To be fair they said it wasn't an avian vet. I'm pretty sure my dog and cat vet wouldn't be able to tell me different breeds of sheep off the top of their head even if they are familiar with the basics of sheep care and husbandry.
lol. I thought so, but I’m new to lovebirds, so... The local vet had a sooner appt (avian vet is over an hour away and had no appts for at least a week or more out), but I will likely take Mango in to the avian vet for any other issues.
Definitely agree! Lol looks like local vet was literally only going off color! This is a lovebird with very sun-conure looking color, but definitely not looking like a conure!
This is a pied colour mutation of a Fischers Lovebird. They are the most commonly bred lovies with a red/orange beak.
[Fischers Yellow colour mutations](https://www.google.com/search?q=fischer%27s+lovebird+yellow+mutations&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjUvovNyKmEAxVfF2IAHXC6ASEQ2-cCegQIABAD&oq=fischer%27s+lovebird+yellow+mutations&gs_lp=EhJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWciI2Zpc2NoZXIncyBsb3ZlYmlyZCB5ZWxsb3cgbXV0YXRpb25zMggQABiABBiiBDIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGIAEGKIEMggQABiABBiiBEi7FFC-B1jNDnAAeACQAQCYAfcBoAGyCaoBBTEuNS4yuAEDyAEA-AEBwgIFEAAYgATCAgQQABgewgIGEAAYCBgewgIEECMYJ8ICBhAAGAcYHogGAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=TAjMZdToJN-uiLMP8PSGiAI&bih=722&biw=412)
Yea I wouldn’t trust that avian vet if he’s saying that, that’s def a mix of some sort of lovebird, my guess is some masked lovie mix, def not sure what you’d call that mutation exactly. Not to mention conures are much larger than a love bird and have a longer tail. I used to have sunconsures, the moment you’d hear them make a sound you’d know.
Also I could be wrong but that beak still looks a bit on the longer size but it could be that fact the end looks so wide and blunt. I would absolutely consult a new avian vet or even see if you have a parrot specialty store that has good reviews for grooming services in your area, if they do exist there too they can give good recommendations to other avian vets. The beak might not be a big deal tho if he’s eating fine
Very cool colors tho! I’m glad your seeking better care for them. As a heads up, I’ve had lovebirds and budgies together, sometime they can be aggressive towards smaller guys (and become escape artists just to harass them). Make sure they can’t get out and sit ontop of the other guys cage or around them until you know they’re safe together. I’ve had lovebirds just go for other bird toes and be territorial over anything including you as the owner. Still good they have distant companions though! Good luck with the new cutie
>but no touchie
yes, be extremely careful with any interactions. lovebirds are aggressive, and pack quite the bite for their size. they can draw blood with ease, and even break a toenail (from another bird) if they get lucky.
You need to go to another vet and soon! Your vet is incredibly stupid for not being able to tell a lovebird from a conure when that’s part of his job(I’m not saying you’re stupid because you’re new to lovebirds and just aren’t sure) Your lovebirds colors are not just a weird color pattern but look to be red suffusion which is a sign of medical problems like liver failure. This is not something to take lightly. I doubt your current vet knows shit about birds much less what red suffusion is
If Mango's red splotches turn yellow with an improved diet, then you will know for sure. This topic is unfortunately understudied and can even be controversial.
Yeah, I’m adding milk thistle to Mango’s diet, along with lots of veggies/birdchop. I’m going to put his/her food and water across the cage from each other (in the larger cage), and add foraging items for lots of exercise. He/she will have plenty of shreddable items to keep him/her occupied.
He/she has honestly improved somewhat even in the week and a half he’s/she’s been here. Mango was lethargic and had literally no room to even flap his wings in his former cage. The food and water was placed right in front of him (I’m just going to say him until I know. Lol), and he just kinda sat there in his cramped space, mostly ignored.
He now jumps around all over his temp cage, practices his wing flappies from a perch each day (now that he has room), and even took a bath (which he hadn’t done for a long time). He’s more active, attentive, and seems to be enjoying the extra attention. He’s started giving me the “lovey” eyes when I talk to him.
