What is the earliest age you see a ring develop?

I just brought home a little bird who was hatched 4/2020. I think it has a ring but read it doesn’t start showing up until about 18 months. It seems to me to be a male by the head and ring. The little guy/gal did say”hi” and “come here, come here” this morning. I’m going to try to post a pic or 2 just in case someone can fill me in.

Thanks!

Looks like to me that you've got a hen, the ring should've developed by now

Thank you. I was hoping male because it’s not even a year old but I’m good with a little lady as well.

I don't agree, I think it's still too early. I see what you see, but that isn't the ring a mature bird gets. Is you bird a green IRN? So you'd expect a jet black ring? If it is then that isn't it! It's just a shadow ring, male amd female youngsters get that.

If it is something more complicated than a normal green then I don’t know what to expect regarding ring colour so I guess it could be, I've seen IRNs with light rings, but it depends on genetics and I would think you would have specifically bought a 'fancy IRN.

Well I’m really not sure of its color...looks to be maybe blue with a green cast to the feathers ~ almost shimmery. I would call it a teal color. The little one will turn 1 in April, the previous owner was unsure of the actual hatch date. I really didn’t care what color I got but I preferred this guy over the other one he was selling.

I am going to have a dna done as I have with my other birds and not for any other reason than I want to know what to call it and decide on a name.

Here’s a short video that maybe can help you see the color better than what I can describe.

I'm still putting my money on that its a hen, a bird of that mutation would get a black ring, one of my breeder mates keeps this mutation (can't remember the exact name) and males WILL get the black ring. IMO that bird doesn't have a big enough head to be a male either

I’m going to do the DNA test as I don’t want to wait another 6+ months until the little bird is 18 months old. I can’t seem to upload the video, must be a new member issue. I was just looking for a bird, color didn’t really matter to me. I was hoping for a male and since it was even a year and had that ring, I was hopeful that it would be a boy. Again, I don’t care what sex but I do love the rings the males get. And the person I got it from had 27 birds in a separate “aviary” outside of the house, not one had a toy in its cage so regardless of what color/sex, it was coming home with me. The cage is too small and I have ordered a new one. It has finally started picking at the toys I put in there Saturday but goes to the bottom of the cage to play with the paper. It makes me so mad that people do that. Then the person I bought it from asked to buy it back. Uh, no but thanks for the offer. It learned to step up super quick after not having a clue how to do that either. I think the reason it says “come here, come here” is because when they were all out in the room (all different breeds), that’s what they would say to coax the birds to their cages. Poor little one has no idea what any other food is besides the seed mix. Seems to be afraid of anything new I put in a bowl. It’ll get there but it still is sad to me.

I don’t know if it’s molted because I wanted to pay and get the poor thing home with a place in the living room among people. I’m assuming it has since it will be 12 months in April.

I guess I’m really just here to learn as much as I can about them. It’s really a sweet thing, let’s me kiss it, sits inside my sweatshirt, on my head and shoulder. Likes to be in the kitchen with us and our cockatiels to eat meals. Seems to be interested in watching what’s on TV. I know we have to keep it very social so I hope I’m doing the right thing.

Just got my dna results back and it’s a BOY! I was so thinking a hen but I did a reputable testing place (animal genetics/avian biotech) and was shocked to be honest. Now to think of a name. Thanks for all of your help

Hey my G/F waited 10 years before she saw a ring develop! LOL, J/K. Now wife.

OMG Salty! That is hilarious. Thanks for the laugh, I needed it

Rings CAN start to develop anywhere from 1-4 years old but they USUALLY come in at 2-3 years. Your bird has a “shadow ring” which can appear on both juvenile and female birds.

DNA tests cost around $12-25 and I highly recommend them


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Yes, I did the dna blood sample through animal genetics/avian biotech and it’s a male. They had a fast turnaround time and was able to see the results the same day they received his sample on my account. It is nice to know that he’s a little man as much as I hated cutting that nail to get his sample.

I’m going to guess that his ring will get brighter with age since he’s a boy even though he’s a color mutation?

He will molt in completely black feathers for his ring, yes. And he’s a turquoise so his ring will probably be peachy or yellowish rather than bright pink like it would be on a green or white like on a blue.


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Oh how interesting! Thank you. I was wondering what color he would be considered. He’s a neat guy, never realized they were such cool birds. I know I’ve heard people say they get wrong results for the dna tests more than they would like but I hope the place I went with is a good one. I have a friend who owns a bird store where I used to live and that’s who they recommended so that’s who I went with.

I really appreciate your input and help. This is my first time being on a bird forum and it’s been great to see all the helpful people.

Ringnecks are my heart bird and I’m obsessed with their color mutations lol.

Usually if you get the wrong result from
A reliable lab it’s from cross contamination.


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Suzysmilez said:

Just got my dna results back and it’s a BOY! I was so thinking a hen but I did a reputable testing place (animal genetics/avian biotech) and was shocked to be honest. Now to think of a name. Thanks for all of your help

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Congratulations on your boy!! I use animal genetics lab i think they are great place to send off fir DNA sexing

I never really noticed them until I went to the breeders house that I got my tiels from and she had one. It was such a funny thing and the breed captured my attention then. It was almost a year before I decided I was going to buy one because as much as my little pair of tiels love me, they love each other more. Sooo I wanted a bird to be mine and look forward to seeing me (I know the other 2 do too). He came from a sad situation where the man had 27 birds and not one of the cages had a toy in it. They only ate seed mix, one little lovebird had its foot bit off by their alexandrine because all of the birds are allowed to fly free in this much to small of an “aviary” which was maybe 4’x8’. He had sticks to get the birds with and it broke my heart leaving the other ringneck there but I didn’t want another pair of birds even though neither of them were DNA’d so I just took this one.

I think the colors are amazing and didn’t really care what color I ended up with. I will be excited to see his colors after he molts as I assume they will get a bit more vibrant.