I've had a ringneck for about 3 years now. We got him as a lost bird, but he was tame. He has taken perfectly to the family, and is extremely loving. He has his own little relationship with each person in the family. Biting was never a problem, and he was one of the quietest birds i've seen.
Until about 2 months ago. He has for some reason turned into a complete monster. He screams almost 6 hours a day or until you take him out the cage. He is throwing food around if he doesnt get what he wants. And if you take something away that he is kissing/playing-with he nips you.
I am at a loss for what caused this? He was never like it before. He screamed a little bit in the morning for 10mins when he wanted to be uncovered but then was quiet most of the time. He would wake up around 9h30am. Now from 6am he is screeching and unless he is out of the cage he screams permanently until the evening.
As soon as we take him out to play he's quiet, kissing etc. except or the nipping he's fine. But put him back in the cage and 2mins later its screech screech screech... Even the neighbours have commented about it - and hardly knew we had a bird for 2 years!. We have a little water spray gun we used in the past to punish him for being naughty - these days he just sits there while you spray him and screams through it.
His age is about 3.5-4 years now. He is healthy, i cant see anything wrong. He ignores ALL TOYS in the cage. Its either a human holding him, or he screams. Is there anything I can do about this? I live in a condo and would hate to have to get rid of him now due to neighbours complaining about noise.
His cage is the same, albeit that the paint has all peeled off, and we havent changed his diet. Any info will be appreciated.
Thanks.
Well Behaved for 3 years and now a little terrorist?
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Skyes_crew
- Posts: 1946
- Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:49 pm
- Location: Hawaii
Re: Well Behaved for 3 years and now a little terrorist?
Hi there. Welcome to the forum. To me it sounds like he's bored. Do you rotate his toys and change them out? Do you move his perches around? Does he have a play area outside of his cage? Does he have foraging toys? What is his diet? Has your family dynamic changed at all? Tell us as much as you can and we can try to help 
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way 
Re: Well Behaved for 3 years and now a little terrorist?
Thanks for the info, ill answer your questions 1x1:Skyes_crew wrote:Hi there. Welcome to the forum. To me it sounds like he's bored. Do you rotate his toys and change them out? Do you move his perches around? Does he have a play area outside of his cage? Does he have foraging toys? What is his diet? Has your family dynamic changed at all? Tell us as much as you can and we can try to help
Do you rotate his toys and change them out? - No? Should we? He ignores them so i basically ignore them too.
Do you move his perches around? No - he is VERY particular about it. If you clean the perch and dont put it back where it was he will run around it screeching.
Does he have a play area outside of his cage? Thats primarily us. We dont let him just play as such but he does walk around the house. However his walking is always to find one of us to lift him up and take him. He never just does his own thing.
Does he have foraging toys? Whats that?
What is his diet? Mainly peanuts, fruit, cashews and almonds. He's addicted to cashews. He will nibble on bread, egg, or chicken if we put it in too. He drinks water and then will sip coffee from my cup and/or the juice etc.
Has your family dynamic changed at all? My dad who lives with me is away for 4 months. We're on bout 2/4 months now. He is close to my dad but didnt seem to mind him going.
Thanks,
Dimitri
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Skyes_crew
- Posts: 1946
- Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:49 pm
- Location: Hawaii
Re: Well Behaved for 3 years and now a little terrorist?
Toys...these are important for playtime as well as beak exercise. They should be changed frequently.
Perches...his main sleeping perch should be left alone, but his other perches can be moved around. You can add some or take some away. Change the layout of the cage.
Play area...it is important to set boundaries for your bird. A separate play area that is parrot proof will offer your bird the chance to learn to entertain himself. I fear your bird has been spoiled.
Foraging...this is a very important part of a birds life. This will help prevent boredom and helps to fix a lot of bad habits. Birds in the wild forage for their food. They have to work for it. Giving your bird something to work for will keep him occupied.
Diet...you may want to do a search within the forum for proper IRN diet. Diets rich in fats and sugars for IRN's can cause strong personality problems. IRN's need lots of veggies. Especially dark green leafy. Small amounts of fruit. Seeds and or pellets can be given in small quantities. But nuts should only be given on very rare occasions. Especially if your bird is not flighted. He has no way to burn off all of that energy so he gets frustrated and jittery and that's where the screaming comes in.
Your dad leaving could be a huge part of your birds shift in behavior. A bird can't share their feelings with you with words. So he shares his displeasure with screeching and pacing. He's letting you know he's unhappy about a situation.
I hope that sheds some light for you. At the top right of the page is a search button. Do a search for foraging ideas and IRN diets. They will be a big help. Any other questions just let me know. I'm sure there will be others to lend a hand with advice too
Perches...his main sleeping perch should be left alone, but his other perches can be moved around. You can add some or take some away. Change the layout of the cage.