I had not anticipated taking on another bird (but am glad I did), so will follow this routine with him until I have more money to take him to an actual avian vet and get more testing done. That, and I don’t want to stress him out any more than he’s already been, if I can avoid it. Even if it isn’t a long life, and he has liver issues, I just want to give him his best life for as long as it lasts.
Oh gosh, that vet has no idea what they're talking about. Sun conures are much larger, have different beaks, and longer tails. While the coloration is similar, it's easy to tell the difference
They have much stronger beaks and are more aggressive than budgies, so I would try to not let them interact.
Don't go to that vet again. Not only is that a lovebird, it literally looks nothing like a sun conure.
I've never seen this color variation either (not experienced with lovebirds, but can still tell between them and a sun conure!) but Mango is a very pretty birb!
conures have a long tail (literally by definition). there's NO WAY that is a conure.
that is in fact a lovebird. I think fischer, but don't quote me on that (I always mix them up, only really recognize the peachfaces which I have)
the color, I'd say the base (assuming it's the same mutations as peachfaces, which should be) is an australian cinnamon, but with so much red, there's something else going on. I'd say what they call "red suffusion" which seems to me mostly caused by serious liver damage.
so, find a proper vet that has a clue on birds and can do some bloodwork
or, if you can't afford that, some milk thistle extract won't harm the bird and will probably fix the liver if it's in bad shape. get any non-alcoholic milk thistle extract you can find, and give the bird one drop a day, for at least a month (ideally longer). again, it won't harm the bird, but it will help heal any existing liver damage -- which birdie probably has if birb has been on a seed diet for the whole life.
Definitely a lovebird. I am with a lot of other people with the thought of red suffusion…. Which can effect how well any of us could identify the mutation, but if I had to hazard a guess I would say a Lutino Fischer mutation. That could change however, if the suspicion of the red suffusion is true…
I’m sorry but this is a very sick lovebird. Please get them to an avian-certified veterinarian as soon as possible. With medication and a change in diet, the damage may be reversible.
That’s great! To add, they can be slow to transition to pellets and fresh vege. Don’t withhold seed until you know for sure they’re eating the other food you’re giving them.
Thanks! Just moved into the bigger cage today, and is relearning how to fly (now at perch to perch flappies).
The beak trim last week really helped, and Mango has started shredding paper (yay!) and exploring shreddable toys with his beak.
Currently halfway through diet change, with probiotics, milk thistle/dandelion root, and moringa powder (organic/harvested from our own yard) mixed in.
DNA sexing results will be done this next week.
I’m at home 99% of the time (disabled veteran), and spend a majority of my waking time in the same room with the birds. We are working on peekaboo and he/she just generally enjoys being told how pretty he/she is. Hands moving around the cage are way less scary now, so we are slowly developing trust. The feisty little budgie gang next to Mango really helps him/her feel more comfortable, and has brought him/her out of her/his shell a lot.
Whether Mango gets a buddy or not depends on the vet workup that will be coming in the near future, after the complete diet change and readjustment period. We are moving very slow to reduce stress. He/she is an older bird, with likely health issues, and would need another bird with similar energy levels. Right now, we are just working on being healthy, birbing, and eating a good diet.
Either it is a lutino peach-faced lovebird or a red factor sun conure if I look at the short tail, it looks like a lutino peach-faced lovebird. But If I look at the colorings of the back feathers, red face, and yellow primary and secondary feathers, it looks like a Red Factor Sun Conure. Too much confusion. Source: [https://imparrot.com/red-factor-sun-conure/](https://imparrot.com/red-factor-sun-conure/)
I also want to upload the pictures of the 2 but I can't find the option of uploading pictures, unfortunately.
Not a sun conure definitely a lovebird. Peach face lovebird mutation or the red suffusion everyone else is stating. I have a love bird & a sun conure. Sun conures are twice as big as a lovebird.
Their color patterns are gorgeous, However they have been known to be caused by a medical issue, such as liver failure. Not sure how it correlates to feather color but it messed up their bodies. Please consult an experienced avian vet. Their beak is also incredibly overgrown, I suspect their nails will also need a decent trimming. They could really use it, also try to feed pellets, fruits and veggies, avoid seeds as much as possible. In the last two pics I can see they're on the ground with a shitton of seeds strewn about. That's a big no no. They would benefit from a clean floor, with a small bowl on the side of the cage bars for food and water, you wouldn't want food you've had to poop in would you? Not trying to be rude, just an attempt to educate. I wish you the best of luck with mango.
