Active members from India?

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Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

Hi!
I'm Shyam. I live in Southern part of India called Tamil Nadu. I've rescued 5 rose ring neck parrots from a cat. They were only 2-4 weeks old then. Now Its been six months since I rescued them. Now they can fly and their feathers are completely grown, etc. I would like to answer your questions. Please feel free to ask any question.

Regards

Shyam
ellieelectrons
Posts: 2708
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: Active members from India?

Post by ellieelectrons »

I would be interested to know what sort of behaviours you observe of these birds in the wild and what sorts of foods they eat. I have done web searches in the past but haven't come up with much... I'm interested in what sorts of things they like to do in the wild with the idea of trying to create a mini-version of that for my guys at home. Hope that makes sense!

I've heard that IRNs are scavengers and tend to hang out near human populations so that they can eat their scraps... I guess similar to what crows might do here... but I don't know if that's true.

Thanks in advance.

Ellie.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

Hi Ellie!

I've heard IRNs are territorial Birds. But based on what I saw, They are not like that. I know a place here, The campus have around 25 - 30 trees not very far from each other and all of them have at least a pair of IRN in them. So a minimum of 20 pairs should be there. I think it was a colony of IRNs. They do not lay eggs in a single hole (Nest) alone. Each tree had an average of 3 holes (nests) in them. The mouth of the nest is very narrow that a little stout people wrist wont fit in. but after the mouth of the hole it will be wider and wider. The length of the hole will be around a Meter.

They do not sit on the eggs and incubate. It happens by itself with the help of the temperature maintained inside the tree's trunk in which holes are present and a little of solar energy. As they do not incubate their eggs, It is not that they do not take care of them. even before hatching they will protect their eggs from tree snakes, etc. and after hatching, both parents take turns to feed them. While one searches for food, the other will guard them.

After all the eggs in different holes are hatched they will assemble them all in a single hole (Nest). They will be there until they mature.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

Thinking of their food in the wild,

They love Mango very much. second comes Guava fruit. Some other fruits are papaya, grapes, Banana, etc.

They love Sunflower Seeds very much. But in wild I'm not sure they get it. Basically they like to bite all sort of seeds.

I've heard they eat little grasshoppers. But I never seen it in the wild. I know People here who have pet IRNs feed them occasionally with little of cooked chicken or mutton.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

IRNs are not scavengers like Crows. They are not comfortable with adopting them self with human population. The Adult wild parrots here are very aggressive to the people and bite them severely. The Pet IRNs are those which are trained from very young age.

My parrots are not aggressive at all. only thing is they often wants to fly inside the room rather staying in the cage. I'll let them fly inside my room once a day for an hour. They'll be very happy during that time.

The time they spend in the cage was not boring though. They have shiny toys and little mirror, key chains with little bells and especially Swings. they love to swing.

Hope I answered all your questions Ellie.

Regards,

Shyam
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

Hi Ariahna!

I'm glad to meet you too! Ya Soon I'll Upload Their photos!

Regards,

Shyam
ellieelectrons
Posts: 2708
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: Active members from India?

Post by ellieelectrons »

Thanks Shyam... that's really useful. Interesting to hear they don't incubate their eggs. I've never fed mine mango before. Do you know what sorts of trees they hang out in?

We don't have IRNs in the wild in Australia. I hope to see them in the wild one day!

Ellie.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

Hi Ariahna!

As you know, Ground nuts will only grow inside the soil, IRNs do not have much access to them in the wild. Rice and wheat are the major food crop in India. You can see the IRNs around the cultivation land during harvesting period. My parrots Prefer Paddy rice More than Wheat.

Pigeon Pea is called as Toor Dal in India. Yes, It is an important ingredient in Indian foods like sambar, sabji, etc.

The Lentils they find here in wild are "chickpeas or Chana gram", "Pigeon Peas or Toor dal", "Black Beluga Lentils or Urad Dal", "green skin yellow lentil or sabat moong", "red lentils or Masoor beans", etc.

