My New Indian Ringneck's Behaviour

[rahulrati]

Hi There,

Not sure if there has been a topic on this already. I just bought a 5 or 6 Month Female Indian Ringneck day before Yesterday. I believe she is not handfed and properly handled as i bought it from a pet shop. Actually, i just asked the shop guy to cut the nails and he took her by the neck and cut the nails. OK thats the buying part. Also, the guy asked me if he should cut the wings i refused. So she is with flight feathers.

Now since I've got her, she is just afraid of me and when ever i go towards the cage she clings he one leg on the cage grill in an attempt to run. When i go to change the water, food, litter paper she gets restless and just tries to 'fly away' in the cage. How can get her to stop that and become calm and friendly and understand that we will not harm her. Whatsover, i keep talking to her when i pass by the cage and tell her that i will not harm her and to relax. Her name i've kept is Rati. Also, today i just cut a slice of Kiwi to give her but she started to run in the cage. So i just put it in a plate and kept it in the cage.

More to say, but i believe u guys know the drill. Please help!!!

Thanks.

Rahul

[rahulrati]

Hi There,

Not sure if there has been a topic on this already. I just bought a 5 or 6 Month Female Indian Ringneck day before Yesterday. I believe she is not handfed and properly handled as i bought it from a pet shop. Actually, i just asked the shop guy to cut the nails and he took her by the neck and cut the nails. OK thats the buying part. Also, the guy asked me if he should cut the wings i refused. So she is with flight feathers.

Now since I've got her, she is just afraid of me and when ever i go towards the cage she clings he one leg on the cage grill in an attempt to run. When i go to change the water, food, litter paper she gets restless and just tries to 'fly away' in the cage. How can get her to stop that and become calm and friendly and understand that we will not harm her. Whatsover, i keep talking to her when i pass by the cage and tell her that i will not harm her and to relax. Her name i've kept is Rati. Also, today i just cut a slice of Kiwi to give her but she started to run in the cage. So i just put it in a plate and kept it in the cage.

More to say, but i believe u guys know the drill. Please help!!!

Thanks.

Rahul

I am wondering if i should clip her wings will they grow back?

[ohfragyourself]

I'm not a birdie expert, But I think you need to spend time around the cage. Like sit down, do your own thing, ignore the bird mostly. Well not ignore it but act normally, like you usually would. After a few days of that, you should keep the cage open whenever you're around. She will most likely not come out but she has to get used to you. It may take weeks to build up trust with her. You can also after a while keep the cage open and put your hand at the bottom of the cage and leave it there while you read a book outloud in a soft voice or something, But do this slowly. in a way that won't stress it too much also. Don't force it (:
it should work!

[rahulrati]

I'm not a birdie expert, But I think you need to spend time around the cage. Like sit down, do your own thing, ignore the bird mostly. Well not ignore it but act normally, like you usually would. After a few days of that, you should keep the cage open whenever you're around. She will most likely not come out but she has to get used to you. It may take weeks to build up trust with her. You can also after a while keep the cage open and put your hand at the bottom of the cage and leave it there while you read a book outloud in a soft voice or something, But do this slowly. in a way that won't stress it too much also. Don't force it (:
it should work!

Thanks for the reply , i wonder:: should i clip the wings before leaving the cage open or she will come to me. It should not be that i leave the cage open and she flies around and im not able to catch her then?

[ohfragyourself]

Well if there are dangerous things like ceiling fans or other animals, definitely yes because ... well obviously it's dangerous. She won't come to you right away, but you must give her liberty. Maybe trim them so she can't go straight up but still fly around a little and jump from one thing to the other. Also, by doing it yourself, you may ruin your bond even more because birds are easily traumatized so make sure you have an expert do it.
I've only had my little ringneck for 3 days, and it's already allowing me to scratch it and it's taking food from my hands. (: I worked very gradually though. It happened really fast! Do note that it's a baby so that may be why. apparently it wasn't even handfed or tame when I got it. It was actually terrified if I tried to go near it and would yell.. But now it's fine. I keep it out all day and i'm always in my room, most of the time. So it just sits there on the top perch and sleeps, eats or plays. (:
I'm trying to get it to make a few sounds but nothing so far. I'm pretty sure it's a female but I gotta get it dna tested. It's only 11 weeks old though,I don't want to traumatize it. ): Idk what to name it hehe.

[rahulrati]

Well if there are dangerous things like ceiling fans or other animals, definitely yes because ... well obviously it's dangerous. She won't come to you right away, but you must give her liberty. Maybe trim them so she can't go straight up but still fly around a little and jump from one thing to the other. Also, by doing it yourself, you may ruin your bond even more because birds are easily traumatized so make sure you have an expert do it.
I've only had my little ringneck for 3 days, and it's already allowing me to scratch it and it's taking food from my hands. (: I worked very gradually though. It happened really fast! Do note that it's a baby so that may be why. apparently it wasn't even handfed or tame when I got it. It was actually terrified if I tried to go near it and would yell.. But now it's fine. I keep it out all day and i'm always in my room, most of the time. So it just sits there on the top perch and sleeps, eats or plays. (:
I'm trying to get it to make a few sounds but nothing so far. I'm pretty sure it's a female but I gotta get it dna tested. It's only 11 weeks old though,I don't want to traumatize it. ): Idk what to name it hehe.

