Need Help with Ringneck Parrot

[giordano124]

Hi
I just got an Indian ringneck parrot yesterday from some people who needed to rehome him due to no longer being able to care for him due to a long distance move...

When I went to pick him up, the bird was our of the cage, on the owners shoulder, and crawled onto my shoulder with no troubles. They told me the parrot loves to be out of his cage and socialize with the owner. They were not positive of the age, but they said he is definitely less than 1 year old.

I had to drive him home after that which took over an hour, in los angeles traffic. I don't think he liked it very much.... So when I brought him home and got a nice new cage set up for him, he was a completely different bird and would freak out if I came near him. I got him out of the little traveling cage and he tried to just hide behind furniture. Once we got him in the new cage he would stay on the perch, completely frozen. This morning, his behavior is still the same.

What I want to know, is whether I should leave him alone in the cage for a few days and just let him adapt, or if I should keep trying to get him out to become more comfortable?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Auggie's Dad]

I should leave him alone in the cage for a few days and just let him adapt

Yes, absolutely. Feed him and change his water, and you can try to talk calmly and offer treats but if he has no interest do not force it. Just leave him more or less alone for a few days.

It's one thing to accept a new person, but not only must he accept you he has also just LOST his previous family. In addition he went through the oddity of a car ride and travel cage and now he's in a completely foreign place.

So again you can try to talk calmly to him, and maybe hang out in the same room reading a book or something, but essentially just leave him alone for several days. Even after a few days take it slow: leave the cage open and just sit in the room, let him come out on his own. If you let him come out on his own terms you may be surprised by how fast he'll adjust, but it will not be overnight.

 

[giordano124]

Thanks for that. I was thinking that was probably the best route... The reason I was confused is because the previous owner told me I should try and take him out as much as possible... it didn't sound too logical to me. Thanks for the advice, and I will post back with updates on his progress.

 

[dakisgirls]

He is acting strangely because his old owner left him. He feels abandoned. Here are these people that he learned to know and trust, and they give him away to some supposedly "scary" freakish person. I say you give him treats (If he allows it) and make sure to do normal things that you do around the house around his cage such as reading (JUST GUESSING! ) or watching movies. Once he settles down (Which he will on his own), Try giving him some peanut butter on a chopstick. If he freaks out to that, do it little by little until he accepts it. My indian ringneck was just like yours when I got him, but now he is the greatest pet ever. I know things will turn out fine! GOOD LUCK!

 

[giordano124]

Thanks for the help with this... it is much appreciated. Since my first post, he has made great progress. He is learning to trust us more. (it is just me and my girlfriend who live here) he now comes out of his cage on his own, and loves to find things to perch up on. The downside to this is, I do eventually have to pick him up and put him back in the cage, which he is not a fan of yet. Today he stayed on my hand for about one minute, but he wasn't enjoying himself... I have been trying to give him treats, but he has zero interest in anything I am trying to give him... he has had one of those honey flavored treat sticks hanging in the cage for the last week. After about 2 days of it being in there he got confident and ate the whole thing. Then I put in another and he ate half, so I though I should take it out, and did. Now all he has is his regular food, so I am thinkiing now he may be more likely to take the treats after a couple of days of just plain food???

 

[Auggie's Dad]

They need to get used to a food before they'll eat it. So just the opposite I suspect: leave in a few 'treat' items with his food. Let him explore them, nibble, and realize it's safe. Then he'll be more comfortable taking it from you.

 

[Allyson]

We just got our new boy 3 weeks ago. It was my husband's idea ! He found him, bought him and brought him home. Kacee LOVES me and barely tolerates him. Now Kacee is MY bird !!! All done in good humor though. He was very quiet and a bit timid for the first few days and barely whispered. Now he's such a chatter box and a bit screechy. We are working on the screeching. Boy, it sure gets noisy around here when the phone rings. The phone makes the cockateil chirp, then the dog starts barking and then Kacee starts saying "Hello" Hello" . One big happy family !!!