nerves over new bird

Hello all. So today I made the step from having previously had a conure to getting a full-on 9 month old Indian Ringneck called Skye. She appears to be a very nice bird although is a bit skittish and has some fear of people.

Main things I'm worried about with her are the following. Her vocalisation seems very loud, although rare (not sure what her morning routine is like, I hope not a screamer otherwise she will have to go, there's no way about it) which I'm worried neighbours will complain as I live in an apartment.

Second is I have had her beak me and step up twice today and to put simply that beak may be the most terrifying thing on the planet to me. I have only had a Green Cheek Conure before who rarely bit but those bites were less than this girl's beaking which makes me petrified over getting bitten to the point I feel sick. I've seen videos of their bites and have heard of the "bluffing" stage which should be next year for her and honestly I don't know what I'm going to do. I instantly fell in love with this pretty girl and would love to be her friend but I am not good with pain and the last place I want my finger is in that beak when she's mad.

Can anyone give me some help here? She seems like a very pleasent bird even if she isn't fully tame yet but these sudden nerves have me feeling like I shouldn't have got her, but I can't give her back now

Go to the macaw forum and read Birdman666's post on big beaks. I have a tiny parrotlet but her beak is still a little intimidating. Reading that information really helped me understand beaks and took a lot of the fear out of things for me.

Oh and congratulations on your new companion! ❤️❤️


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yeah I have had a look at that. I've had run ins with smaller green cheek beaks and bites and my biggest worry already is that her beaking is painful to me. It's far worse than when my conure would bite and like I said above I'm terrible with pain of any sort and after seeing videos of their bluffing and sudden strikes it makes me so worried that she'll bite me because I know I'm going to become scared of her and lose a lot of trust in her if she does

Welcome.
Thanks for sharing.
I'm afraid. If she's too loud, she'll have to go?
Parrots and apartments are a scary mix, often.
May I please ask what happened with your conure?

What a breathtakingly beautiful bird...

Hello, how much research did you do before you got her? I'm a bit concerned because IRNs are known to have a very shrill shout that is loud! They're also fairly hard to tame.

In terms of the beak I have a young Alexandrine - basically a big IRN whose borrowed something bigger 's beak!! I completely know what you mean about the fear! The honest truth is the worry is worse than the bites. My Alex is biting fairly often at the moment. I don't think it's aggressive, he's just becoming tame and he doesn't know what he is and isn't allowed to do yet.

If you're going to handle a bird you will get bitten though. Could you not use your hands to interact with this bird? I don't think IRNs particularly need physical attention from humans. Actual IRN people might completely disagree and I bow to their knowledge!

hi, I did do a bit of research into them and got conflicting info on their noise. I had some people telling me that GCC are louder and others saying that their scream is awful. Now her scream isn't the worst and is rare, but the pitch is very high which I can hear in the hallway. I possibly am worrying about the bite more so, but as I said I'm terrible with all forms of pain.

I know if I get a complaint she will have to go but I don't know any sanctuaries that are close enough for me (I don't drive) and I couldn't take her back to the owner as they are allergic (reason for selling)

Yeah I know I would but with the lack of parrot rescues near me I don't know what I would do, I don't know if RSPCA would take her and the only other option to not end up homeless would be to set her "free" which would almost certainly be a death sentence

What the websites probably meant is that GCC are noisier than IRN. As in they chatter more, have more time "talking". What they fail to mention is that the chatter from a GCC is barely audible from a distance even if it's a scream. While a IRN may not make noise at often, it's going to be very loud when they do.
I'm going through biting with my new baby now as well, it hurts. It sucks. But it's part of taming and handling your bird. He was hand raised but baby birds just tend to bite when they haven't been taught otherwise. As much is he really clamps down on me I stay calm and don't fear him, fearing them will only make them resent you and try to boss you around. If you have to, always wear a long sleeve and allow her To sit on your wrist area rather than hand so that you have more protection. I'm bonding through sitting in the floor and letting my little guy perch on my legs. It's harder To bite through jeans lol.

Yes all parrots have a voice. It is something that comes with parrot ownership. Some are louder than others, every bird is different. My grey is a quieter grey but he has definite chatter moments where he just wants to make his mark vocally. He's not a biter either but, as with noise, beaks are part of parrot ownership. In training you have to be prepared for bites and how to handle bites it so as they grow the beak is under control. If this is something you can't do, best now to rehome your bird before it becomes too traumatic for him/her.

GaleriaGila said:

Welcome.
Thanks for sharing.
I'm afraid. If she's too loud, she'll have to go?
Parrots and apartments are a scary mix, often.
May I please ask what happened with your conure?

What a breathtakingly beautiful bird...

Click to expand...

Ditto on all of the above!
What happened to your conure?

Jottlebot said:

If you're going to handle a bird you will get bitten though. Could you not use your hands to interact with this bird? I don't think IRNs particularly need physical attention from humans. Actual IRN people might completely disagree and I bow to their knowledge!

Click to expand...

Nailed it Jottlebot On a side note....I have an empty big parrot cage outside - so tempted by an Alex....but still working out if they are just a 'big Ringneck'!

Hi LordTriggs I think we're dealing with similar birds right now! Please don't give up just yet. Skye is an incredible mutation - just stunning. Congratulations.
Firstly - where did you find him/her? What is his/her history, and why was he/she sold?

Ringnecks are stereotypically not affeciationate birds, in the way conures or cockatoos might be. There is always the exception and I think a member on here, Dinosawr, has a clingy IRN but hers would definitely be the exception.

The noise thing is comparative I guess. I can handle the two IRN's more than my MIL's cage of budgies. It's what you're used to? Of our pair, Only Henry makes a deafening noise, and only when a car is up the drive/ a fire truck races past/something outside is very very different. Or when we're eating and he hasn't had a treat snuck to him.

What kind of setup have you got for cage/playstand/play area? Our newest addition, Clarke, came from a home where his owner had grown scared to handle him because he was nippy, and at the same he'd grown afraid of hands becasue he wasn't being handled/only towelled. She questioned if he really had been hand reared, but he was vibrant and interested enough that we decided to bring him home and give him a shot.

We have our cages on one wall with a playstand in the middle, all linked by perches and chains. There is a big window in the wall that has a boing - everyones favourite place to hang.

From day one post quarantine we opened his door and left him to it. He decided to venture out with Ethyl and Henry and climb the curtains/play on the stand/ check out the boing etc. He'll now take treats from my hands. He still wont step up to the hand but if he accidentally finds himself on the floor, He'll accept a covered forearm for a ride back to the cage.

disclaimer: my advantage in our case is that he is taking and interest in and watching the older birds behaviours.

I think you need to consider carefully your expectations of Skye. S/he is an incredibly smart, possibly a little anxious wee creature with a likely does of independence. What is it you actually want/need for a parrot, and is that in the best interests of Skye's current state? You have a lot of time to bond and get used to one another's little quirks - this bit doesn't have to be rushed.

Good luck let us know how you get on!

Suggest you visit some of your neighbors and using diplomacy explain you have a new bird and she is settling in. If any of her calls are disturbing to let you know. Sometimes being proactive can head odd any issues with your bird. Invite them in to see her too.

I recall from an earlier thread your conure passed away about one week prior. At the time you were considering either a GCC or Eclectus?

Your best course is to honestly weigh your expectations vs what is best for Skye. Your unease with biting is understandable, and I will not attempt to minimize the pain associated. Like many animals, birds can sense fears and react accordingly.

Please reassess your choice, and give Sky a chance if possible. If unworkable, the honourable course is to re-home as best possible, and this does not include setting her free.

Thank you, Scott!