Good morning! My name is Rachele, and I am a girl from Italy (sorry if my English is not perfect). I just discovered your blog in Indian Ringneck Parakeets and found it very useful. I am writing this email to ask for some help with my two IRN parrots. I bought my first one around September of 2020 and a female in the summer of 2022. Since I didn’t do any research at the right time, these two parrots are now difficult to handle. While becoming older and more aware of my actions and responsibilities, I would like to fix my past mistakes, become educated, and have them live healthy and happy.
I bought the male from someone near my hometown that didn’t even want to give it to us because he was probably mistreated as a baby and had some deformities (his beak is not aligned and it has to be cut every few months, and one of his feet is curved on the inside, which makes him limp when walking).
I ended up taking him home with little to no knowledge on how to care for him because I was scared the seller would take him somewhere even worse. He is very cuddly but absolutely hates to be touched with hands (you can give him kisses, but he simply flies away when he sees hands; I always thought it was because of his past caregivers who firstly hurt him), but otherwise he is very social and funny.
The female, on the other hand, we bought just after COVID ended here in Italy to make sure the male didn’t start to feel lonely now that we weren’t home as often. She is completely healthy and also would be allowed to be touched at first, but then we introduced them (I think we did it too early on) and she bonded with the male instead of us. Right now she won’t even get close to people and is very jealous of the male (sometimes she doesn’t tolerate him while other times they cuddle close together). I know this situation could’ve been easily avoided if I did my research at the right time and felt very guilty about it. I am just trying to do my best right now to fix these errors and wanted to ask if you could give me some advice to be better. Thank you in advance.
Don’t be hard on yourself about not doing the research before making the purchase. Your love for your parrots is apparent; just continue this journey, and remember that keeping parrots is a lifetime of research. Believe me, I’ve been exposed to these parrots for over 40 years, and I started researching them around 20 years ago, and I’m still learning. I love that you’re reaching out and trying to give them the best quality of life.
Let’s start with the female. She has gone wild. Ringnecks are one of the parrot species that, if they don’t practice certain behaviors, they may lose them. As such, she allowed human handling but has now “gone wild.” The good thing is that the blueprint is there, and a lot of this can be undone. It’s going to take dedication on your part, but persistence pays off.
First thing’s first, we need to get your Indian Ringnecks on a feeding schedule. This means food should be provided three times a day or removed a few hours before training sessions. Remember, this is natural, as parrots forage for their food. If this is too much for you, you can always convert them to a diet that’s not as appetizing, such as pellets, and then only use nuts, fruits, vegetables, or favorite treats as rewards to shape your parrot’s behaviors. Some owners refuse to put their parrots on a feeding schedule, while others will use a base food like pellets, which are less appealing to the parrot but they have access to them whenever they want, and only use treats for training. Pick a method, then use what works for you.
It’s time to create the “bridge” to shape their behavior. This process will take some effort, especially with two parrots, but they will model each other as progress is made.
Next, you want to start conditioning the treats with a “bridge.” This can be a click of your mouth or a clicker. The bridge acts as a signal to the bird that a reward is coming, helping them to associate certain behaviors with positive outcomes. Consistency is key here. Every time you offer a treat, use the bridge. This will help the birds understand that the sound is linked to receiving a reward.
Creating a bridge in behavior shaping is an essential technique used to communicate with your parrot during training. A bridge is a sound or signal that connects the behavior you want to reinforce with the reward. It serves as a marker to let the bird know that they have performed the desired behavior and that a reward is coming. This can be a clicker, a specific word, or even a click of your mouth. The bridge helps to clarify to the bird which exact action is being rewarded, making it easier for them to understand what is expected of them.
To create a bridge, you start by consistently using the chosen sound or signal every time you give a treat. For instance, if you use a clicker, you would click it immediately before giving your parrot a treat. Over time, the bird will associate the sound of the clicker with receiving a reward. This way, the click becomes a promise of a treat, and the bird learns to connect their behavior to this sound, making the training process more efficient.
