Lovebird has parasites?

Question
Hi Sarah,

We purchased an 8-week old lovebird one week ago.  We have noticed that he is scratching himself "behind his ears" with his foot like a dog would do when it has fleas.  We read two general purpose intro books on lovebirds but haven't seen a description of this "dog-like" scratching behavior and what it could mean (stress?  parasites?).  There are no other animals in the house, and never have been, so we don't think he could have fleas (do birds get fleas?).  Have you seen this behavior in other lovebirds?  Could he have a parasite?  Should we get a spray from a pet shop?

Thanks,

Susyn  

Answer
Hello Susyn,

This is fairly common, they do this when they are itchy. It is possible that he/she has mites (no, they don't get fleas), but probably not. Possibly just dry skin, which can be resolved by misting them with lukewarm water on a daily basis. Try this for a few weeks and see if it helps. If not, I would suggest taking him/her to a vet and see if your new lovebird has mites or parasites and they can reccomend an appropriate spray.

Keep me posted!

Sarah