Confused New IRN owner

[Belle]

Hi All,

A blue IRN adopted me about a week and a half ago and my experience with birds is limited to a budgie at age 10 that opened his door and flew away. I also have to say that I would never have intentionally owned an IRN but I am a "stray magnet" with all animals and apparently a complete sucker.. I have done a lot of online research which has lead me to a few definite conclusions:1. I now own a blue/ green variation of IRN. 2. It's definitely either a boy or girl. 3. It displays behaviour that means it either loves me or hates me, and 4. I can't give it avocado.

It's a bit of a story but relevant to my confusion, "Monty", arrived in my vege patch 3 mornings in a row whilst I was watering the plants. She/He perched herself inside of a roll of chicken wire surrounding the strawberry plants, but she wasn't eating anything. On the third morning I thought that she must be a lost pet and might be hungry. I grabbed a handful of seeds that we feed the wild birds and she flew down landed on my hand, ate some seeds and then just followed me for about 2 hours. I went to get a towel/cage because by then I was worried for her safety, (most of my neighbours have big, bitey dogs). When I returned she was gone. Next day I had a cage out with food and water in it, in case she came back. As soon as I went out in the morning she flew down from no-where and landed on my head. I put her in the cage which she was none to pleased about and I have felt guilty about ever since. (They do not live in the wild where I live and actually have to be reported to the "pest authority" for housing if spotted in the wild because they are usually escaped pets)

The cage is supposedly big enough for an IRN but not to fly in. I have cats that would have to be shut away to allow her to fly and I am also scared about her getting scared and hurting herself, or not being able to return her to her cage. I have spent a good deal of time every day with her and given her seeds, pellets, fresh fruit and veges, a bit of chicken and egg occasionally. Loves grapes! I was trying to get her comfortable with me before letting her out but am now scared she needs handling/flight or she will loose her tameness. She will take food from my hand sometimes but would not step onto my hand. She walks away from me when my hand is in the cage, but doesn't fly with fright or flap. She/He also seems to do a "display" for me when I sit with her, but she actually is doing it for the reflection in her food dish. His/her display includes eye pinning, holding her "shoulders" out, while she makes a figure 8 shape with her head. She makes a chattering noise at the same time that increases in pitch and repeats. (this is the part that makes me think she might be a he?)

She also walks around the cage in what I think is a playful way when I sit with her but doesn't seem to do that unless she can see me. She is not aggressive but has nipped me twice when I was hand feeding her, it was more like she was tasting me than biting though.. if that makes sense?

I want to do the right thing for her. She is not a baby, I know that, but she may not be mature either. She is blue, with a light blue ring (no dark ring), her beak is red and her feet are white. Her tail is definitely more teal coloured than blue. I will try and upload a photo later.

Any advice in whether I should try and tame her or to build her an aviary to live next to the lovebirds and introducing her to cats???. Any advise in general to determine whether I have a mature female or immature male... and really any other advice from anyone kind enough to read through this saga. Thanks for your time.

[ringneck]

Hello Belle,

Let me first start out to say, I commend you for doing your research about your new addition . If you search the forum you will see there is a great deal of information by many wonderful ringneck owners. We all enjoy reading other ringneck stories, and yours was just as wonderful. It really made my night to know you rescued the poor little fella.

While reading your post, I think you are right about the ringneck being a pet. First, I would try to search for the owner as he might be able to be returned . I know it can be so heartbreaking to lose a beloved pet. On the same note, it is a blessing you found the bird and provided him with a home . In the wild so many bad things could have happened such as a hawk or a cat killing him. The ringneck was probably very hungry and saw your wonderful vegetable garden as food . When you said he was perched inside the chicken wire, I immediately thought he must have thought it was a cage. Poor little guy!

You also mentioned that the bird already eats from your hand. For this reason, I believe you should continue taming him. This has so many benefits for the bird as they are very social creatures. But other factors depend on you as well. Do you want a pet bird? Did you know they are loud? Do you have the time? These questions you have to answer for yourself . These birds have a long lifespan—some reaching their late 20’s.

Try doing a search on “positive reinforcement” here. You’ll see many articles on the topic. The more you work with your parrot the tamer he will become. I have three wonderful ringnecks that are very tame and such a joy to have—so I think you’re in for a treat if you do decide to keep it.