Conditioning, in the context of behavior shaping, refers to the process of teaching your parrot to associate a specific behavior with a positive outcome (like a treat or praise). Conditioning can be done through various methods, but the most common is operant conditioning, which involves reinforcing desired behaviors with rewards. When your parrot performs a behavior that you want to encourage, you immediately use the bridge (like a clicker sound) and then follow it with a treat.
This repetition helps your bird understand that performing that specific behavior results in a positive outcome. Over time, the parrot will start to perform the desired behavior more frequently in anticipation of the reward. This method relies on consistency and repetition, as the bird needs to repeatedly experience the connection between the behavior, the bridge, and the reward to learn effectively. So, how would this look with your two birds?
If your male ringneck is accustomed to being kissed but not handled, start by offering him treats and clicking. Do this repeatedly, without forcing the female to participate. Just keep working with your male ringneck. Offer him a tiny piece of walnut, click the clicker, and reward him. The female ringneck will be watching. She is learning from this modeling behavior. Ringnecks are highly observant and watch their flockmates’ behaviors, making many decisions and interactions based on what they see. Don’t try to entice the female; she will decide when to start engaging. Ringnecks are highly food motivated.
You’ll know when your male ringneck is conditioned. After you click the clicker, he will look around and expect a treat. Ringnecks learn quickly, so you’ll recognize when the behavior has been learned.
Because the female does not tolerate handling, there is no point in forcing her into what she doesn’t want. We want to build up this interaction and make it worthwhile for her. Parrots are highly neophobic, and she just needs to get used to interacting and receiving treats in this way. Be persistent, don’t talk to her at this stage, don’t make eye contact, just work on the male, and wait until she chooses to participate.
Once the male is conditioned for the clicker, it’s time to start training him to step up. You can achieve this by using a dowel if he is hand shy, target practicing, or by slowly shaping your finger near his feet, then working on stepping up. Here’s an example of how to shape the behavior, remembering that taking baby steps is crucial to achieving the final outcome.
Start by holding a dowel or perch near your ringneck’s feet. The goal is to make the dowel a neutral or positive object. Click the clicker and give him a treat when he looks at the dowel or touches it with his beak. Repeat this several times until he seems comfortable with the dowel being close to him.
Next, move the dowel closer to his feet, just touching them gently. Click and reward any positive interaction, such as him lifting a foot or showing curiosity without retreating. This helps him understand that the dowel is not something to fear and that good things happen when he interacts with it.
Gradually, encourage him to place one foot on the dowel. You might need to place the treat where he has to step onto the dowel to reach it. Once he places one foot on the dowel, click and give him a treat. Repeat this step several times until he consistently puts one foot on the dowel.
After he is comfortable with one foot, encourage him to place both feet on the dowel. This might take a bit more patience. Position the dowel so that stepping onto it feels like the natural next step for him to get the treat. Click and reward as soon as both feet are on the dowel. Practice this until he steps onto the dowel willingly and comfortably.
Finally, once he is stepping onto the dowel confidently, you can start transitioning to your finger. Begin by holding your finger near the dowel when he steps up, gradually replacing the dowel with your finger. Each small step should be clicked and rewarded to reinforce the behavior.
This process involves patience and consistency, ensuring each small step is reinforced and your ringneck feels safe and encouraged to progress. Remember, this can take weeks. Don’t rush things, as this will be the foundation for more handling. Over the weeks, I’m almost positive the female will want to receive treats from you. When she starts to do this, give her a treat, then click. Let her participate. Over time, she will be conditioned. Once conditioned, start the process with the female ringneck. There are so many ways one can encourage “stepping up” with your bird. Research online; just make sure it is positive reinforcement-based. We want the bird to make the choice to step up.
Make time every day to do this, if possible, two or three times a day. Believe me, over time you’ll be amazed at how far your birds have come! It’s a fun and rewarding journey.
Also, your female ringneck is exhibiting typical female ringneck behavior. If possible, it’s wise to have two separate cages to house the birds so she doesn’t attack or hurt the male, especially because he is handicapped. This separation ensures both birds’ safety and allows you to manage their individual needs more effectively. I hope this helps! I can’t wait to hear about your progress with them!
