You shouldn't buy lovebirds just any old place. You need to know with whom you are dealing. Don't blindly respond to an advertisement because there is no way to be sure what you'll ultimately come home with. Go to a pet store that has a good reputation and a fine selection of lovebirds, or see what the reputable breeders in your neighborhood have to offer.
Buy first-quality stock, even if you're a beginner. As I stated earlier, high quality doesn't mean super expensive. Buy the best available individuals in the common lines of lovebirds.
Visit some local lovebird shows. Look in bird magazines for announcements of such shows in the fall of each year. This is the best way to see what is being done in the world of lovebirds. If you ask around, you will get the names of several dependable breeders and dealers. Also, take out a membership in the local bird club; people there also can advise you what and where to buy.
Get all the advice you can. It takes a trained eye to really see a lovebird. An experienced person can look at a bird and tell you a lot about its health and fitness, can hold it and give you a dependable assessment about any defects, and even give you a pretty good guess as to its sex.

 

Here are a few factors to alert you to problems when buying lovebirds.
* Lovebirds kept in dirty cages or aviaries; if the cages are poorly maintained, you can assume the birds are poorly maintained also.
* Lovebirds offered at an extremely low price: they're probably smuggled and may be sick.
* Lovebirds offered with little or no information about them that can be verified.
* Lovebirds housed with many companions in a small enclosure.
* Lovebirds with any defect or health problem.
* Lovebirds that don't observe you alertly when you look them over.