Please i beg for help (IDK WHAT TO DO ANYMORE)

[Plshelp_]

Hi. I have a male African ringneck. I have had it for 3 years now. I bought it from a shop. They told me they rescued it from a previous house that used to abuse it. When i bought it had different wounds. I wasn’t planning to buy any birds that day. I just went to buy food for my other 4 birds but I couldn’t just ignore it. I also bought other sick birds from that shop because i hate seeing sick birds not getting the care they need (even if i know some of them are gonna end up dying).
BACK TO MY RINGNECK… I am becoming so stressed that i am having mental breakdowns everyday. My ringneck is scared of everything and it has been 3 years. When i say everything i mean he is even scared of my 2 budgies. I tried keeping him in his cage. I tried letting him out and get his freedom out of the cage. I tried always respecting his boundaries. Never forced him for anything. Idk what to do to make him feel better. He is always this sad soul. I can’t even go next to him without him getting scared. Please help me and my bird. I love my birds as they are my babies. I want nothing but for him to feel better and happy. I will do anything for him
Ps. When they sold it to me they told me it was 4 years old. Now probably he is 7.

 

[sunnysmom]

Thank you for helping this bird. Has he been to a vet? It's always good to rule out medical issues first before assuming the problem is behavioral. What is his cage like? What is his diet like? Where do you keep his cage? If you tell us a little more about his routine and what you've tried, we might be able to offer some suggestions. Also, www.goodbirdinc.com is a website by a well -respected bird behaviorist who might have some good insight for you there too.

 

[AussieBird]

@Parutti

 

[Aviphile]

Hi. I have a male African ringneck. I have had it for 3 years now. I bought it from a shop. They told me they rescued it from a previous house that used to abuse it. When i bought it had different wounds. I wasn’t planning to buy any birds that day. I just went to buy food for my other 4 birds but I couldn’t just ignore it. I also bought other sick birds from that shop because i hate seeing sick birds not getting the care they need (even if i know some of them are gonna end up dying).
BACK TO MY RINGNECK… I am becoming so stressed that i am having mental breakdowns everyday. My ringneck is scared of everything and it has been 3 years. When i say everything i mean he is even scared of my 2 budgies. I tried keeping him in his cage. I tried letting him out and get his freedom out of the cage. I tried always respecting his boundaries. Never forced him for anything. Idk what to do to make him feel better. He is always this sad soul. I can’t even go next to him without him getting scared. Please help me and my bird. I love my birds as they are my babies. I want nothing but for him to feel better and happy. I will do anything for him
Ps. When they sold it to me they told me it was 4 years old. Now probably he is 7.

Dealing with a fearful bird is very different than dealing with a bird that has bad behavior. A fearful bird is a bird that is lacking confidence and isn’t feeling the comfort that they should feel within the flock.

When you say "I tried always respecting his boundaries. Never forced him for anything." Does this mean that he is not comfortable with you? Leaving him alone to be afraid doesn't teach him anything. Actually all you are doing is reinforcing the fearful behavior and the bird will never feel safe and he will always be fearful. I think you have already realized this yourself and I think you have also realized how hard it is on him, his health and well being. I'm very proud of you for realizing that!

First thing I would do is show him that he does not need to fear me, that he is safe and can trust me. I would extend my hand for him to step up and if he won't or tries to bite I would withdraw my hand and grab a baby blanket (that is what I use for small birds) wrap it around him and pick him up. Hold him gently and talk softly to him for a few minutes then sit him down, praise him and offer him a treat. You will need to repeat this exercise several times a day. Remember to always offer your hand first before any blanket, okay. Once you can get him to step up without having to grab a blanket, take him to a safe quiet place (does he have a playstand or a basket to play on?) Play with him, talk to him, praise him and offer him a treat. Then you will need to do this at least a few times a day. He needs to learn that he is safe with you, that he can trust you and then you can start working on him with his other fears. It is going to be a process and not something that is going to happen over night but with patience, persistence and praise you will see him change. He will learn to trust you and you have got to show him that he can.

This is how I am with every new bird that I get and it always works for me.