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Indian Ringneck Will Not Return To Cage

Hi, 

3 weeks ago, I adopted an 8 year old male IRN from a work colleague of mine due to the fact that her situation had become unsuitable to have a bird in their house. 

He came with his cage and hadn’t been let out of it for a good while. On his second night with me, I opened the cage door, and he flew out in a bid for freedom, up onto my curtain rails, and wouldn’t go back into his cage. Within 5 days, I bought a cage for him. Of course, now he doesn’t want to get into it. He has been sleeping and spending most of his time still on the curtain rail, with sporadic journeys down my curtains onto the top of the cage, where I leave his food and water so he can forage for it. So he is 3 weeks out of his cage now. 

He has plenty of new toys and I spend approximately  2/3 hours a day (sporadically) just being there in the room (my bedroom) and, of course, sleeping there at night. He is silent through the night. 

His last household was noisy at times. Mine is very quiet. I know it can take ages for IRN’s to settle into a new home. 

Generally, he can be quiet, but when he starts screeching, I wonder if he is too overwhelmed by everything?

I find that just ignoring him when he screeches doesn’t always work, and I worry about neighbours. I am scared of forcing him into the new cage! Sometimes he just freaks out, flies about, and knocks into a wall. I have put posters up so he knows there’s something there. 

He will land on the floor in a heap. I worry he is hurting himself. Strangely enough, he will accept my help and step up onto my forearm, then fly back to the curtain rails. He does let me hand feed him from there. I bought a clicker, but he prefers me doing it verbally. 

I don’t want to leave food, etc. inside a new cage because I think he would rather starve than get into it! and don’t want to stress him further. 

I don’t mind him free roaming but I need advice on how I might calm him down.? 

Would he feel more secure in his cage and screech less? Once he was in there? 

Please help. 

Update: 

Things have really gotten better now with Teddy (his new name) the previous owners thought he was a she!! 

But he has the black ring mark around his neck. 

He now flies back into his new cage and the screeching has almost disappeared, although he does have his moments, which is natural to his species, of course. 

Also, he steps up onto my forearm now, which is lovely. 

I spend as much time as I can with him every day.

Hello Jane,

Congratulations on adopting your Indian Ringneck! It’s heartwarming to hear that you’ve given Teddy a loving home. Parrots, especially Indian Ringnecks, can bring so much joy and enrichment to our lives with their intelligence and vibrant personalities.

It sounds like there was a bit of a mix-up with Teddy’s age. If he’s just getting his ring, he’s likely around 2 to 3 years old. That’s a fantastic stage to start building a strong bond and teaching him new behaviors.

Parrots often resist going back to their cages because they enjoy the freedom of being out. To make this transition smoother, try establishing a feeding schedule. About four to five hours before you want him to go back into his cage, start offering food on top of the cage for a few days. Once he’s comfortable with this routine, move the food inside the cage. Indian Ringnecks are incredibly smart, and once Teddy knows that food is only available inside the cage, he’ll be more willing to go back in. Always serve food inside the cage to reinforce this behavior, and use his favorite treats to lure him in when needed.

It’s normal for parrots to vocalize, but the environment can play a significant role. Television or radio can sometimes encourage vocalization. If his cage is near a window where he hears other birds, that might also be a factor. Observe when Teddy is most vocal and try to identify any patterns. You can then preemptively engage him during these times with feeding or trick training to keep his mind occupied. Replacement behaviors are activities that can divert his attention away from undesirable actions, like excessive vocalizing. This could be anything that keeps him engaged and stimulated, such as foraging for treats, playing with toys, or learning new tricks.

It’s wonderful that Teddy is stepping onto your forearm. Keep reinforcing this behavior with treats, and it will soon become second nature for him. Positive reinforcement and consistent interaction are key to building trust and good behavior.

Thank you for the update on Teddy’s progress. It sounds like you’re doing an amazing job with him, and I’m sure he’ll continue to thrive under your care.

Best wishes,

IMRAN-C

Looking for help, don’t hesitate to e-mail me at indianringnecks@gmail.com or post on our forum.

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