HELP! Buying Two Ring Necks

[Teagan Hall]

So my mam is a bird fan and has fallen in love with the Indian Ringnecks; I want to buy her one for her birthday in March. However, she wants a Green and a Blue one.
My question is can two Ringnecks (both males and not related) be put in the same cage?
Pros ans cons please and any Ringneck tips would be much appreciated!

 

[AkasyaEllric]

Ringnecks are not always going to be ok with another bird in their cage, just like most parrots. The ONLY way it might possible work is with two males. Two females, or a female and male are a death sentence to one of the other birds. I will also warn you, they are noisy, and aren't a species that enjoy being cuddled or petted. Most of the time they would rather just sit around you or on you than be touched, this is a standard trait with most of the parrots in that family group. It's a possibility it may work, but you also have to be prepared to need 2 cages if it doesn't.

 

[fashionfobie]

I would NOT cage two Indian Ring Necks together. If you had a large walk in aviary they can live together, however this is not the same as in a cage. They will not have room to get away from conflict. The two birds could end up getting along fine for out of the cage play together. This doesn't mean they can share a cage.

Explain that if she wants a green and a blue IRN they must have their own cage. The cages can be in the same room, the birds can spend lots and lots of time together. It isn't because we want them to be lonely, separate cages are for their own safety. Birds have little fights sometimes, even best friends, in a cage fight can escalate to fatal conflicts. In a large aviary the birds can fly away from the issue and will typically resolve their disagreement peacefully.

Imagine if you were mad at someone, but could never get away to cool off or resolve whatever is bugging you, it would be very stressful! It is much nicer for humans as well as parrots to have a little bit of their own space. IRN are much more independent, compared to species like your adorable conures.


An additional thing, getting a parrot, let alone two is a MASSIVE life changing commitment. Do your best to really understand what you are getting into. You mother also needs to be involved in all of the research. Parrots are for life!

 

[Teagan Hall]

@fashionfobie thank you! You're always a great help. I've started to look into them like I did my Conures. The reason for pairs is just so they have a friend. I do spend quality time with them but of course I can't be there all the time so I like them to have company.
I've seen so many IRN recently and I just aboustlely adore them. I am concerned if they're not related like the Conures and the Parrotlets as they are glued to their siblings and fights extend to nips on the feet or sometimes the beak.
The best bet would be to get a pair of siblings I suppose, or two and separate them like you mentioned.

How would just adopting one be like? Are they happy on their own? And how are they to tame?
Also how would a IRN be around a Conure?

 

[fashionfobie]

I think it all depends on the bird. Even siblings can have conflicts. In fact with parrotlets it is a normal part of growing up to start rejecting your siblings..to go off and find your own flock.

IRN are highly social! They just aren't physical like your conures are.

The IRN may or may not get along in the common area with your conures, you simply can't promise anything because each does have their own personality

If you get two, keep them in separate cages if a rescue or breeder. There are lots of great IRN at rescues so I am glad you are considering it. Many IRN get misunderstood. If you respect their bubble you can develop a very meaningful relationship

 

[berries]

If you get two definitely keep them in seprate cages. In addition to all the reasons above they will go through a bluffing stage in early adolecence so will need space to avoid conflicts. I have a ringneck and he's a fantastic bird. Very smart and inquisitive. They definitely need their space though and do better if you let them come to you. Another thing to note is that along with the bluffing stage in their early years they also tend to be a bit standoffish at this time. With mine I still interacted with and trained with him but let him come to me and decide when he wanted to train. Overall I think the general ringneck personality is a fairly even balance of independent and hands-on.

 

[Rain Bow]

Hi Tegan!
I'm glad to see you made up your mind on species. Did you decide to adopt & not shop, or are you getting babies?

 

[Monica]

This is a common myth, but ringnecks *DO NOT* bluff. What is considered "bluffing" is a *very nice* and *very clear* way of them saying "No," "I'm not comfortable with this," "I'm scared," "I don't understand what you want" or something similar. This is them needing their space and needing to be trained to understand. I do not recommend ignoring this behavior.

This is where training can help you *so* much in getting the desired behaviors that you *DO* want! So don't ignore a bird telling you that they will bite if push comes to shove, and try not to get bit!

Do Animals Bluff?

Have you ever thought about the word bluffing? Some synonyms are conning, tricking, faking. When people use the word bluffing in rega...

goodbirdinc.blogspot.com

I have an ARN and she has coexisted in an aviary setup with my cockatiel and my mitred conure. Prior to being put in the aviary though, she was on one half of a double wide flight cage with my tiel(s-at the time) in the other half. Of course, she's also a wild caught bird, which may mean that it's easier to integrate her into a mixed flock than it would be to try this with a handraised bird that doesn't know how to socialize in a flock setting.

 

[berries]

Thanks for pointing that out, and really good article. I had heard so much about bluffing from reading before I got my ringneck that I took it as fact. When you really think about it though it doesnt make much sense. When he went through what I thought was bluffing he was probably still nervous about his new home,. When we began training that behavior pretty much stopped so I see now that what we were going through aligns with fear and training to eliminate that.

 

[Monica]

@berries I kind of figured you somehow knew what to do based on what you said.

Sadly, ringnecks and macaws both get this label to a high degree which it's really them trying to communicate with us without actually biting... but when we ignore this behavior, it can, and does, lead to actual biting.

 

[Teagan Hall]

@Rain Bow haven't quite decided yet. Though I do very much like the sound of IRN than all the other birds and it was my first choice. I'm probably not going to get another bird till next year but adoption is always the nicest thing to do.

 

[fashionfobie]

It is great that you have time to prepare @Teagan Hall

If you can I would visit a few IRN in person just to help give you a feel. I always suggest meeting an older bird. Babies are so innocent and accepting, so they don't give you a real understanding of how the birds are. Adult birds will give you a much better understanding.

I really enjoy this guys youtube channel. Maybe you will also like some of these videos. If anything you can see some of the ways IRN interact with each other

 

[Teagan Hall]

@fashionfobie thank you! Always a great help. I'll check out his videos they look great!