ropes and swings keep them fit and help their balance.
Foot toys: small balls and rattles for them to carry and toss.
Natural branches: fresh, unsprayed eucalyptus, bottlebrush or fruit tree branches to strip.
Bathing: most lovebirds love a shallow bath or a light misting.
Toy rotation: swap toys every week so they don’t get bored.

Avoid toys with loose threads or small parts they can swallow, and skip mirrors for single birds, as some become obsessed with their reflection.

Diet and Feeding

In the wild, Fischer’s Lovebirds eat mostly grass seeds, along with berries and fruit. At home, the best diet is a quality lovebird seed mix and pellets, with fresh greens and vegetables every day.

We recommend feeding three things together: a basic mix such as our Basic Peachface Mix, a Birdsville Blend such as Cockatiel and Lovebird, and pellets such as Vetafarm Nutriblend Small. Birdsville seed and Birdsville Blends are bagged fresh on site from quality ingredients, and our high turnover means it’s never been sitting on a shelf for months. Avoid many chain store mixes, which are often full of low quality grains and filler seed that affect the health and vitality of your bird.

How Much and How Often to Feed

Adults: offer about 1 to 2 level tablespoons of seed and pellets a day, plus a small dish of fresh greens and vegetables every morning. Blow the husks off the seed dish daily so you can see what’s really left.

Young birds: newly weaned lovebirds eat a lot as they grow, so keep food available at all times.

Breeding birds: add a spoonful of egg and biscuit every day while chicks are being fed.

Weigh your bird weekly. A steady weight tells you the amount is right.

Fruits and Veggie Guide

Vegetables

Bok choy, kale, endive, silverbeet, broccoli, corn, carrot, capsicum, peas and sweet potato.

Fruits

Apple, pear, berries, melon and a little banana.

Treats and Extras

Millet spray, sprouted seed, seeding grasses and egg and biscuit.

Avoid Entirely

Avocado, onion, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and salty or fatty food.

Water and Bathing

Give your lovebird fresh, clean water every day, and add a little Aviclens to keep it clean. Lovebirds love to bathe, so offer a shallow bath a few times a week or gently mist them on warm days.

Vitamins and Calcium

Add a vitamin supplement such as Vetafarm Multivet to the water once or twice a week. Every bird benefits from a regular vitamin boost, whatever its diet.

We recommend Vetafarm Calcivet for every bird, especially those kept indoors or out of direct sunlight, as it supplies calcium with vitamin D3. A cuttlebone gives an extra source of calcium, which hens need for laying.

Handling and Training

Hand raised Fischer’s Lovebirds are affectionate and playful, but they can be nippy if they feel threatened or bored. Aviary birds are more wary and are better watched than handled.

Give a new bird a day or two to settle in before handling it. Then keep sessions short and calm, such as sitting together while you watch TV. Regular daily contact keeps a lovebird tame, while too little attention can make it nippy again.

For training, reward good behaviour, ignore unwanted behaviour and never punish your bird. Start with “step up”: put your finger against its lower chest, say the cue and reward it with a little millet as soon as it steps on. Keep training short but frequent. See our guide to training your parrot for more tips (https://birdsville.net.au/pet-bird-advice-and-training/bird-training-clicker-training-parrot-body-language/).

Common Health Problems

Lovebirds hide illness well. If your bird sits fluffed up, stops eating or sleeps more than usual, act quickly. Our Common Bird Illnesses guide has more detail (https://birdsville.net.au/common-bird-illnesses/).

Beak and Feather Disease

Lovebirds are one of the species most often affected by PBFD, a virus that spreads through feather dust and droppings. It can cause feather loss and a weak immune system. There’s no vaccine, so buying from a clean source, quarantining new birds and keeping your bird healthy are the best protection.

Feather Plucking

Boredom, stress, poor diet and parasites can all lead to plucking. Plenty of toys, attention, a good diet and regular mite treatment help prevent it. Read our Feather Plucking guide for more (https://birdsville.net.au/pet-bird-advice-and-training/feather-plucking/).