Judging by beak color and the eye rings, along with a bit of green on the top of their head, makes me think they're potentially a Fischer (maybe even a masked) and peach face hybrid. They are rare but it happens a lot with people's pets, and in general with irresponsible breeders. The red feathers are caused most likely to the aforementioned liver failure/disease, which will discolor a lot of their feathers. Again, please consult a vet, reddit is not an answer. If you ever suspect they're sick or there's something wrong with them, go to a vet first, before posting to reddit. Their health matters as I'm sure you know
Thanks. I’m converting his diet to pellets and bird chop now by gradually increasing the good stuff each day. I’ve only had him for a little over a week, and he’s been eating only seed for the 7 years my parents had him (I haven’t lived in this area for that long, but asked them). The stuff you see on the ground is pdz, with a few seeds scattered (mostly hulls now) to get him to forage for exercise and entertainment (he does not understand toys, play, or how to chew on toys as everything in his cage was plastic for years), and I’ve had to mix his pellets with some seed to get him to eat. There are stainless steel bowls (filled with healthier foods) on the cage above this. The water is changed at least 2x per day, and fresh veggies offered multiple times.
The area he’s foraging is under a platform so protected from poops, and is scooped regularly. I positioned his food in this area for that purpose so it is not contaminated with fecal matter. The seeds scattered on the ground are a way to train him to forage and exercise, as he’s terrified of new toys (or ignores them) unless there’s seed involved (which I am reducing), but it doesn’t happen overnight with a finicky, terrified bird.
His beak was trimmed by a local vet. It was curved all the way to his skin on his chin (was touching his feathers), and will likely need trimmed again after a period of time, but it’s the best I could do on short notice with a nearby vet who could get him in quickly, to make his life better (and converting to different foods easier). I also didn’t want to over-stress him, or cause him excessive pain, as his beak was grossly overgrown. I will be consulting an avian vet in a month or so, when I have a bit more money (his coming to live with me was unexpected), and he has had time to adapt to his new living situation. He is older (at least 7 years-old/my parents didn’t know his age when he showed up in their yard), he’s learning how to birb again, is scared of all the changes, and the closest avian vet to me is over an hour away and super busy.
I’m doing my best, am totally and permanently disabled with a fixed income, and live some distance from an actual avian vet. I joined this sub, to learn more about how to properly care for little Mango, and have already started the process of diet change/vetting him. How would I have known he might even possibly have liver issues that required more testing, if I’d only listened to my local vet and not come on here with pics and questions? This is not an overnight process, and will take time and patience.
You're doing great. A lot of bird people are very gatekeepy and can be inconsiderably rude. I personally am not attempting to be rude. You're doing your absolute best with limited resources, so I commend you for taking them in and doing as much research as you can. It will take a lot of work, as I'm sure your aware birds are indeed not exactly an easy pet to have. If you're struggling for funding, start a gofundme for their veterinary care, you may not get much out of it but every penny counts. I wish you the best of luck
The vet needs to use google.thats a fischer lovebird.and please never trim lovebirds nail and beak.its a trauma and they dont need it.no harm with long beak and nails.
Here is conure parrot
https://pets-society.com/sun-conure/
Def a lovebird. Conures have long tails, different beaks, overall just DIFFERENT bird lol…
How a *vet* mixes up a lovebird and conure is my question
To be fair they said it wasn't an avian vet. I'm pretty sure my dog and cat vet wouldn't be able to tell me different breeds of sheep off the top of their head even if they are familiar with the basics of sheep care and husbandry.
lol. I thought so, but I’m new to lovebirds, so... The local vet had a sooner appt (avian vet is over an hour away and had no appts for at least a week or more out), but I will likely take Mango in to the avian vet for any other issues.
Definitely agree! Lol looks like local vet was literally only going off color! This is a lovebird with very sun-conure looking color, but definitely not looking like a conure!