Play area...it is important to set boundaries for your bird. A separate play area that is parrot proof will offer your bird the chance to learn to entertain himself. I fear your bird has been spoiled.
Foraging...this is a very important part of a birds life. This will help prevent boredom and helps to fix a lot of bad habits. Birds in the wild forage for their food. They have to work for it. Giving your bird something to work for will keep him occupied.
Diet...you may want to do a search within the forum for proper IRN diet. Diets rich in fats and sugars for IRN's can cause strong personality problems. IRN's need lots of veggies. Especially dark green leafy. Small amounts of fruit. Seeds and or pellets can be given in small quantities. But nuts should only be given on very rare occasions. Especially if your bird is not flighted. He has no way to burn off all of that energy so he gets frustrated and jittery and that's where the screaming comes in.
Your dad leaving could be a huge part of your birds shift in behavior. A bird can't share their feelings with you with words. So he shares his displeasure with screeching and pacing. He's letting you know he's unhappy about a situation.
I hope that sheds some light for you. At the top right of the page is a search button. Do a search for foraging ideas and IRN diets. They will be a big help. Any other questions just let me know. I'm sure there will be others to lend a hand with advice too
I am owned by my birds...and I wouldn't have it any other way
Re: Well Behaved for 3 years and now a little terrorist?
Dimitri,
Foraging toys are toys that hold food. The bird has to manipulate the toy to get the food out. In this regard, foraging means a situation where the bird has to do some work to get the food.
Something you can do right this very minute is to make your bird start foraging for his nuts. While it is true he should not be getting many nuts, you can use the way he is already strongly attached to them to jump start a foraging program. If you stop giving nuts freely and start only giving them in foraging, then he will be *strongly* motivated to engage in foraging to get them.
You can start in the most simple way possible, just put a nut in the bowl and also put in a bunch of other little things, like beads, wood bits, shredded paper, bird food pellets - whatever. He should rummage around in that until he finds and eats the nut. Start easy, by not entirely covering the nut, and let it get more hidden as he gets the idea.
This is the basic concept of foraging. The bird has to search for food and manipulate the physical situation to get the food. Of course, you have to keep an eye on his skill level and not make the food so hard to get that he is unsuccessful. His skill will increase, along with his motivation, so you will find yourself making harder challenges over time. When that happens, you can be pleased to know the foraging program is in play.
Easy and virtually free ways to start with foraging:
food in bowl, covered by paper or other small objects he must move out of the way
food concealed in a bundle of paper
food placed in a small container that he must destroy to get the food out - could be a little cardboard box or bit of wood with a food hole drilled in it
food simply laid on the top of the cage so he must work through the bars
food on a hanging skewer that moves when he tries to bite it
food placed in unexpected spots
food wrapped in a leaf of raw spinach or other veggie leaf -- BONUS to be had, here, is that the bird may learn to eat a leaf. Since you should also teach him to do that and give him greens regularly, this might be a sneaky, lazy way to introduce the idea. You might also carefully insert quarter of a a peanut into any vegetable that will accept it, so he can maybe learn to taste various veggies. Peel the veggie first to start.
I also have a special perch for my bird that both sways and rotates. This is the perch where he stands to access his main food dish. The concept is that he is always working just a little bit to keep his balance as he eats. It is very easy to set this up. Just get a bird-safe stick and some bird-safe twine. Take a 4 foot section of twine, tie the ends to make a loop. Feed one end of the loop through the other to make a noose and put the end of the stick in that. Do the same on the other side with another piece of twine. Now you have a swing. Clip it to the roof of the cage and put a food bowl nearby or hang a food bowl with some more twine. Be aware that one day he will chew through the twine and you will have to make some repairs. It's worth it.
Once he gets the idea, you may decide to buy a foraging toy or two or three. This will be a toy you can put food into so he must work to get it out. There is a caution here, which is why I made the list above, and that is that foraging toys are sometimes costly and underappreciated in the bird cage. I have had the experience of buying a very expensive toy the bird would never look at. It is a fairly disheartening experience. When you do go to buy a toy, make sure it is a bit small, not bigger than a tennis ball, so the bird isn't scared of it. I think a nice place to start is those little suet cages sold for serving wild birds in winter. You simply skip the suet and fill it with other stuff instead. There are also some balls made of mesh that are fairly cheap, simple, and small.
Not everyone offers their bird foraging opportunities, but those who do seem to agree the bird is better for it. Professionals recommend it. Foraging offers mental stimulation and physical activity. It gives the bird something to do on his own. It gives you a way to create tangible love and caring for your bird, something we humans seem to get a kick out of as well. It will also teach your bird to manipulate his environment, and that will most likely lead to playing with toys.
