No Progress with Ringneck

Hello there, I purchased an Indian Ringneck around a month ago to keep personally after working with birds for years in a zoo setting and I've tried to use all the methods I've learned in work and research but I seem to be making zero progress with forming any sort of bond with the bird. In fact I feel like its getting worse.

Obviously she's new and I expected some apprehension but I'm literally in the room with her every day for several hours, I talk calmly to her, hang out near her cage, and offer food which unfortunately the only food item she shows any interest is apple, she adamantly refuses to eat anything but apple and her seed mix.

However in terms of fear she is still completely terrified of my hands and if they come near the cage she flees to the furthest perch and wants for me to pull back. She also freaks out anytime I open the cage door to clean or swap perching and enrichment. She will come to snag a piece of apple if I set it through the bars and remove my hand but she does so in a way I can tell is trying to sneakily get it. She waits for me to not look or inches closer to grab it and run away. And now even that has degraded, the past few days shes taken to just pacing back and forth on a perch if I sit near the cage.

If I'm not near the cage for awhile she does start to vocalize, several different sounds. Which I believe are social sounds based on videos if the species, but again if I come near the cage she becomes fearful and quiet.

I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here. I've never seen a parrot this afraid to the point she won't even take food from my hand.

To start, as far as I'm aware ringnecks have this weird irrational fear of hands. Especially if the bird was parent fed, you will not see any ringneck happily dealing with hands. This can take months and months of training.
If he does snag a treat every now and then, maybe set up a treat bowl that you can drop a treat into every time you walk past, so he'll associate your presence with a treat!
Has she been out of the cage?
I personally get wayyyy better progress outside the cage. My ringneck will not let me get near him in the cage, unless I have a treat. Outside the cage however he'll play games with me, do training and talk to me all day. He definitely needs to stretch his wings!
Have you also tried to make a parrot chop? There's some great recipes you can try, that's how I got mine into veggies. He's still super picky but if I put a few berries in there he'll eat it.
Ringnecks are definitely not easy to tame and earn their trust, but they're so worth it!
Has she got foraging toys as well? Definitely a must

If you haven't already read it there is this thread Tips bonding building trust which has been very enlightening for me.

Maybe she needs you to start over and go a little slower? I know that I had to go super slow with the hand raised IRN we had. It took me a good couple of months to win her acceptance let alone trust.

Hi there. Ringnecks that have essentially gone back to being in the wild state, ie not been handled or interacted with in sometime (and it ain;t that long), are notorious for being extremely difficult to re-tame. Like the advice above its going to take consistent, thoughtful time to bring her around. They are worth it.

Thanks much for the advice/commentary so far. My previous experience with birds was colored by different species, so in effect I am very new to this type of bird care and training. I will also add that I do not get the feeling the bird is unhappy or unusually stressed during the day. In fact she is quite chatty and does various vocalizations that I believe are signs of contentment or wanting attention.

I will continue to read, process and try things as they are explained to me. Hopefully I can eventually tell you all of success with her as I want very much for her to be a happy, content, partner bird.

Hi Thayn,

This is the first time I've visited here in a couple of years. I have an IRN too which was a couple of months old when she arrived in early 2017. She's the only parrot I've spent time with. I thought some of this might be helpful or something you could relate to.

Although she fits many of the IRN traits, she is also quite different.

She has 3 categories she places a person into as soon as she meets them.

1. I don't really like you much and I'll climb on you, make you think I'm your friend, puff myself up and then bite you aggressively

2. I like you and sometimes I'll let you pat and tickle me, but other times don't touch me even though I want to sit on you, or i'll nip you hard

3. I absolutely love you and you can do anything you want to me whenever you want

You'll know which one you are within the first half hour of meeting her and that's generally where you'll remain without time and patience. LOL does this remind anyone of a cat?

I've learnt the hard way that she can't be told off. She's like a rebellious kid and will do it even more in spite.

Regardless of how one's been categorised, I think a relationship can improve a bit over time provided you don't try and force it. I think the use "positive reinforcement only" advice is right

I'm very confident she remembers someone even after not seeing them for a very long time, and they will still have their categorisation above. I somewhat disagree with the popular description of turning wild if not handled regularly. These may be ones not handled much when young.

One day she got spooked while out in the garden and flew out of the yard. She returned the next day by herself much to our relief. Almost everyone I've met who've had an IRN said they never return.

She's never talked, but she's learnt a whistle (from my mother who's a category 3 and absolutely adored, along with my father also 3) which seems to be a "family whistle" when we arrive or leave the house. Our other bird has learnt this from her too.

She has a cage she puts herself into at night though it's rarely ever closed, but spends the day sitting or wandering around the kitchen, back patio or garden near the back door. She's comes and goes from the house via the dog flap which we've removed the flap from.

She has two sisters, a golden retriever who's about the same age and an Australian magpie who's hand reared but younger. They've all grown up with each other and they all get along most of the time except the magpie can be very playful and persistent in stirring the other two up to play, or stealing their treats from them.

She uses the dog as a ladder to get onto the table

Her job is to chew nearly everything she eats into small cubes. She eats about 20% of anything and leaves the rest for anyone else who wants it. She loves cooked spaghetti and cheese which she'll eat all of. (don't worry, this is not her regular diet). The magpie on the other hand, knows exactly how much food she was given, even if she's walks away with just one bit, and will blow her whistle if someone else attempts to touch the remaining bits. It's ALL hers.

Eating too much fruit does seem to make her cranky / nippy about a day or two later. this lasts a few days. Passion fruit seems to be a trigger.

She prefers to stay indoors on very windy days

Her cage is hers and is very defensive/protective of it, and only the dog and a category 3 person can put their hand / head inside safely

Apparently the boy IRNs are less cranky, more cuddly and more likely to talk

As much as we'd love it, I think it's unlikely someone will ever become a true category 3 if it wasn't love at first sight by the IRN, no matter how hard one tries or how patient. I think it's been proven over and over. If you are happy with being a 2 then that's achievable with patience. I'm now back to a 2 after making mistakes that dropped me back to a 1 for about 6 to 12 months. When they are very young they see everyone as a 2 or 3 until puberty kicks in. I've resigned to being the one who quickly "removes her" from guests who are unaware she's chewing their clothes or shoes, and this wins me no points with her

Take it slow and easy, and don't expect instant changes as it's likely to take months. Don't force anything, lash out or try and grab him/her if they don't want it. Try to lure them away with a treat.



Good luck with your friend

Good synopsis Jay. Salty our 'zon, has the similar categories. I am a 3, my wife is a 2 and my youngest son is a -1, LOL, to be attacked if possible.