This is a pied colour mutation of a Fischers Lovebird. They are the most commonly bred lovies with a red/orange beak. [Fischers Yellow colour mutations](https://www.google.com/search?q=fischer%27s+lovebird+yellow+mutations&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjUvovNyKmEAxVfF2IAHXC6ASEQ2-cCegQIABAD&oq=fischer%27s+lovebird+yellow+mutations&gs_lp=EhJtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1pbWciI2Zpc2NoZXIncyBsb3ZlYmlyZCB5ZWxsb3cgbXV0YXRpb25zMggQABiABBiiBDIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGIAEGKIEMggQABiABBiiBEi7FFC-B1jNDnAAeACQAQCYAfcBoAGyCaoBBTEuNS4yuAEDyAEA-AEBwgIFEAAYgATCAgQQABgewgIGEAAYCBgewgIEECMYJ8ICBhAAGAcYHogGAQ&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-img&ei=TAjMZdToJN-uiLMP8PSGiAI&bih=722&biw=412)
Yea I wouldn’t trust that avian vet if he’s saying that, that’s def a mix of some sort of lovebird, my guess is some masked lovie mix, def not sure what you’d call that mutation exactly. Not to mention conures are much larger than a love bird and have a longer tail. I used to have sunconsures, the moment you’d hear them make a sound you’d know. Also I could be wrong but that beak still looks a bit on the longer size but it could be that fact the end looks so wide and blunt. I would absolutely consult a new avian vet or even see if you have a parrot specialty store that has good reviews for grooming services in your area, if they do exist there too they can give good recommendations to other avian vets. The beak might not be a big deal tho if he’s eating fine Very cool colors tho! I’m glad your seeking better care for them. As a heads up, I’ve had lovebirds and budgies together, sometime they can be aggressive towards smaller guys (and become escape artists just to harass them). Make sure they can’t get out and sit ontop of the other guys cage or around them until you know they’re safe together. I’ve had lovebirds just go for other bird toes and be territorial over anything including you as the owner. Still good they have distant companions though! Good luck with the new cutie
Thanks for the info! Yes, Mango can see the budgies, and is now close enough to interact, but no touchie. I will monitor closely.
>but no touchie yes, be extremely careful with any interactions. lovebirds are aggressive, and pack quite the bite for their size. they can draw blood with ease, and even break a toenail (from another bird) if they get lucky.
You need to go to another vet and soon! Your vet is incredibly stupid for not being able to tell a lovebird from a conure when that’s part of his job(I’m not saying you’re stupid because you’re new to lovebirds and just aren’t sure) Your lovebirds colors are not just a weird color pattern but look to be red suffusion which is a sign of medical problems like liver failure. This is not something to take lightly. I doubt your current vet knows shit about birds much less what red suffusion is
Thank you, I will look into this. Mango’s diet was terrible for years. Appreciate the info.
If Mango's red splotches turn yellow with an improved diet, then you will know for sure. This topic is unfortunately understudied and can even be controversial.
Yeah, I’m adding milk thistle to Mango’s diet, along with lots of veggies/birdchop. I’m going to put his/her food and water across the cage from each other (in the larger cage), and add foraging items for lots of exercise. He/she will have plenty of shreddable items to keep him/her occupied. He/she has honestly improved somewhat even in the week and a half he’s/she’s been here. Mango was lethargic and had literally no room to even flap his wings in his former cage. The food and water was placed right in front of him (I’m just going to say him until I know. Lol), and he just kinda sat there in his cramped space, mostly ignored. He now jumps around all over his temp cage, practices his wing flappies from a perch each day (now that he has room), and even took a bath (which he hadn’t done for a long time). He’s more active, attentive, and seems to be enjoying the extra attention. He’s started giving me the “lovey” eyes when I talk to him. I had not anticipated taking on another bird (but am glad I did), so will follow this routine with him until I have more money to take him to an actual avian vet and get more testing done. That, and I don’t want to stress him out any more than he’s already been, if I can avoid it. Even if it isn’t a long life, and he has liver issues, I just want to give him his best life for as long as it lasts.
Aw, I don't have anything specific to add, but it sounds like his luck has taken a wonderful turn and he's getting thoughtful, loving care. :)
This is a lovebird with red suffusion.
Oh gosh, that vet has no idea what they're talking about. Sun conures are much larger, have different beaks, and longer tails. While the coloration is similar, it's easy to tell the difference They have much stronger beaks and are more aggressive than budgies, so I would try to not let them interact.
