African vs Indian ringnecks

[swong66666]

Which is a better shoulder pet: African ringneck or Indian ringneck?

 

[StormyPica]

@Cottonoid @Terry57

 

[Cottonoid]

I find both to be super smart and independent but very sweet if given a chance to properly bond with you. I think with what I've observed in their behaviors as pets, it's very important to ask yourself what YOU bring to the table as a companion.

To answer your question I think either can be an excellent shoulder companion with a LOT of your energy and time put into bonding and enrichment.

I will say that all of the pet ringnecks I've seen on social media and YouTube have owners who spend all day at home interacting with their birds, if that helps you understand the commitment level needed to keep them happy and wanting to interact with you.

 

[swong66666]

I find both to be super smart and independent but very sweet if given a chance to properly bond with you. I think with what I've observed in their behaviors as pets, it's very important to ask yourself what YOU bring to the table as a companion.

To answer your question I think either can be an excellent shoulder companion with a LOT of your energy and time put into bonding and enrichment.

I will say that all of the pet ringnecks I've seen on social media and YouTube have owners who spend all day at home interacting with their birds, if that helps you understand the commitment level needed to keep them happy and wanting to interact with you.

Now which one, African or Indian, has a smaller beak?

 

[Laurasea]

This is a good read

WHAT'S SO DIFFERENT ABOUT INDIAN RINGNECKS - Silver Sage Aviaries

One of the most common things we hear from prospective parrot owners is that they have narrowed down their choice of companion down to “A ringneck or a conure.” I always respond by saying “Then you really haven’t narrowed it down at all; those are extremely different birds.” Then I struggle to...

silversageaviaries.com

And this

Pet Bird and Parrot Behavior – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.

Pet bird and parrot behavior information.

lafeber.com

And this. Because learning parrots is an art. I've re read these many times myself and share often as they are such great articles.

Reading Parrot Body Language: An Essential Skill

Why is it so important to be able to read your parrot’s body language? Because a finely honed ability to read body language is necessary to a relationship that works. Body language is the only way …

blogpamelaclarkonline.com

 

[Laurasea]

This one is also well worth the read! I do hope you will give them all a read. so much great stuff shared, much better than I can. Hopefully others that read your thread also take the time to read the links, they really are some if my favorite and have helped many. I wish it wasn't just called stress , because its awesome in sharing how parrots think and see everything and the environment, how thoughtfulness with cage, diet , behavior, ritual , tips, training its awesome for all parrots not just ones we view as stressed

Stress Reduction for Companion Parrots – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.

To put it bluntly, keeping companion parrots is similar to trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. The fact that they do as well as they do is testimony more to their adaptability than it is to our husbandry efforts.

lafeber.com

 

[Cottonoid]

This one is also well worth the read! I do hope you will give them all a read. so much great stuff shared, much better than I can. Hopefully others that read your thread also take the time to read the links, they really are some if my favorite and have helped many. I wish it wasn't just called stress , because its awesome in sharing how parrots think and see everything and the environment, how thoughtfulness with cage, diet , behavior, ritual , tips, training its awesome for all parrots not just ones we view as stressed

Stress Reduction for Companion Parrots – Pet Birds by Lafeber Co.

To put it bluntly, keeping companion parrots is similar to trying to pound a square peg into a round hole. The fact that they do as well as they do is testimony more to their adaptability than it is to our husbandry efforts.

lafeber.com

Your new-parrot parront links were SO helpful to me before I got a bird! I wanted to make sure I was really ready for a parrot and how intelligent they are and the lifetime commitment - so different from all the other pets I've had - so thank you for posting these!

@swong66666 I *think* IRN beaks are a bit longer and ARN a bit wider. I've seen both but myself personally I haven't seen them next to each other in person. ARN have longer tail feathers than IRN but their bodies are smaller.

When I was trying to narrow down which species I thought would be a good fit for my lifestyle and my personality, I found it really helpful to visit a bird rescue and an exotic pet store. Are there any places like that near you? It was very helpful to me to understand how loud different species are as well as their general size.

 

[Laurasea]

I see you are excited to start your journey with parrots, and having the struggle common to us all , finding the species that's best fit for us.

We all have had to take the first steps on the learning curve. And its a journey that never ends .

My advice to all new and potential owners is a lot of patience , expect more mess than you have imagined, more noise than you were thinking, and more time committed. And there will be bites, but carefully reading body language, a lot of empathy , cooperation, not forcing interactions will reduce that to very few.

 

[Cottonoid]

Something another member here says regularly, that has REALLY helped me as a new parrot owner, is that "it's never the bird's fault, always the humans".

Parrots are going to act in the way their DNA tells them to, which is why we see so many stories of screaming and biting birds - those birds aren't getting a need met and are desperately trying to tell us we're doing something wrong in how we take care of and interact with them.

I have an African Ringneck that was originally sold as a young tame bird, probably handfed based on where he likely came from, and then he was given up to a rescue 9 months later. He's scared of people now, and even though he hasn't bitten me at all and makes the CUTEST monkey noises and beeps and trills, he's still very scared of hands and arms.

But I tell you, watching him play and chatter and chew up toys and try new foods and climb all over the place? So much fun! And when he gets all happy and fluffy and looks at me? Pure heaven! I'd only really seen parrots at chain stores before and didn't realize how smart they are and how deeply emotional they are compared to other animals - it is a massive learning curve and a lot of money and all my free time, but when we humans get it right, it's the most incredible bond you'll experience!