Thanks We ive named mine "Rati"

[sanjays mummi]

I agree. I spent hours sitting beside Sanjays nursery cage singing nursery rhymes and talking to him.Have you offered food through the bars?, this is the first step to bonding. I did'nt let Sanjay out for over a week, I let him settle in. I do'nt believe in wing clipping, It prevents flight when the bird feels threatened. The best way to get your bird to go back into the cage is to put fresh food inside.Sanjays tummy has an irresistable pull towards food!.

[rahulrati]

Yes I have tried that but all that she does is escape from my "dangerous hands". so what i do is just leave a plate with some fruit inside.

[killsnapz]

My 1 year old female was like that when I fisrt got her. I have been working on her very slowly. Talking to her in a freindly voice seems to help a little. I can pick her up now but she still is very nervious and uncomfortable. I open up the cage and the male will fly around and get into everything. She will jump down off the cage and wander around on the floor for a while and seems to enjoy exploring but she will run if you get close to her. It has taken me 8 months just to get a very small change in her. It might take you a while to as it seems your bird is behaving just like my Sweet Pea did when I first got her. The male took about one month to adjust and absolutely loves people loves sitting on your shoulder and play. She is so far behind him in development it is discoraging but she is improving. Just at a very slow rate. It looks like you are going to have to build up some trust and that might take some time.

[rahulrati]

Thanks. Btw, how do i build up trust with her. How will she regard me as a flockleader. Should i keep some fruit in her cage and go or? Also, even when im cleaning her cage everyday she starts to escape me. Thanks. Any tips / advice?

[BryanJohnny]

My pair of IRN's used to be scared of me, even though I handfed them. I don't know if this this the best option, but what I did was took it outside. It was scared of it's surroundings, so it clung on to me - Letting me able to interact with it. I did this for a week. I also taught them to perch on my finger using seeds, and now they're not as scared of hands anymore, and will perch on your finger without a problem. Hope I helped somehow.

[Parrotlover]

My IRK was the same. He was very cowardly. First, I started giving him fruits ( pieces apples their favorite ) in a bow and when he could recognize the food I started to give the piece of apple through the cage. You have to be very patient. The I started to open the cage and pass the piece near the cage door. At the beginning it was very hard but it works. I hope it will be useful.

[dholari]

since the bird is already 5-6 months old it is not accepting you as the owner still - suggest you keep the cage around the place where you work, watch tv etc , it wont happen immediately but slowly it will start losing fear of you - and as someone suggested eat in front of the cage and leave pieces for the bird in the cage , shortly it will accept the food from your hand. good luck and dont lose patience

[ellieelectrons]

Hi rahulrati

You've received some really good advice above which is lovely to see. It's so nice to be a part of such a sharing community. I thought I'd add my two cents worth as well!

Firstly, on wing clipping. Wing clipping your bird will make your bird easier to work with, however you can still tame your bird without getting its wings clipped, it's just a bit harder. I used to clip my birds' wings but they've been free-flighted now for about 9 months and I'm hoping to keep them that way. So wing clipping is up to you. Interestingly, I think in some European countries it may be illegal to clip birds' wings. If you choose to get your birds' wings clipped, I would advise going to someone who knows what they are doing. I go to my avian vet or to a particular person at a pet store that I know and trust.

I am wondering if i should clip her wings will they grow back?

If your bird's wings are clipped correctly, they will grow back.

Thanks for the reply , i wonder:: should i clip the wings before leaving the cage open or she will come to me. It should not be that i leave the cage open and she flies around and im not able to catch her then?

The first time you let the bird out of the cage, I would advise doing it just before not time and you should find that when it gets dark (you may need to reduce the artificial light) your bird will probably go back to its cage of its own accord.

Thanks. Btw, how do i build up trust with her. How will she regard me as a flockleader. Should i keep some fruit in her cage and go or? Also, even when im cleaning her cage everyday she starts to escape me. Thanks. Any tips / advice?

I think the current thinking isn't about being 'boss' necessarily, it's just about building trust. I recommend working really slowly at your bird's pace and using positive reinforcement. I think my last post on this thread should be helpful for you: http://www.indianringneck.com/forum/vie ... =7&t=15111

Also, today i just cut a slice of Kiwi to give her but she started to run in the cage. So i just put it in a plate and kept it in the cage.

IRNs are notoriously neophobic (scared of new things). So you can try introducing new things slowly (start by just putting it near the cage) or if the bird isn't too crazy freaked out by it, you can put it in the cage again the next day.