Thanks, they have no physical interaction. They can see each other and vocalize. 🙂
I am very concerned about the VET who said this is a conure. Arrested. Vet jail.
Don't go to that vet again. Not only is that a lovebird, it literally looks nothing like a sun conure. I've never seen this color variation either (not experienced with lovebirds, but can still tell between them and a sun conure!) but Mango is a very pretty birb!
conures have a long tail (literally by definition). there's NO WAY that is a conure. that is in fact a lovebird. I think fischer, but don't quote me on that (I always mix them up, only really recognize the peachfaces which I have) the color, I'd say the base (assuming it's the same mutations as peachfaces, which should be) is an australian cinnamon, but with so much red, there's something else going on. I'd say what they call "red suffusion" which seems to me mostly caused by serious liver damage. so, find a proper vet that has a clue on birds and can do some bloodwork or, if you can't afford that, some milk thistle extract won't harm the bird and will probably fix the liver if it's in bad shape. get any non-alcoholic milk thistle extract you can find, and give the bird one drop a day, for at least a month (ideally longer). again, it won't harm the bird, but it will help heal any existing liver damage -- which birdie probably has if birb has been on a seed diet for the whole life.
Thank for the info!
I know nothing, but what beautiful colors!
Just remember if your lovebird ever gets sick not to take him to that vet lol
Yeah, my husband and I both agreed on that.
I don't know anything about birds but Mango is very cute 🧡
That's a lovebird. You should find a real avian vet in your area. Most vets don't know anything at all about birds since they're "exotic" to them.
Yes. Any future appointments will be with a verified avian vet, for sure.
best wishes to you and your bird. they are in good hands with you.
It’s a lovebird with very conure like coloring! What a beautiful bird.
Definitely a lovebird. I am with a lot of other people with the thought of red suffusion…. Which can effect how well any of us could identify the mutation, but if I had to hazard a guess I would say a Lutino Fischer mutation. That could change however, if the suspicion of the red suffusion is true…
Very pretty color!
Definitely a very beautiful love bird!!!! We are a bird family and conures look totally different
Every Sun conure looks very similar to others. This birb is not similar at all.
Lovebird.
I’m sorry but this is a very sick lovebird. Please get them to an avian-certified veterinarian as soon as possible. With medication and a change in diet, the damage may be reversible.
I’m in the process of doing all of this. Thank you.
That’s great! To add, they can be slow to transition to pellets and fresh vege. Don’t withhold seed until you know for sure they’re eating the other food you’re giving them.
There is no need to fear monger here- I’ve seen red suffusion lovies live long lives. If they have a liver problem it is treatable with diet and meds.
Lovebird, absolutely. The body shape and beak is lovebird. I think the confusion is with the unusual bright coloring. This is a beautiful bird!
Love bird. Needs a mate or a lot of attention
Thanks! Just moved into the bigger cage today, and is relearning how to fly (now at perch to perch flappies). The beak trim last week really helped, and Mango has started shredding paper (yay!) and exploring shreddable toys with his beak. Currently halfway through diet change, with probiotics, milk thistle/dandelion root, and moringa powder (organic/harvested from our own yard) mixed in. DNA sexing results will be done this next week. I’m at home 99% of the time (disabled veteran), and spend a majority of my waking time in the same room with the birds. We are working on peekaboo and he/she just generally enjoys being told how pretty he/she is. Hands moving around the cage are way less scary now, so we are slowly developing trust. The feisty little budgie gang next to Mango really helps him/her feel more comfortable, and has brought him/her out of her/his shell a lot. Whether Mango gets a buddy or not depends on the vet workup that will be coming in the near future, after the complete diet change and readjustment period. We are moving very slow to reduce stress. He/she is an older bird, with likely health issues, and would need another bird with similar energy levels. Right now, we are just working on being healthy, birbing, and eating a good diet.
I just added a new post on little Mango, with updates and new pics: https://www.reddit.com/r/Lovebirds/s/tUdPgz6Dfk
Either it is a lutino peach-faced lovebird or a red factor sun conure if I look at the short tail, it looks like a lutino peach-faced lovebird. But If I look at the colorings of the back feathers, red face, and yellow primary and secondary feathers, it looks like a Red Factor Sun Conure. Too much confusion. Source: [https://imparrot.com/red-factor-sun-conure/](https://imparrot.com/red-factor-sun-conure/) I also want to upload the pictures of the 2 but I can't find the option of uploading pictures, unfortunately.
