Odd (maybe?) behaviors

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shanc21
Posts: 17
Joined: Fri Jul 22, 2016 7:31 pm

Odd (maybe?) behaviors

Post by shanc21 »

Hi,

I have a rescued female ringneck. I've had her about 2 months now. She was very bitey and not hand tame at all at first. We are making good progress. She will now step up on a stick reliably for a pistachio. She clucks to me and puts her head back and makes sweet noises and will let me rub her head through the cage bars when she is doing that. As long as I read her body language and don't push it, I don't get bitten, and we are slowly expanding her comfort zone.

She has several behaviors she does though that I'm curious about. I wonder if they are just idiosyncratic to her or if other ringnecks do them and what they might mean. One is she will sometimes hang by her beak and one leg on the side of the cage and open her wings slightly. I think this behavior happens when she is mad or possibly scared - I don't think it is positive. Has anybody else seen this?

Another happens when she is agitated, possibly jeolous and demanding attention - She bites on something, sometimes cage bar, sometimes a toy, and makes a a really loud call that sounds like a donkey bray or a squeaky door - alternating high/low rapidly with a harsh squeaky character. This is by far her most annoying call.

The most interesting, I think must be a learned imitated sound, maybe a ringtone from wherever she came from (I found her escaped or let go outside). She makes this call when she is happy and trying to get your attention I think, often if you have been paying her attention and just looked away for whatever reason, so it seems as if she is calling you back. It's a rapid 5 note pattern that ends in a longer funny squawk. The funny thing is she always puts her head down on the squawk at the end, often into her bowl or a corner of the cage or any other enclosed space available - it's almost like she is trying to amplify or change the sound of the squawk by making it in an enclosed space.

Does anybody see any behaviors like these in their IRN?

Thanks for your thoughts,
Shannon
Dishy
Posts: 7
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 7:21 pm

Re: Odd (maybe?) behaviors

Post by Dishy »

Hey Shanc21,

I'm new to this site but have owned my birdies for 6 yrs now, the female was originally an breeders spare offspring he couldn't sell. She was in a outdoor cage( 20 birds in 3m x 1m), limited cover, competition of food, no perches or toys and no handling. She was 3 then, 8 now. Because of her personality and background she has not been hand tamed, instead I stick trained her, so shes close to your birds tameness at the moment. She will take food from us, and just laid her first clutch of eggs and allows me to check on them in the nest box. So keep up with the training it just takes time! Love n Trust!

Paladin constantly used to hang in the corner of his cage with one or two feet and his mouth over a bar. My female will do this sometimes but only if there is a perch high enough. I feel as if they do this more often when there is not enough perches high set in the cage, however I don't believe this behavior is harmful in anyway, she may grow out of it the more tame she becomes.

The loud biting calls - my boy does that with his toys, he also still screams like a chick for food. Chick calls are the 3-5 rapid loud screams, which Paladin seems to do this for at least 30 minutes to 3 hours depending on how much he's begging for me. So your birds version could be attention seeking like you said.
The 5 note call that ends in a funny sound - my female does a weird variation of this, still about 5 notes but its like shes falling off a cliff while screaming.
The calls are typical of breed or personality, generally a mix of both. Paladin talks yet Zoey refuses to have anything to do with us if she can help it. Though it sounds like she is not a good bird, she is sweet and sensitive but tough. She once flew away into a park near the back of our house, spent all night in the trees with birds attacking her, however she remained calm, discovered her there calling for us and eventually she found her way back with us guiding her towards the backyard and cage. She was grateful to be back home!

Good luck!

Dishy.
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