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The good, the bad, and the ugly about Indian Ringnecks.

Sophia101

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It's interesting what you say about Kiwi's dislike of bare skin. Titan has the same dislike of bare skin. He doesn't go as far as to bite at it,though. He will slide off an arm, or take off and fly away. I believe it's because to him it's not a solid, comfortable thing to do- he slides off skin, rather than stay on it.
Really Kiwi doesn't mind sitting on you and taking treats, but you reach a finger into her personal space and your lucky if she ever lets go. Its not just a little nip either. Its a full on death grip! Yet she still seems to capture hearts?! Well I guess its a bird thing. :lol:
 

ladydi

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I think it's IRN thing Gilmour as much as enjoys being around chattering sitting on finger shoulder etc he is not a cuddler...
Doesn't bite anymore or lunge or these negative behaviors...he now politely lets me know when touch not ok or something by gently taking my finger in beak or pushing away, but occasionally I fail to read cues and he nips :(
So kisses to blood but this was my fault I pushed myself into his space when he wasn't in the mood or tried to hug him lol
He is quite sweet in own ways
IMG_20140815_190351.jpg IMG_20140911_183205.jpg
But I love him regardless
 

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cassiesdad

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Gilmour is certainly a good looking guy. He sounds like a typical IRN- he accepts touches on his own terms, and not a cuddler. He's also a lot like our Titan, as he enjoys being around people- IF he can call the shots! :) ;)
 

Sophia101

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Yep sounds like Kiwi. We took a little photo shoot on my phone yesterday! Too bad it refuses to let me on the internet. They were actually really good and she sorta stood still. :laugh:
 

Katarina

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I have to say I have not had much problems with my boys, one tried the bluffing thing, you just got to be very firm with the NO!!! He is now super cuddly and loves for me to pet his head at 3 months. The other one never showes much aggression, just growls to show off when he is with the younger boy to fit in, since the younger boy is trying to be cool. Honestly I think it all depends on the birds, individually. They both love to give kisses, they barely make noises, maybe once a day they do a little bit of noise. I guess it depends. The are just funny when they growl , its like they are trying to boss me around, but it does not work. They are hilarious. I find them pretty quiet I guess, sometimes I wish they would make a bit more noise.
 

cassiesdad

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I have to say I have not had much problems with my boys, one tried the bluffing thing, you just got to be very firm with the NO!!! He is now super cuddly and loves for me to pet his head at 3 months. The other one never showes much aggression, just growls to show off when he is with the younger boy to fit in, since the younger boy is trying to be cool. Honestly I think it all depends on the birds, individually. They both love to give kisses, they barely make noises, maybe once a day they do a little bit of noise. I guess it depends. The are just funny when they growl , its like they are trying to boss me around, but it does not work. They are hilarious. I find them pretty quiet I guess, sometimes I wish they would make a bit more noise.
Sounds like you have a couple of great birds there...and an IRN that is cuddly...an special added bonus! :heart:
 

Candace

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I just got Kenobi 2 weeks ago. He's my first IRN and my first baby bird, he's just 2 months. I'm still getting to know him but so far:

Good: Smart. Kenobi is almost completely hand tamed in 2 weeks. He wasnt handled until we got him so I'm impressed. Hes responding well to training at a rapid pace. He loves to clown around.

Bad: He loves to chew the blinds. He cant possibly be bored, he has everything he could ever want and he gets tons of love. I havent heard him scream yet, but yall got me scared!

Ugly: He is going through the bluffing stage right now. He can and does draw blood. You cant flinch either because he will keep trying to chew you up. Getting beaked or bitten in the face really sucks. He should outgrow that in time.

Kenobi has been a wonderful addition to our family, we just love him.
 

Littlbird

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Sasha.jpg Sasha.jpg 20151031_121503.jpg I am getting scared. .
Fostered an African Ringneck but fosters aren't the same and he was awesome. .

