lovebird died

I, too, am glad you decided to go with the necropsy. This way you won't be left wondering if it was something you did, something lingering in hour house, etc., etc.

If you do decide to buy another lovebird, please, like Paul said, go with a private breeder. There are a couple of ways to estimate the age of your lovebird. I have included a couple of pictures. A baby peachfaced lovebird up until it is about 4 months old will have black on it's beak. There is an exception to this (isn't there always?) and that is the yellow mutations, creamino, lutino and sometimes a very heavy yellow pied. The pictures show you what the black on the beaks looks like and even a creamino in the lot who is roughly the same age as the others but she doesn't have any black. These birds are around 10-12 weeks old in this picture.

Another way to estimate age is if the bird has a closed band. That band can only be put on the bird when it's a little baby at around 10-14 days of age. Most closed bands have the year the bird was hatched printed on it.

Keep us posted as to what the necropsy results are.

i just wanted to update you all on some things i received about parker. a biopsy that was done on his lung showed scarring and noted that this was seen in older birds. there were same things seen in his liver. cultures are not back yet. on the upside, my boyfriend felt horrid about my losing parker and decided to take me to a bird store of a man he knows that purchases his birds from private breeders and also hand raises them himself. as i was playing with this 7 week cockatiel baby, my boyfriend asked me if i thought i would get another one and i said yes but later when i was ready for one. he found out that the baby was still getting 2 handfeedings a day and won't be ready for another month. you guessed it, he put a deposit on the little guy and told me that it was a gift for me for parker passing away and all the stuff i went through for trying to find out about what happened. i can visit the little guy as much as i like so i can handle him and get him used to me before he comes home. the man at the store is also going to give me info on things to do before and when he comes home as to adjustment periods, things to avoid and to interact with him more. i have thoroughly cleaned and scrubbed parker's cage and toys and have plans as for building a playgym for him. any ideas?

Jessica, I'm glad that you seem to have located a new pet. I know the wait will be difficult, but I can't put enough stress on how important it is for a new bird owner to avoid purchasing a hand-fed bird that is still taking formula. I know this all too well, and actually lost the first cockatiel I ever owned due to this very occurance. (15 years later, and I can raise an eclectus from right out of the egg to adulthood!) It is wise that you have thoroughly cleaned all of Parker's cage and toys, even if he simply died of old age. Cockatiels require slightly more space than a lovebird, and the minimum that I like to see them in is an 18x18x24. As far as toys and such, I do recommend NOT having mirrors or 'artificial' birds in the cage. They can hinder your cockatiel's progress in bonding with YOU. I also avoid toys made from metal, and anything containing wires. Many toys have a metal hook/clasp that attaches them to the ceiling of the cage, and I have seen cockatiels open the hook, only to get it stuck in their lower mandible. Either look for toys with the plastic hooks, or replace them with a plastic cable tie that is tied as tight as possible. Best wishes with the new bird, and by all means, keep us updated.