When I see my bird on his moving perch, hanging onto a cord I've braided with beads and blocks, chewing, picking, inspecting the toy, and shifting his weight around to keep his balance, I see a bird who is fully engaged in his independent activity. I also know that I am 100% responsible for having provided that satisfying experience for him. It feels *GREAT*! Because I also know that same bird, when he came to me a little over a year ago, had no skills to do more than sit around or walk on his walls, and he learned all his new satisfying and rewarding personal skills under my tuition, I am *OVER THE MOON*!
I have every confidence that one day you can have this feeling as well. Give your bird opportunities and incentive to engage in them. It will be rewarding for you both.
-MissK
Foraging toys are toys that hold food. The bird has to manipulate the toy to get the food out. In this regard, foraging means a situation where the bird has to do some work to get the food.
Something you can do right this very minute is to make your bird start foraging for his nuts. While it is true he should not be getting many nuts, you can use the way he is already strongly attached to them to jump start a foraging program. If you stop giving nuts freely and start only giving them in foraging, then he will be *strongly* motivated to engage in foraging to get them.
You can start in the most simple way possible, just put a nut in the bowl and also put in a bunch of other little things, like beads, wood bits, shredded paper, bird food pellets - whatever. He should rummage around in that until he finds and eats the nut. Start easy, by not entirely covering the nut, and let it get more hidden as he gets the idea.
This is the basic concept of foraging. The bird has to search for food and manipulate the physical situation to get the food. Of course, you have to keep an eye on his skill level and not make the food so hard to get that he is unsuccessful. His skill will increase, along with his motivation, so you will find yourself making harder challenges over time. When that happens, you can be pleased to know the foraging program is in play.
Easy and virtually free ways to start with foraging:
food in bowl, covered by paper or other small objects he must move out of the way
food concealed in a bundle of paper
food placed in a small container that he must destroy to get the food out - could be a little cardboard box or bit of wood with a food hole drilled in it
food simply laid on the top of the cage so he must work through the bars
food on a hanging skewer that moves when he tries to bite it
food placed in unexpected spots
food wrapped in a leaf of raw spinach or other veggie leaf -- BONUS to be had, here, is that the bird may learn to eat a leaf. Since you should also teach him to do that and give him greens regularly, this might be a sneaky, lazy way to introduce the idea. You might also carefully insert quarter of a a peanut into any vegetable that will accept it, so he can maybe learn to taste various veggies. Peel the veggie first to start.
I also have a special perch for my bird that both sways and rotates. This is the perch where he stands to access his main food dish. The concept is that he is always working just a little bit to keep his balance as he eats. It is very easy to set this up. Just get a bird-safe stick and some bird-safe twine. Take a 4 foot section of twine, tie the ends to make a loop. Feed one end of the loop through the other to make a noose and put the end of the stick in that. Do the same on the other side with another piece of twine. Now you have a swing. Clip it to the roof of the cage and put a food bowl nearby or hang a food bowl with some more twine. Be aware that one day he will chew through the twine and you will have to make some repairs. It's worth it.
Once he gets the idea, you may decide to buy a foraging toy or two or three. This will be a toy you can put food into so he must work to get it out. There is a caution here, which is why I made the list above, and that is that foraging toys are sometimes costly and underappreciated in the bird cage. I have had the experience of buying a very expensive toy the bird would never look at. It is a fairly disheartening experience. When you do go to buy a toy, make sure it is a bit small, not bigger than a tennis ball, so the bird isn't scared of it. I think a nice place to start is those little suet cages sold for serving wild birds in winter. You simply skip the suet and fill it with other stuff instead. There are also some balls made of mesh that are fairly cheap, simple, and small.
Not everyone offers their bird foraging opportunities, but those who do seem to agree the bird is better for it. Professionals recommend it. Foraging offers mental stimulation and physical activity. It gives the bird something to do on his own. It gives you a way to create tangible love and caring for your bird, something we humans seem to get a kick out of as well. It will also teach your bird to manipulate his environment, and that will most likely lead to playing with toys.
When I see my bird on his moving perch, hanging onto a cord I've braided with beads and blocks, chewing, picking, inspecting the toy, and shifting his weight around to keep his balance, I see a bird who is fully engaged in his independent activity. I also know that I am 100% responsible for having provided that satisfying experience for him. It feels *GREAT*! Because I also know that same bird, when he came to me a little over a year ago, had no skills to do more than sit around or walk on his walls, and he learned all his new satisfying and rewarding personal skills under my tuition, I am *OVER THE MOON*!
I have every confidence that one day you can have this feeling as well. Give your bird opportunities and incentive to engage in them. It will be rewarding for you both.
-MissK
-MissK