Tuck has been independent for 5 years.
New IRN coming home Dec.18.
He's awesome but. ......
Tuck can scream and put down a Sunconure when upset, not often, but, "o yes he can!'
Loves people, hates other birds, ignores them.
Sasha talks,,,,ALOT!?!
Uh-O,the two under the same roof?
Kinda scared View attachment 213913 View attachment 213914 View attachment 213913 View attachment 213914
 
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Littlbird

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Any advice or help??
I've had numerous birds before but not lately.
I do have ms.
The good in tuck is if I'm very sick, he knows and let's me rest or if I've been up all night in pain.
IRNS aren't too demanding but will tuck be over demanding?
Like I said upset he can put a sun to shame screaming!
I'm afraid now
 

expressmailtome

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Any advice or help??
You should probably start a new thread if you are looking for help as I am not sure how many members read through this thread.

Matt
 

cassiesdad

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Any advice or help??
I've had numerous birds before but not lately.
I do have ms.
The good in tuck is if I'm very sick, he knows and let's me rest or if I've been up all night in pain.
IRNS aren't too demanding but will tuck be over demanding?
Like I said upset he can put a sun to shame screaming!
I'm afraid now
When you add a new flock-member, there will always be adjustments that need to be made by all....and it's next to impossible to know what reactions will be until they're together.
Titan really never had much of a reaction to new additions to the flock...of course, the newbies weren't IRNs or ARNs, but Budgies and 'tiels and 'toos.
Sounds like you and Tuck have a great relationship, and like I said, you both will have to make adjustments.

Sorry I haven't responded more quickly, it's been kind of hectic around here...
 

Screamy

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I adopted my ringneck, Rosco, when he was already 7 years old. He had been hand raised by an older gentleman and his wife and was being given up because the man had developed cancer. Because I believe that he was never properly 'trained' or given the correct responses during his 'bluffing' stage he is still very bite-y and screams when he wants attention or anything for that matter. I understand that, to a degree, this is normal IRN behavior but I also think that I missed the age where some of this could be better trained or managed. I try very hard to let him know that screaming doesn't earn him treats or attention but Rosco is very stubborn at the age of almost 11 now.

Just something to consider when adopting an older bird I supposed. It's always better to be aware of a species' known behaviors ahead of time (I did a lot of research on these guys) and to understand that not everything is sparkles and rainbows despite what awesome birds IRNs can be.

P.S
I still love Rosco to death and think that he's taught me a lot about being a responsible bird owner :heart:
 

cassiesdad

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No, they are not easier to tame.

Matt
Agreed! Tiels are laid-back and easygoing. IRNs tend to be more "tightly wound"....definitely 180 degrees different in their lifestyle...
 

Robin8888

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I've had Beaker just over a year now and he's been such an awesome parrot that I am looking at adding a 2nd one. I think they are just amazing and intelligent little birds, though I sometimes think Beaker is not a normal IRN as I would not consider him loud by any means. Yes, he can go through a few minutes of a high-pitched call a time or two through the day, but they are very short lived calls and are no where near the ear-slitting level of a sun conure. A sun conure call is an instant migraine trigger for me, but Beaker has never come close to producing that type of response. He does choose to do his R2D2 noises a lot through the day, but overall the amount of sound he produces is less than my quaker.

He is very curious and playful. Loves to explore and will climb off his stand in my bedroom and go over to the baseboard to "talk" to his shadow he sees there. :hehe: I don't think there has been a toy he hasn't liked yet.

After dealing with my quaker who is a very picky eater - it was so refreshing having Beaker around who will at least try everything I give him. If he doesn't like it - it ends up on the ground in a hurry, but he at least tried it. And I find he likes way more than he dislikes. I've heard not being picky eaters is a trait or IRNs.