Some people will train their birds via "flooding" - putting the bird in a situation until it gets used to it (eg. keep grabbing it until it stops struggling). I try not to use this technique personally, although occasionally I admit I have done it a little when I get impatient. It has never worked well for me, it has generally lead to more fear on the bird's part. I think usually when people use it successfully, it tends to be on a younger bird. I prefer not to do it this way if I can avoid it because I want my birds to feel confident, not scared. "Flooding" can also lead to a bird submitting to a behaviour not because they want to but because they know there is no point resisting. Once again, I'd prefer my bird to want to perform the behaviour (such as stepping up) rather than doing it because it knows that resisting is futile.

Good luck and best wishes.

Ellie.

[rahulrati]

Thanks Guys / Gals for the replies, i just go the wings clipped by a pet shop employee, and he gave some Kaytee Apple Biscuits. He said that if you want to touch her take the biscuit in front of her so she realizes that you are not going to harm her. I tried that today, but she just gets restless at first and then she tries to bite my finger (very smart: they can distinguish what is the finger and the biscuit, she goes straight for the finger i just have to dodge her attack). Today while having lunch we cooked Kidney Beans, Rice, and Mango Juice, so i kept it in a bowl above her food bowl in the cage, and she eats it but is very attentive / alert while eating, if she sees slight movement from us she pauses.

[Melika]

IRNs are notoriously neophobic (scared of new things).

Hey Ellie, I have some thoughts on this phrase (a slight tangent from the topic but I don't feel it's worthy of it's own topic and has a slight influence on this one) about IRNs being neophobic. I wonder what you think.

The first time I saw this word was in regards to African Greys and poicephalus parrots. Similar to this, stating this bird or type of bird is almost always afraid of new things. Things said like: these birds like routine; if you change their routine they will begin feather picking; if you move their cage they will be very upset and strange/bad behaviors could begin; if you change your hair they will hate you; new foods scare them; new toys scare them; new people scare them, etc. etc..

True, not everyone who said the word 'neophobic' had something extreme to say. But I began to dislike this word simply because all too often people often misunderstood it. They seemed to take it to mean "my bird is neophobic so I can't introduce anything new or I will scare my bird!"

Yet if you think about it, we're dealing with a prey animal here. Anything new to them is potentially dangerous until proven otherwise. This is a completely natural behavior. In nature a young bird will be exposed to many many different things in a short period of time and will learn what is normal. Anything outside that sphere of normalcy is instinctually scary. This is their inborn defense mechanism and necessary to survival- since many won't live through experiencing what is dangerous.

So really all birds are 'neophobic'. The problem lies with how the phrase "X is notoriously neophobic" is commonly interpreted (especially on forums where many simply glance through posts and do not get the full meaning). People come away from that thought and believe they should never expose their parrot to anything new (because after all it's neophobic!) and actually create a parrot that is neophobic!

Instead, the idea that "this is a prey animal and needs to be exposed to as many new things as possible (not all at once) to desensitize it" is less easily misunderstood. A parrot that is often exposed to new things will more readily accept new things. A parrot accustomed to a random schedule will take it much better if your job/life changes the times which you do things. A parrot that already eats veggies will readily accept new ones to try/taste... and I'm rambling more than I need to.

Sorry, that phrase is a minor pet peeve.

[ellieelectrons]

No need to apologise. I think you raise good points here Melika. I certainly didn't mean you shouldn't introduce new things to your bird. I watch the body language of my guys and take it more slowly if it seems a problem. This is pretty much the only bird forum I attend, so I haven't seen those extreme comments and I learned the term on this forum.

Thanks Melika.

Ellie.

[killsnapz]

Thanks Guys / Gals for the replies, i just go the wings clipped by a pet shop employee, and he gave some Kaytee Apple Biscuits. He said that if you want to touch her take the biscuit in front of her so she realizes that you are not going to harm her. I tried that today, but she just gets restless at first and then she tries to bite my finger (very smart: they can distinguish what is the finger and the biscuit, she goes straight for the finger i just have to dodge her attack). Today while having lunch we cooked Kidney Beans, Rice, and Mango Juice, so i kept it in a bowl above her food bowl in the cage, and she eats it but is very attentive / alert while eating, if she sees slight movement from us she pauses.

She sounds like you are describing my Sweat Pea to a tee. She behaves the same exacy way. She absolutely refuses take any food directly from my hand though she does not try to bite she just will not take the food. I fortunately have huge amounts of time to spend with my birds as I am unable to work. I have recently just been letting her out of the cage and wander around and explore.
She has definetely improved since last August when I got her but the improvement is very small.
Liike I mentioned earlied talking to her like you are talking to a baby seems to keep her from running away and hiding in the back of the cage like she use to. I am just assuming she is going to take a couple of years to train and that is about all I can do.

[MissK]

I have to AGREE with Melika and Ellie.


-MissK