The Pulses they find here in wild are " Red kidney beans or rajma", "Blackeye pea or Chawli", "Chick pea or Chana", etc.

Apart from this Over 50 different varieties of pulses are known in India which IRNs can find here to eat in the wild.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

Hi Ariahna!

The answers for your Questions:

1. What kinds of vegetables do IRNs have access to there?

The Most favorite vegetable as far as what I've seen is Small Green Chili (Chili Pepper). They eat them only for their seeds even though it is very very spicy. The other things they find are cucumber, Apple Gourd/ Indian Round Gourd, Ivy Gourd/ Gentlemen's Toes/ Little Gourd, Coriander leaves, Tomato, Green peas, cluster beans and french beans, etc. Though they do not have access to the root vegetables in wild, My parrots enjoy eating carrot and beet root, if I chop them in to small pieces.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

2. Fruits

Mango, Guva, Madras thorn, Cashew Fruit, Plantain/Banana, Jequirity, Litchi, Longan, Conkerberry, Indian plum/Jujube, Malabar plum, Hog plum, Indian gooseberry, Date (fruit), Fig, Grape, Olive, Mulberry, Sapodilla, Asian pear, Papaya, Custard-apple, apple, Pear/Asian pear, Avocado, Butter fruit, Apricot, Bread Fruit, Cranberry, Cherry, Java plum/ Black plum/ Jambul/ Indian blackberry, Indian Jujube, Musk melon/Honey Dew /Mashmelon/Cantaloupe, etc.

Coconut can not be opened by them. I wonder Pine apple, Pomoegranate and jack fruit will also be little difficult for them to open.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

3. Flowers / Buds

Frankly speaking I do not know. I think they do not like flowers which have powerful smell in them. I tried some flower buds with my parrots but they didn't even come close to them due to its powerful cent/oder.

I think they love Leaf buds. I give my parrots cabbage and they eat it. but i haven't tried any other.

I read They like Pollen and nectar, but as i said I have no idea about it and i haven't seen them eating any of these!
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

4) Do you see them eating crops of sunflower seeds, areca nuts (areca palm) and rapeseed?

The Sunflower seeds are their favorite. I haven't seen them eating it in wild but I've heard people saying They raid the sunflower farms during harvest period. Parrots are seed predators rather than seed dispersers; and in many cases where species are recorded as consuming fruit they are only eating the fruit to get at the seed.

As far as what I've noticed from my parrots, They love eating seeds from which we extract Oil. Ground nuts, sunflower seeds, Flax seed/ Lin seed, etc.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

5) Do they eat crops like wheat, barley, sorghum, and millet?

Certainly Yes!

I can always see them around cultivation lands during harvest period. In wild They eat BajRa/Pearl Millet, Jowar, fresh corn, paddy rice, ragi/Finger Millet, wheat, Sorghum bicolor, etc.

they love pulses but they prefer to eat them when they are green, fresh and soft rather than eating them dry and hard.

I give my parrots the whole fruit of Black-eyed pea, They bite exactly where there are seeds and eat them and leave the rest of them. I love watching them eat like that.

The pulses they have in wild are Pigeon Pea / Red Gram, Garbanzo Beans/ Chick Pea, Horse gram, Black-eyed pea, Red Lentils, Mung Bean/ Green Gram, Sesame, Moth Bean/ Turkish GramBalls, Kidney Beans, Black Gram/ Black Lentil (whole)/ White Lentil (dehusked), Pea, etc.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

6) what do you feed your birds?

My parrots! They always eat costly food and I love taking good care of them.

I divide their food in to three types SEEDS, FRUITS, VEGETABLES.

they eat Seeds daily. fruits and vegetables will be given alternative days, nuts in once a week.

SEEDS:
Paddy rice, Wheat, Pearl Millet, Finger Millet, Proso millet/ (Thinai in tamil), sunflower seeds, flax seeds, ground nuts.

