IndianRingNeck.com

Hi all,

My fiance and I have had our (probably)male IRN for 5 days now, and he's warmed up really nicely. He loves his new cage and toys, he gobbles up his seed mix & fresh fruits and veggies, and he steps up and comes out of his cage 90% of the time with no problem.

As this is my first pet bird (besides my dads parakeet when I was 5 ), I'm very much a worried mom, and whenever I see him do something I haven't read about I worry.

My first question is about his posture. He stands normally most of the time, but sometimes he'll do what my fiance and I call "the vulture". He'll stand on one of his perches and stand a little low with his head down but still looking straight, and his shoulders slightly back. Kind of like this:

Is this normal? Does it mean anything?


My next question is about his voice. He doesn't really make any noise. He grinds his beak before he goes to sleep every night, and a few times a day he'll chirp. It's pretty loud, kind of sounds like a baby bird cry. He'll only do it once, maybe two or three times a few seconds apart. He'll do that one or two times a day, usually only when he gets worked up, hears a bird on a youtube video, or hears my fiances moms cockateils. Since we were told he's only a few months old, could this just be him exercising his voice? Or is he unhappy for any reason and shows it with silence?


Besides that, he's doing well. He gets plenty of out of cage time a day, on his playstand and hanging out with us. We'd like to know for sure his age though. He was significantly smaller than the other IRNs at the shop, and compared to the pictures and videos we've seen, he definitely looks like a baby. If anyone has any sites or advice on how we can tell his age, that would be much appreciated.


Sorry for rambling on, and thanks for your help!

Hello Synth,

The posture is totally normal and it is nothing to be worried about. As long as he is active, not on the cage floor, eating, and drinking then you are fine. My ringnecks make this posture all the time.

Also, I know your little monster is quiet now, but that will change . As the bird matures, he will become much more vocal. It is important you do not respond to his calls as this might develop into screaming. Only when the bird is nice and quit should you give him attention. But enjoy the silence, as these birds can be expected to make their contact calls early morning, noon, and night.

About his age, are his eyes black? If they are, your ringneck is under 5 months old. As the bird starts to mature, he will lose those cute little button eyes and develop the typical ringneck eyes. The eyes will gradually lighten up. Younger ringnecks have smaller tails as well. It’s only after the first molt will the tail get long—by the third year it should reach full length. Other than that, I am really sorry but there’s no way to tell the age.

I love the fact that you’re asking so many questions! You sound like one wonderful mom ! Please keep us updated and give your bird a treat for me!

Best Wishes,

IMRAN-C

Thanks for the response!

Yes, he's eating normally, and never sits on the bottom of the cage. The past two nights around 11 p.m. he'd chirp for a minute or two, then stop. It's hard not to ignore them, as they're so cute! Is it a vocal exercise? Or is he 'calling'? I wouldn't want to ignore him if he's just practicing.

About his eyes, they're mostly black. You can see a tiny ring of white, and a tiny ring of silver, then all black. The whites get a little larger when he's listening, so I guess that's his early stages of pinning. Even when he does that, they're still mostly black. So maybe he's 6-7 months?

As long as the volume is low, I consider that quiet and you can give attention. Sometimes Hane coos when he is going to sleep and I talk with him for a little bit.

Once the volume goes above my comfort zone, I refuse to respond to him.

Mine do that posture when they are either about to start flying whilst hanging onto the cage (going nowhere ) or are listening to something.

Normally it's pretty loud. He hasn't made any low noises except for his beak grinding before bed. He only chirps once or twice, and either me or my fiance will look at him and say something along the lines of "is that so? ". We thought it was just him exercising his voice. He doesn't continue to do it, just once or twice a day.

About the posture, he does only seem to do it when we're talking or when the TV is on, so he may very well be listening. I didn't think of that. ;o

Thanks for all your input!