The Bad
He can be hand-skittish. I don't think he was handled much in his previous home and so we have been working on this. He also came to me clipped and would ride on my shoulder all the time, but now that he has his wings he will only stay on my arm for a very short while before flying off. I will be very curious to see the difference when I get a weaned baby and see if having one from the young age vs. mature makes a difference.
Thank you for your post.
IRN's are on my list of possible birds but I was starting to have 2nd thoughts with everyone saying how noisy they are. But I have a Sun Conure & as long as it isn't that kind of high pitch scream I would be okay.
 

cassiesdad

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Sunnies are quite renowned for their vocalizations...and have earned their reputation. IRNs can be shrill, but I don't think they are on the same level as Sunnies....;)
 

Rachel Karfit

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I love these little birds.

The good: amazing talkers with squeaky little voices. Always doing silly things for attention - very entertaining. Very easily trained and enjoy doing tricks for treats. Not overly dusty. Most love water and are small enough to comfortably take a shower with you. Hens are very affectionate for the most part and enjoy head rubs. Most seem to genuinely enjoy human company. They are good at entertaining themselves if provided with the toys and space to do so. They will invent their own games to play with foot toys and forage toys. Gentle and affectionate, but not overly clingy birds. Wonderful companions, and just beautiful. Big bird in a tiny package, and each is an individual with a distinct personality.

The bad: amazing talkers. Be very careful what you or the TV says around these guys, or your living room, like mine, will sound like the Looney Tunes meets the discovery channel complete with all the wacky sound effects and things you don’t want to hear. Like a ringneck putting a new spin on the kookaburra call. You have to supervise these fids when they’re out of their cages/aviary. Constantly. A few of the games invented by my pals include, “Wait until mom and dad leave the room to destroy the lampshade,” and “Shred the chair,” as well as the charming “Bird safe plant must equal bird food plant so let’s see how many chomp marks we can put in this sucker before mom gets back with her drink refill!” Gotta admire their intelligence, the little schemers.
Random hate of random objects accompanied by eardrum-blowing screaming fit. Every critter hates the vacuum. Ringnecks (at least mine) hate the vacuum, your dust cloth, magic erasers, brooms, dustpans, and especially the yellow fluffy Swiffer things. You would think I beat them with cleaning implements everyday from the awful screams and flailing they do when it comes time to do some housework... I learned very quickly to move them into another room when cleaning.

The ugly: The worst food thieves you could ever meet. Dogs will beg. Ringnecks will just take that tasty looking morsel, whether from your hand, plate, or mouth. Learned this the hard way after my hen divebombed the salsa bowl on taco night. Can be a plus if introducing them to new food; just munch on some and look pleased with it. Whatever you eat, they want.
Sneaky biters. This is another game that you will need to prevent, as they wait until you’re distracted and then chomp your ear, neck or nose for the sheer entertainment value. These aren’t warning bites or hormone bites. No, these are done for the lulz, or because you’re paying too much attention to the TV and they’re jealous. My hubs is a TV watcher, and Korben nails him all the time when he feels ignored. Hubs also jumps and yelps, which is just great fun!
Adolescent biting is terrible, and this grumpy phase can last weeks or months. It’s very trying, and you will get nailed over and over while you and your bird are working out boundaries and acceptable behaviors for both of you. Both parties will be frustrated during the process. Never have I ever been so grateful for a high pain threshold as I was when working with my ‘keets.
You have to handle them daily for the first several months or it will negatively impact the trust relationship you’ve been striving to build.

You will never have a boring day ever again if you open your heart and home to one of these birds. I love mine from the bottom of my heart and would not trade them for anything. They’re pint sized family.
 

cassiesdad

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The worst food thieves you could ever meet. Dogs will beg. Ringnecks will just take that tasty looking morsel, whether from your hand, plate, or mouth. Learned this the hard way after my hen divebombed the salsa bowl on taco night. Can be a plus if introducing them to new food; just munch on some and look pleased with it. Whatever you eat, they want.
Isn't that the truth!
Our Titan was notorious for sitting on my shoulder, sliding down to grab a meatball, then running/dragging it back up on my shoulder to eat it!

Question...just about all the IRNs I've ever known have an obsession with their tails. They love them, and know that they're beautiful...it's almost a strange vanity the have about them. Have you seen that type of behavior with your IRNs?
 
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