Egg Binding

Hens can lay eggs even without a mate. A hen that strains, sits fluffed on the floor or wags her tail may be egg bound and needs a vet straight away. Calcivet and a cuttlebone help prevent it.

Respiratory and Bacterial Infections

Draughts, dirty cages and stale food can lead to sneezing, discharge from the nostrils and fluffed feathers. If your bird looks unwell, keep it warm with a heat lamp and see an avian vet.

Stress

When I was a zoo keeper, cutting stress was one of our most important jobs, because a stressed animal gets sick more easily. A lovebird needs a calm settling in period, a regular routine, toys and company.

Obesity

Lovebirds on a seed only diet with little exercise put on weight. Pellets, fresh vegetables and daily time out of the cage keep them fit.

Worming and Parasites

Worm your lovebird a few weeks to two months after bringing it home, and check the timing with our team when you buy. Recently weaned birds have delicate gut bacteria that need time to develop. After that, worm every 6 months.

Lice and mites are easily controlled with a bird mite and lice spray. Remove food and water, spray the bird, cage, perches and toys, and avoid the eyes and mouth. Follow the directions on the bottle.

Quarantine any new bird for 4 to 6 weeks before it meets your other birds.

Cleaning

Daily

Change the water, blow husks off the seed and remove leftover fresh food.

Weekly

Clean the cage tray, perches, dishes, toys and bath. Weigh your bird.

Monthly

Disinfect the whole cage with a bird safe disinfectant such as F10, and replace chewed perches and toys.

Household Dangers

See the Avoid Entirely list in the Fruits and Veggie Guide for unsafe foods. Around the home, also watch for:

Cats and dogs, which must always be supervised around birds
Ceiling fans, windows, glass doors and mirrors
Fumes from non-stick cookware, aerosols and smoke
Zinc and lead in cheap cages, toys and keys
Cleaning products, glue, paint and insect spray
Open water such as sinks, toilets and cups
Electrical cords, which lovebirds love to chew
Draughts, one of the biggest causes of illness in birds

Choosing a Healthy Lovebird

When choosing a Fischer’s Lovebird, or checking your own, look for these signs of good health.

Eyes: bright and clear, with a clean white eye ring and no discharge.
Body condition: as a bird handler, every time I hold a bird I feel its keel bone under the chest. A sick bird loses weight here first, and because birds burn energy so fast, they can go downhill quickly. Check your bird’s keel regularly.
Beak and mouth: clean and not overgrown.
Nostrils: open and dry.
Feathers: smooth and complete, with no bald patches or broken feathers.
Vent: clean, with no staining.
Feet: clean, with smooth scales.
Appetite: a keen eater is usually a healthy bird.
Behaviour: active, alert and chattering.
Weaning: buy a fully weaned bird unless you have hand raising experience.

If wings are clipped, both should be done evenly. Birdsville offers wing and nail clipping in-store (https://birdsville.net.au/wing-clipping-nail-clipping/).

Sexing Fischer’s Lovebirds

Male and female Fischer’s Lovebirds look the same. Females are often a little louder, bossier and keener to build nests, and experienced breeders sometimes feel the spacing of the pelvic bones, which is wider in mature hens. The most reliable way to know is DNA sexing, which DNA Solutions can do from a few plucked feathers sent by post (https://dnasolutions.com.au/animal-dna-testing/).

Breeding Fischer’s Lovebirds

Fischer’s Lovebirds breed from about one year old. Breeding pairs need a larger cage or aviary and a nest box a little bigger than a budgie box, around 15 x 15 x 15cm up to 20 x 20 x 25cm.

Lovebirds build their own nests, carrying strips of material in their beaks. Give them fresh palm fronds, willow, gum leaves or soft straw. Palm fronds help keep humidity up in the nest, which improves hatching. In an aviary, hang all nest boxes up high and at the same height to reduce squabbles.

The hen lays 3 to 6 white eggs, usually about a week after mating, and incubates them for about three weeks. Both parents feed the chicks, which leave the nest at around 5 to 6 weeks and are independent a few weeks later. Feed egg and biscuit daily while chicks are being raised, and keep Calcivet and a cuttlebone available for the hen.

