Bridgett I know alot about birds, both good and bad qualities.

If the birds are babies you should get just one bird. If you get 2 birds they will bond to each other and you will simply be a chew stick! It is a myth that love birds will die if they are not sold in pairs. If the birds are already an older bonded pair then they must stay together for the rest of their lives but that applies to most parrot species, as they mate for life.

Yes lovebirds are loud. They have a very shrill scream and some lovebirds like to scream a great deal. Lovebirds also can be nippy. When they bite it really hurts, and they usually take a little triangle shaped piece of skin off. Because lovebirds are often a bit tricky to tame (even the handfed babies) they are seldom sold as pets, but instead sold to people who want them because they match a certain room

If you get a lovebird try to get a hand fed baby (a baby that was taken away from mom at just days/weeks old and hand raised by humans). The cost may be double that of an untame or even hand tame bird but you will get a better companion. Lovebirds are usually not the most friendly of the parrots but there are always excpetions. If you wanted a friendly, fun companion bird I suggest a hand fed cockatiel instead. They are adorable, they are far less shrill with their screams, they can learn to talk easily, especially the males, they are more interactive and childlike, and they enjoy and crave being around people more. Cockatiels (and cockatoos) are like the golden retriever of parrots. Lovebirds are like the terrier or feral cat of parrots.

Sorry to give you negetive info about lovebirds, but I want you to know both sides of owning lovebirds so you know what you are getting yourselfs into. I have seen so many lovebirds returned because they bite and scream and the owners are terrified of them. I have seen some handfed cockatiels returned but only because the owners did not have time for them, regardless of how sweet they were. And if you do get a lovebird or a cockatiel make sure you get a huge cage and load it with toys, and rotate toys on a regular basis to prevent the birds from boredom.

If you have any other questions feel free to post them or email me. I am not a pro but I have alot of knowledge of lots of differernt birds, temperments, health, size, trainability, and so on.