Hi everyone,
I recently got a blue indian ring neck,they lady I brought it off said he was tamed and 6-7 months old. How can I tell how old he is? I also don't think his tamed as he just bites bites and bites but he enjoys sitting on my shoulder kissing my cheek, how can I get him to trust me and to stop biting? He also screams all day everyday and I'm unsure why?
New to birds
Moderator: Mods
Re: New to birds
First of all, welcome to our website. We have wonderful members here who put a lot of time helping Indian Ringneck owners. It really is a great place to learn about Indian Ringnecks in general.
From your description it seems your Indian Ringneck is already tame. By "tame" I mean he sits with you and is not fearful of you.
Taming should be looked at as something separate from bonding as they are two totally different terms. Taming is the act of teaching the bird to accept the presence of humans, while bonding is building a loving relationship with your bird.
If you're Indian ringneck is already sitting on your shoulders and kissing your cheeks you should give yourself a pat on the back. It seems from your post that your Indian ringneck already enjoys the company of humans. I know he may be a bit nippy at the moment; however, this can be quickly phased out with persistence and love.
Building Your Bond
Right now you should focus on building your bond between you and your Indian Ringneck. The only way this can be achieved is by spending a great deal of time with your new bird. I highly recommend getting a play stand that is mobile. Take this stand and place it into the room where you are working, watching television, or reading. Better yet, you can keep the bird on your shoulders for long hours if it doesn't bother you. The overall goal should be for you and your bird to spend a lot of time together. Spending a great deal of time will allow the bird to start to trust you and look at you as a flock mate.
On a side note, make sure to move this play stand in its place before the bird is placed upon it. You don't want the bird to become scared of the play stand. In my experience, my Indian Ringnecks hate being moved around on their stands and fly away. So for this reason it's always a good idea to have the stand ready inside the room before you interact with your Indian ringneck. The goal is to make sure everything runs smoothly so both of you can focus on building your relationship together.
Also, you should bring the bird with you while eating dinner or any meal you eat. In the wild, flock mates feed together. You should try to emulate this if you can. Having extra treats on hand is also a great way to help your bird bond with you. Talk to him in a soothing voice and just reassure him that your his buddy. Overtime, the Indian ringneck will come to enjoy these interactions and he will seek your attention. You don't have to rush anything just be patient as you have 20 something years to build this bond. But once you make this connection, the Indian ringneck will adore you and you two will get along fine.
I also suggest you start a positive reinforcement program. This is a great way for you to teach your bird a few tricks and for the bird and you to get to understand each other. The more I work with my birds the more I understand their limits and the personalities. Besides, there's nothing more cuter than watching your Indian ringneck work for your affection and treats. It's a win-win situation for both of you.
Dealing with the biting
Forget everything you've ever known about discipline. There is only one way to deal with a biting ringneck and that is to never react. If the bird should bite you, pull your head back and continue handling the bird as if nothing has happened. There's no need to scold the bird or tell them anything. In fact, this type of interaction only perpetuates the biting into more biting. Believe me, I have completely phased out biting in my ringnecks and they hardly ever bite. The goal is to never let the Indian ringneck get its way through biting. If the bird comes to understand that biting is an effective way to communicate and control you, it will continue to use this behavior over and over to get what it wants. Believe me when I tell you these are intelligent creatures that know how to manipulate their owners.
Anyway, good luck and please keep us updated!
Best Wishes
,
IMRAN-C
From your description it seems your Indian Ringneck is already tame. By "tame" I mean he sits with you and is not fearful of you.
Taming should be looked at as something separate from bonding as they are two totally different terms. Taming is the act of teaching the bird to accept the presence of humans, while bonding is building a loving relationship with your bird.
If you're Indian ringneck is already sitting on your shoulders and kissing your cheeks you should give yourself a pat on the back. It seems from your post that your Indian ringneck already enjoys the company of humans. I know he may be a bit nippy at the moment; however, this can be quickly phased out with persistence and love.
Building Your Bond
Right now you should focus on building your bond between you and your Indian Ringneck. The only way this can be achieved is by spending a great deal of time with your new bird. I highly recommend getting a play stand that is mobile. Take this stand and place it into the room where you are working, watching television, or reading. Better yet, you can keep the bird on your shoulders for long hours if it doesn't bother you. The overall goal should be for you and your bird to spend a lot of time together. Spending a great deal of time will allow the bird to start to trust you and look at you as a flock mate.
On a side note, make sure to move this play stand in its place before the bird is placed upon it. You don't want the bird to become scared of the play stand. In my experience, my Indian Ringnecks hate being moved around on their stands and fly away. So for this reason it's always a good idea to have the stand ready inside the room before you interact with your Indian ringneck. The goal is to make sure everything runs smoothly so both of you can focus on building your relationship together.
Also, you should bring the bird with you while eating dinner or any meal you eat. In the wild, flock mates feed together. You should try to emulate this if you can. Having extra treats on hand is also a great way to help your bird bond with you. Talk to him in a soothing voice and just reassure him that your his buddy. Overtime, the Indian ringneck will come to enjoy these interactions and he will seek your attention. You don't have to rush anything just be patient as you have 20 something years to build this bond. But once you make this connection, the Indian ringneck will adore you and you two will get along fine.
I also suggest you start a positive reinforcement program. This is a great way for you to teach your bird a few tricks and for the bird and you to get to understand each other. The more I work with my birds the more I understand their limits and the personalities. Besides, there's nothing more cuter than watching your Indian ringneck work for your affection and treats. It's a win-win situation for both of you.
Dealing with the biting
Forget everything you've ever known about discipline. There is only one way to deal with a biting ringneck and that is to never react. If the bird should bite you, pull your head back and continue handling the bird as if nothing has happened. There's no need to scold the bird or tell them anything. In fact, this type of interaction only perpetuates the biting into more biting. Believe me, I have completely phased out biting in my ringnecks and they hardly ever bite. The goal is to never let the Indian ringneck get its way through biting. If the bird comes to understand that biting is an effective way to communicate and control you, it will continue to use this behavior over and over to get what it wants. Believe me when I tell you these are intelligent creatures that know how to manipulate their owners.
Anyway, good luck and please keep us updated!
Best Wishes
, IMRAN-C
Re: New to birds
Thank you for being so helpful, do you have any tips to stop my bird screaming 24/7
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Little Buttercup
- Posts: 345
- Joined: Wed Sep 05, 2012 12:03 am
Re: New to birds
Maybe he screams because of being bored? Does he have toys to play with and foraging toys to keep him busy?
Ash
Ash
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Skyes_crew
- Posts: 1946
- Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:49 pm
- Location: Hawaii
Re: New to birds
Screaming is usually a reinforced habit. Something as simple as walking up to the bird to see if he's ok or saying shhhh when he screams reinforces the screaming. It's attention and they will get it any way they can. The best way to stop the screaming is to ignore the screaming. When he's been quiet for about 15 minutes bring him a treat and praise him and then walk away from him again. When he makes a cute noise that you can live with, bring him a treat and praise him and then walk away again. Ringnecks are by no means quiet birds, but you can train them to use a more pleasant calling voice. Hope that helps 
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way