Rest your pair after two clutches so the hen doesn’t wear herself out. Vetafarm Breeding Aid supports birds through the breeding season. Keep Fischer’s Lovebirds pure by not breeding them with other lovebird species, as hybrids are often infertile.

Record Keeping

Keep a simple record of your bird’s weekly weight, worming and mite spray dates, vet visits, pairings and egg and chick dates. A sudden drop in weight is often the first sign of illness.

Holiday Care

Seed doesn’t spoil, but fresh food and water do. Arrange for someone to visit daily to change water, top up seed and remove leftovers, or book your bird into boarding.

Transport

Use a small, secure, ventilated carry cage. Remove water during the trip and offer it on arrival. Keep trips short, avoid direct sun and never leave your bird in a parked car. A little Vetafarm Spark Liquid in the water after a move helps with energy. Birdsville sells a range of carry cages (https://birdsville.net.au/carry-cages/).

Mixing With Other Birds

Fischer’s Lovebirds can be territorial and are best kept on their own or with other lovebirds, not with finches, budgies or other small birds. They can bully or even injure birds of other species, especially in breeding season.

If you keep several lovebirds in an aviary, give them plenty of space, spread perches and feeders apart, and keep an eye on squabbles. When adding a new bird, place it in its own cage inside the aviary for about two weeks so everyone gets used to each other first. Complete the 4 to 6 week quarantine before any introduction.

Boarding

Going away? Birdsville offers bird boarding in Sydney (https://birdsville.net.au/parrot-bird-boarding-sydney/). Bring your bird’s usual food so its diet stays the same.

Fischer’s Lovebird FAQ

Do Fischer’s Lovebirds make good pets?

Yes, for owners who can give them daily attention. Hand raised Fischer’s Lovebirds are playful, affectionate and clever, and they’re small enough for most homes. They chatter a lot, love to chew and can be nippy if bored, so they need plenty of toys, time out of the cage and gentle, regular handling.

Should I get one lovebird or two?

A single hand raised lovebird bonds closely with its owner but needs lots of daily attention. If you’re out most of the day, a pair is often happier, as they keep each other company. Pairs bond strongly with each other, so they may be less interested in people than a single bird.

What do Fischer’s Lovebirds eat?

Fischer’s Lovebirds eat a quality lovebird seed mix and pellets, with fresh greens and vegetables every day, such as bok choy, kale, corn and carrot. Add a little fruit, millet spray as a treat, and egg and biscuit during breeding. Avoid avocado, onion, chocolate and cheap filler seed mixes.

How long do Fischer’s Lovebirds live?

With good care, Fischer’s Lovebirds usually live around 10 to 15 years, and some reach 20. A quality diet with pellets and fresh vegetables, clean water, regular worming, plenty of exercise and an annual vet check all help your lovebird live a long and healthy life.

Can Fischer’s Lovebirds live with other birds?

Fischer’s Lovebirds are best kept with their own kind. They can be territorial and may bully or injure finches, budgies and other small birds, especially when breeding. Several lovebirds can share a large aviary if perches and feeders are spread out and nest boxes are hung at the same height.

How can you tell if a Fischer’s Lovebird is male or female?

You can’t tell by looking, as males and females have the same colouring. Hens are often louder and keener to build nests, but behaviour isn’t reliable. A DNA test from a few plucked feathers is the most accurate way to know, and it’s worth doing before pairing birds for breeding.

Fischer’s Lovebirds at Birdsville

Birdsville has been Sydney’s bird specialist since 1985. We’re a small business that does things in a big way, and because nobody tells us how to run our shop, we keep our birds, seed and supplies the best of the best.

We get Fischer’s Lovebirds in from time to time, both hand raised and aviary birds. Visit us at 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, on the corner of Gardeners Road, servicing the Eastern Suburbs and Inner South Sydney. Call (02) 9669 1766 to check what’s in, or shop lovebird seed, pellets and toys on Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/collections/shop-small-parrot-products) with delivery Australia-wide.

Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BirdsvilleRosebery/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/petsvillesydney/) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@birdsvillepets) to see new birds as they arrive.