FRUITS:
Banana, Mango, Guva, Sapodilla, Indian plum/Jujube, Cashew Fruit, Date (fruit), papaya, Custard-apple, apple, Indian blackberry, Musk melon/Honey Dew /Mashmelon/Cantaloupe, Water mellon, Grapes. (based on season which ever is available)

VEGETABLES:
Green Chili/Chili pepper, Coriander leaves, mint leaves, tomato, beans, cluster beans, fresh corn, millet fruits like Black-eyed pea and green pea. root vegetables like carrot and beetroot.

NUTS:
Cashew and Badam/Indian almond

I do not prefer Packed bird foods and my avian vet told me to give them what I eat. That means the nuts, fruits, vegetables and all we do eat them raw. for example, you have a hand full of ground nuts, You eat some and you give your parrots some. you and your IRN sharing the food will CREATE A VERY CLOSE BOND between you both.

When I brought them first they very very very young. I know they are only fed by their parents which are half digested. I don't know what to give them. So I gave them CERELAC for a Month. then I started giving hard food like fruits and seeds one by one. I literally raised them like raising Kids.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

Hope The Information I gave are Useful to all!

With Regards

Shyam
ellieelectrons
Posts: 2708
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 1:17 am
Location: Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

Re: Active members from India?

Post by ellieelectrons »

Wow Shyam. Thanks for your thorough responses!

Ellie.
julie
Moderator
Posts: 2248
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2005 2:07 am
Location: nsw australia

Re: Active members from India?

Post by julie »

Avacado is in that list, it shouldnt be fed to them aswell as several other animals.
Shyam Sundar K
Posts: 16
Joined: Mon Aug 15, 2011 7:01 pm
Location: India

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Shyam Sundar K »

julie wrote:Avacado is in that list, it shouldnt be fed to them aswell as several other animals.
Hi julie!

Thanks for this question!

I didn't say that you should feed all of these exactly to your Pets!!! These are the Options they are exposed to when they are in WILD. In wild the condition are very different. Let me explain it,

"Parrots itself are known for removing Poisonous seed coats that protects the seed of various plants and eat the non poisonous part of the seed. Its beak is evolved specially for this purpose. Moreover, In wild many species of Parrots do eat small amount of CLAY which absorbs poison and intern give minerals to the parrots."

Source: Wikipedia.
Link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parrot
(Look for details in DIET section)

But, when you raise a parrot as Pet the conditions are certainly different and there are some experiences which they learn only in wild. You cannot expect them to do the same thing in domestic conditions too.

I had my parrots when they are only 2 weeks old. Even though they do many things which i didn't teach them. they do it because of its inner instincts. But I cannot expect them to do everything in domestic conditions as they do in the wild.

Hope this Helps!

Its My pleasure to Answer these Questions!

With Regards,

Shyam
abhishekbnrj007
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2016 6:35 am

Re: Active members from India?

Post by abhishekbnrj007 »

So can I give sprouted urad and moth to my birds?
Sruthi
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2016 6:55 am

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Sruthi »

I have 3 beautiful IRN's they are happy and healthy. I live in south India btw. For the past couple of years their diet was seeds nuts and fruits. After a lot of recearch I came to understand that seeds should be fed in minimum. So I did a major change in their diet. Now it's all veggies and little bit of fruits and almonds and cashew nuts. Their poop is very watery (like plain water) sometimes green and the white part is smokey. Should I be worried. Please reply! I'm dying out here.
Sruthi
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Jul 29, 2016 6:55 am

Re: Active members from India?

Post by Sruthi »

Sruthi wrote:I have 3 beautiful IRN's they are happy and healthy. I live in south India btw. For the past couple of years their diet was seeds nuts and fruits. After a lot of recearch I came to understand that seeds should be fed in minimum. So I did a major change in their diet. Now it's all veggies and little bit of fruits and almonds and cashew nuts. Their poop is very watery (like plain water) sometimes green and the white part is smokey. Should I be worried. Please reply! I'm dying out here.
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