New Member and his New Indian Ring Neck

[sujithsubramanian]

Big Hi to Everyone,

My name is Sujith and I am new to this forum. I just bought a 6 month old Indian Ring Neck from a pet shop. I read the story of Alex, the African grey parrot and its death a week back and got really movedI have never owned a parrot before because I wasn't aware how good companions parrots are !

About my parrot, he is a Male Indian Ringneck and we have named him Mike. We have put him in his cage and there are two cups provided for providing food and water. I am worried because the bird is really scared of me as in whenever I get near the cage to talk with him, he moves to the other end and hides his face. It feels like he doesn't like me. He even eats only few sunflower seeds and drink only a sip of water. Is this all normal since he moved into the new place ?

Also, I opened the cage yesterday to let him play around the house so that he ll feel more comfortable but I struggled a lot to put him back in the cage, because I have to pick him up with my hands. I tried it nearly 5 to 6 times, but he flaps his wings so hard which makes difficult for me to lift him up. The wings are clipped but still I am in a bit of hesitation mode as I am worried whether I would injure my bird by holding him too tight.And my IRN sometimes makes his body blown up and he looks kinda aggressive. I don't know why is he doing like this ??

Can someone here help me to give some tips for beginners like me to tame the IRN ? And if you could share some of your experiences, that will really get me closer to Mike !

P.S : I ll soon post pictures of my Mike and his cage so that you can help me with any improvements regarding the location, cage size and etc

 

[sujithsubramanian]

Meet Mike, Male Indian Ring Neck !

 

[epriddy]

Hi there,

Thought I'd send you a quick reply about your IRN. I have two IRNs here in the US.
Do you know if the bird was handled at the pet store where you purchased him? Had he lived there his entire life? Was he kept near the front of the store near other people or tucked away in the back? Are you continuing his previous diet or did you change it when you got him.

By your description, you're quite right, he's very scared. There's a few things that you can do right away to help with that. Make sure that's his cage isn't exposed all the way around so he doesn't feel overwhelmed. If two sides of the cage can be against walls for the time being that would be great. Walk by him regularly but don't stare him down, not a great idea. Give it time. Give him reasons to like you, that good things come from you, and that you're worth his time.

Also, your bird will become malnourished very quickly if he's just eating sunflower seeds. A bird needs a varied diet, similar to what he would have in the wild along with natural sunlight (full spectrum bulb overhead). Keeping birds in captivity, we substitute pellets to provide a well balanced diet. It takes a while for birds to accept a pelleted diet. I feed my IRNs daily fresh fruit (apples, pears, grapes, tomatoes) veggies (cucumbers, broccoli, kale, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes), nuts, dried fruits, some seed and pellets. Sounds like a lot, right? Find what works for you and what your bird takes interest in.

Regarding letting him out of the cage and catching him again. Use a towel. It will help you immensely.

Take him in the shower with you to help with bonding. You'll be surprised how this helps. Make sure he has a secure perch in there. Homemade or store bought.

And buy Birds for Dummies and read cover to cover. I know it sounds funny, but if you are a first time bird owner it's a must and will clue you in in a number of capacities.

I feel like I'm rambling on here, so I'll wrap up. I just joined today, so am seeking out where the other IRN folks are hanging out around here.

 

[epriddy]

Here are some pics of one of my IRNs. A overall picture of your cage would be good. It looks pretty bare and exposed from your pic.

 

[MollyGreenCheeks]

Welcome Sujith,

I see you made your first post on 10/21 and Epriddy was the first to respond to you and that was today. Sorry for the delay. I don't have an IRN but in general the description sounds like fear for any parrot. The first thing I noticed in your picture is the sized of your cage. It looks far too small for an IRN. Can you tell us what size it is. A parrot should be able to freely jump from perch to perch and be able to flap its wings without touching any bars. Also, when the bird is in the middle of the cage its tail should not touch any sides of the cage. The largest cage you can afford is ideal but at a absolute minimum it should be at least 24" x 24" and be at least 50 - 60 inches high. See the pics Epriddy posted? Thats a great cage for an IRN. Birds can be expensive. BTW, "toweling" a parrot to get them in or out of the cage should be last resort.

Be gentle, speak softly, and give treats. If your a singer, sit along side the cage and softly sing to sooth and catch the interest of Mike. I guess it's been a while since your original post so what is the status now?

BTW, I see your in the UAE. I just retired from the US Navy and have visited the UAE many times. I always enjoyed my times there.

 

[wenz2712]

Welcome to the forum