Indian Ringneck
bluffing
You have
just purchased your new Indian Ringneck and all is going
well. Within days or weeks after settling into its new
environment, your playful sweet parrot has turned into a
monster. His eyes will pin (when the pupil constricts to a
tiny dot) and you receive many nasty bites. These bites
seem relentless and you cannot seem to get them to stop,
even approaching the cage might trigger your ringneck to get
aggressive.
You start
to take the attacks personal, so you believe it is better to
keep your parrot in his cage for awhile. You sit and wonder
why your new handfed Indian Rigneck is biting because you
feel you have done everything for him. Many questions run
through your mind. Have I done something wrong? Does he
hate me now? Is he going to be like this forever? Feeling
helpless and confused, you have no idea what to do next or
why this happened. Welcome to the topic of bluffing!
Indian
Ringnecks go through a special stage after being weaned that
may cause them to be aggressive. This stage is natural and
is a critical learning period for your Indian Ringneck. How
you deal with this stage has a long lasting affect on your
ringneck’s personality and will probably mold your ringneck
for the rest of its life. So why do ringneck’s bluff?
Thinking
about this answer for many years, I have come to the
conclusion that ringnecks bluff for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, the first culprit could be a surge of hormones.
During this period, ringnecks may receive hormones that
trigger them to start to become somewhat independent.
Though no scientific evidence has proven this to be true, I
believe something chemical inside the ringneck starts to
change. These hormones alter their attitude so much, that
most ringnecks cope through biting. Most are edgy and try
to bite for any reason. I like to think of this
bluffing stage as their toddler years.
Secondly,
the most important reason is to learn how to survive
independently. A ringneck must learn to adapt and survive
on its own without the aid of its parents. I have noticed
that during this bluffing stage, Indian Ringnecks are
fearless. They explore items without caution and are very
careless. I am convinced this stage helps them understand
what is acceptable and what’s dangerous.
Much like
a toddler, who grabs at anything, ringnecks use their beak
in this same manner. It's their way of testing objects
and learning about themselves, foods, and objects.
Thirdly,
it could be a genetic trait helps them to avoid
inbreeding (Indian Ringnecks are not monogamous).
Old
literature points out that Indian Ringnecks went through
this stage to test their limits with their owners, though
this holds some truth, ringnecks, or any other parrot for
that matter, I believe do not have pack mentalities like
canines. I believe there is no alpha leader, instead Indian
Ringnecks work together as one entity—known as a flock.
With the birds I have studied and seen, no Indian Ringneck
leads the flock or is more dominant then the others. They
may get into quarrels, but they are quickly solved and the
birds go about their business. So how should bluffing be
addressed?
Start by
interacting with the bird like you would normally do. This
bluffing needs to be completely ignored. If the bird bites
do not make a fuss about it and completely ignore it. Under
no circumstances are you to yell or hit your bird during
this stage -- or any other time. Do not wobble your hand,
do not spray the bird, or do not flick the beak. Ringnecks
do not understand this type of punishment. If they are
abused in this manner they become aggressive and fearful of
humans. You need to gradually let your ringneck know that
biting is not tolerated and will get no reaction out of
you. At the same time, you need to be open to your
ringneck’s needs and be understanding towards your bird’s
attitude. They need to feel confident enough to trust you
and they need time to let these hormones subside.
I have
seen many ringnecks become biters during this stage because
they were improperly dealt with. Some owners resorted to
abusive tactics in hopes their ringneck would learn that
biting equals punishment. Other owners choose not to deal
with the bluffing, so they confined their parrot to a cage.
Yelling at your ringneck or telling him to stop also
resulted in chronic biting. In the ringneck’s eyes, any
type of reaction given by you is a reward. The best and
effective way to deal with this is to ignore it. Your voice
should only be used to greet, praise, and coddle the
bird—not for discipline.
Though
some bites are predictable, some are not. To minimize these
bites keep a toy or something your ringneck finds
fascinating. Distract him as much as possible if you
believe your ringneck is extra edgy or moody for that
particular sitting. If your ringneck does choose to bite
and will not let go, gently blow on its beak and ignore the
fact you got bit. Do this until the bluffing has passed.
Remember
to hang in there. Though it might seem like your ringneck
will never stop biting, stay consistent and ignore any
aggressive behavior. Avoid letting your parrot be around
your face and away from children during this period. Once
the bluffing has stopped, you’ll know when it has passed.
Most ringneck owners report the change as immediate, it is
like a night and day difference. If you deal with the
situation in a loving and caring manner, you’ll have a
ringneck that will never use its beak in an aggressive way.
At times, I can’t believe some of my ringnecks ever went
through this stage. They are gentile and loving parrots,
but like any parrot, they all have their ups and downs.
Keep in
mind that not all ringnecks go through this stage and it’s
more prone to female ringnecks. Most owners believe that
because their
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