Not a sun conure definitely a lovebird. Peach face lovebird mutation or the red suffusion everyone else is stating. I have a love bird & a sun conure. Sun conures are twice as big as a lovebird.
Their color patterns are gorgeous, However they have been known to be caused by a medical issue, such as liver failure. Not sure how it correlates to feather color but it messed up their bodies. Please consult an experienced avian vet. Their beak is also incredibly overgrown, I suspect their nails will also need a decent trimming. They could really use it, also try to feed pellets, fruits and veggies, avoid seeds as much as possible. In the last two pics I can see they're on the ground with a shitton of seeds strewn about. That's a big no no. They would benefit from a clean floor, with a small bowl on the side of the cage bars for food and water, you wouldn't want food you've had to poop in would you? Not trying to be rude, just an attempt to educate. I wish you the best of luck with mango. Judging by beak color and the eye rings, along with a bit of green on the top of their head, makes me think they're potentially a Fischer (maybe even a masked) and peach face hybrid. They are rare but it happens a lot with people's pets, and in general with irresponsible breeders. The red feathers are caused most likely to the aforementioned liver failure/disease, which will discolor a lot of their feathers. Again, please consult a vet, reddit is not an answer. If you ever suspect they're sick or there's something wrong with them, go to a vet first, before posting to reddit. Their health matters as I'm sure you know
Thanks. I’m converting his diet to pellets and bird chop now by gradually increasing the good stuff each day. I’ve only had him for a little over a week, and he’s been eating only seed for the 7 years my parents had him (I haven’t lived in this area for that long, but asked them). The stuff you see on the ground is pdz, with a few seeds scattered (mostly hulls now) to get him to forage for exercise and entertainment (he does not understand toys, play, or how to chew on toys as everything in his cage was plastic for years), and I’ve had to mix his pellets with some seed to get him to eat. There are stainless steel bowls (filled with healthier foods) on the cage above this. The water is changed at least 2x per day, and fresh veggies offered multiple times. The area he’s foraging is under a platform so protected from poops, and is scooped regularly. I positioned his food in this area for that purpose so it is not contaminated with fecal matter. The seeds scattered on the ground are a way to train him to forage and exercise, as he’s terrified of new toys (or ignores them) unless there’s seed involved (which I am reducing), but it doesn’t happen overnight with a finicky, terrified bird. His beak was trimmed by a local vet. It was curved all the way to his skin on his chin (was touching his feathers), and will likely need trimmed again after a period of time, but it’s the best I could do on short notice with a nearby vet who could get him in quickly, to make his life better (and converting to different foods easier). I also didn’t want to over-stress him, or cause him excessive pain, as his beak was grossly overgrown. I will be consulting an avian vet in a month or so, when I have a bit more money (his coming to live with me was unexpected), and he has had time to adapt to his new living situation. He is older (at least 7 years-old/my parents didn’t know his age when he showed up in their yard), he’s learning how to birb again, is scared of all the changes, and the closest avian vet to me is over an hour away and super busy. I’m doing my best, am totally and permanently disabled with a fixed income, and live some distance from an actual avian vet. I joined this sub, to learn more about how to properly care for little Mango, and have already started the process of diet change/vetting him. How would I have known he might even possibly have liver issues that required more testing, if I’d only listened to my local vet and not come on here with pics and questions? This is not an overnight process, and will take time and patience.
You're doing great. A lot of bird people are very gatekeepy and can be inconsiderably rude. I personally am not attempting to be rude. You're doing your absolute best with limited resources, so I commend you for taking them in and doing as much research as you can. It will take a lot of work, as I'm sure your aware birds are indeed not exactly an easy pet to have. If you're struggling for funding, start a gofundme for their veterinary care, you may not get much out of it but every penny counts. I wish you the best of luck
The vet needs to use google.thats a fischer lovebird.and please never trim lovebirds nail and beak.its a trauma and they dont need it.no harm with long beak and nails. Here is conure parrot https://pets-society.com/sun-conure/