I don’t know how your cats react to smaller animals, but many owners have successfully integrated their birds and cats together. Just be sure to watch your cats around the bird as cats have an instinct to kill birds naturally. Also, ringnecks can bite as well and you don’t want your cat getting hurt—it goes both ways.

I hope this helps add a bit more clarity in your thought process. Please keep us updated!

Best wishes ,

IMRAN-C

[ellieelectrons]

Great story! I agree with everything Imran has said. Can I also suggest you check out http://www.parrotalert.com/ and contact your local avian vet to see if anyone has reported an IRN missing. Where about's are you located?

Ellie.

[Belle]

Thank you both for your advice. I had a look at the website you mentioned Ellie and it is a great site! Unfortunately none match the description of this little one. I would love to reunite her with her family if I could, but otherwise I think I would worry to much about her to let her go elsewhere. I am on the north side of Brisbane BTW.

The "silly" questions that I am not sure of and wonder if anyone could help with now are:

-When she runs up and down her perch when I am sitting with her, is that play or boredom? (she doesn't seem to do it when she is alone) I would love to read any recommended reading on "how to read their behaviour". I am usually good at understanding animals but birds, especially such a smart one, is foreign to me.

- Can the wild birds (I have many cockatoos, lorrikeets, Rosellas, magpies, ibis, galahs etc) that visit harm her? Sometimes she seems alarmed by them being around.

- Even though I cover her cage at night, and she is in a sheltered outdoor area, will she get too cold? (It is the coldest time of year at the moment and is 20 or so during the day getting down to about 8 degrees C at night)

and finally, is lettuce a good thing or bad? I have heard both. Thanks again. Belle

[ellieelectrons]

Hi Belle

Can I make a further suggestion that you contact http://www.brisbanebirdvet.com.au/ and let them know that you found your IRN too?

I live on the Sunshine Coast and there are signs up on local street posts of someone who lost a male blue IRN. I presume you live too far away for it to be the same one? Also, from what you are saying you aren't sure if it's male or female so I'm guessing it doesn't have a black ring yet?

The "silly" questions that I am not sure of and wonder if anyone could help with now are:

btw - no such thing as a silly question!

-When she runs up and down her perch when I am sitting with her, is that play or boredom? (she doesn't seem to do it when she is alone) I would love to read any recommended reading on "how to read their behaviour". I am usually good at understanding animals but birds, especially such a smart one, is foreign to me.

She is probably excited to see you. My female does that when my husband comes near her cage.

I would really recommend the Barbara Heidenreich DVD series on reading bird behaviour. She also has a book but I think the DVDs are better. You can buy them directly off the website: http://www.goodbirdinc.com/, some pet stores will also sell them and so does the Parrot Society and MParrotShop http://www.myparrotshop.com/.

- Can the wild birds (I have many cockatoos, lorrikeets, Rosellas, magpies, ibis, galahs etc) that visit harm her? Sometimes she seems alarmed by them being around.

I wouldn't leave her unsupervised outside unless her cage has places she can shelter from interest from outside birds. I put mine out on the patio when we were on holidays (so they were in their little holiday cage) to sweep the floor and I heard the most terrified squeal from Janey - there was a butcher bird on their cage trying to attack them! I would doubt that a cokcatoo, lorri, rosella, ibis or galah would hurt them and probably not even a magpie unless they had a nest nearby... but I probably wouldn't take the risk.

- Even though I cover her cage at night, and she is in a sheltered outdoor area, will she get too cold? (It is the coldest time of year at the moment and is 20 or so during the day getting down to about 8 degrees C at night)

I've asked that question too... and I've been told that in our area, it doesn't get cold enough to worry them. However, I do provide something like the Happy Hut http://www.birdsupplies.com/Parrot-Happ ... i695xx.htm for them to warm up in in winter... and they use it some nights (as evidenced by the poo in it that next morning! Always fun cleaning that!). Some people don't like these thought because they think it encourages nesting behaviours.

and finally, is lettuce a good thing or bad? I have heard both.

My understanding is that lettuce in small doses won't hurt them but there is very little nutritional value in it... in larger doses it may give them diarrhoea. I choose not to give it to mine because it has very little nutritional value.

I hope that helps.

Ellie.