New Member and Ringneck Owner - Advice?

[StarbuckNic]

Hello everyone!

I am a new and proud owner of a beautiful green Indian Ringneck named Starbuck (not after the coffee shop, after the hero(ine) in the series Battlestar Gallactica).

I purchased the bird from a local aviary that I thought was the perfect choice. She really cares about her birds. I have read multiple books including Sally Blanchard's Companion Parrot Handbook, and Birds for Dummies. I have also watched Good Bird Inc's videos about basic parrot training, training to step-up, and training for the vet visit.

However, when picking up my IRN from the breeder I noticed that she chased him around the cage until he was caught and toweled. Then handed off. It took him about 10 min to calm down enough so we could put him in the carrier. He was syringe fed as well. He did not know how to step up. This has led to a stressful acclamation for the poor bird. I know that I have to take it slow and go at the birds pace as far as training and handling but I feel terrible because he has only had one moment in the last 5 days where he was able to come out of his cage willingly. I will not chase him or force him out of the cage. First question, I can be patient, but am I being neglectful leaving him in his cage so much when he doesn't want to come out? This is of course with several gentle attempts each day.

We have started just sitting around on our computers and leaving the cage in the office with the cage door open, only while monitoring the bird of course. This has gotten him more comfortable with the cage door being open and shut. I also haven't found a treat that he really likes. He has shown little interest in sunflower seeds, bananas, corn nuts, and walnuts. I am working on getting him to try cashews and pecans next. Not having a treat identified that he likes makes the process much more difficult as well because he has no reason to want to step up. According to Good Bird Inc. pushing into a birds breast is negative reinforcement and is not advised.

When deciding to get the bird I committed to a long-term companion and lots of patience. I don't mind taking my time with Starbuck, but books and videos can only prepare one so much! Any real-world tips from the IRN vets on this forum?

Thank you in advance for all your advice and compassion. I look forward to becoming a long term member of these forums and enjoying life with a companion IRN!

Sincerely,
Nicole and Starbuck

[SunniDai]

Good morning, and welcome to the forum
While I am certainly no expert on ringnecks, I can tell you of my experiences with my own fids. We got Sunni when she was three weeks old and hand fed her, so she has never been an issue (knock on wood, that could change any day now lol). We rescued Oscar and Luna, clutch mates, in February of this year. They had to be toweled to get them into the carrier to bring them home. They were SO jittery and scared that every time we approached the cage, they would flit around, crashing into their cage, and scream. We left them on the table next to Sunni's cage and went about our day, not ignoring them, but not purposely singling them out. After a few weeks, they didn't flit around like we were attacking them, so we started doing things closer to them, still not purposely singling them out. Always talking to them calmly. Finally we opened the cage door and let them come out at their own pace. They naturally wanted to go high, so they went to the top of the large cage. We slowly stick trained them to step up to a long stick.
Now, only six short months later, they are out of their cages all day long with Sunni and we still have them stepping up to the stick, but they have upon occasion stepped up onto a toweled hand (they still bite fairly hard when startled) and have ridden around on our shoulders a time or two for short (SHORT) amounts of time. We still have to towel them to take them from the house to their outdoor aviary, but it's not as traumatic to them (or us) that it used to be. They are no longer drawing blood from us like they used to.
Anywho, the point of this long-winded story is that you are doing right by taking things at Starbuck's pace. Patience is the key. If you try to force him to do something he is not ready to do, your relationship with him will take steps backwards. He will come out when he feels comfortable enough to see that you are not going to harm him or chase him around with a towel.
Good luck with your fid
Dana

[StarbuckNic]

Thanks for the advice Dana! Things are getting better. I just take it slow. One thing I realized is, that as a new bird owner I am also afraid when starbuck leans toward me with an open beak. However, this does not always mean he will bite. Often he just wants to nibble on me or use his beak to step up. My own fear was also making him uneasy. Again, new bird owner here so I am learning too!

We had a great session today out of the cage where he more readily stepped up onto my finger. Thanks again for your support and advice Dana!