The first sentence in this book by Julie Mancini is “Welcome to the exciting and fun-filled world of lovebird ownership!” The book starts off with some great information about these entertaining little birds.

The author explains the history of lovebirds – how they got their name – when they first became pets – the wild or normal colours and the newer colour mutations – and talks about the different lovebird species.

Then she talks about the facts of bringing your lovebird home. You will need supplies (of course). A spacious cage (although the picture of a cage with a lovebird in it is too small in my opinion). She indicates that the cage should offer plenty of room, but fails to indicate that the cage shown does not provide enough room for such an active bird. She gives a good explanation on the different types of cage doors you might find on a cage and lets you know what to look for.

Another important thing to think about is the placement of the cage and Julie Mancini gives details on what to think about before picking a location. She also tells us what to consider for perches and dishes.

The chapter on food, lists things that should never be fed to your lovebird as well as the good foods to feed, including what lovebirds eat in the wild.

Of course, like most books, there is a chapter on illnesses. This is not to scare a potential lovebird owner – it is to help you notice when something is wrong and when to contact an avian veterinarian for help. The author does a good job of describing the illnesses, with the signs to look for in your lovebird.

The chapter on training your lovebird is fun to read and should also be fun to try with your bird. She includes clicker training in her comments as one of the positive reinforcement methods to use.

I would recommend this book to new and potential lovebird owners, although experienced lovebird owners may also find useful advice as well.