ARN looking for facetime

[HSRivney]

Taking a stab here. I rescued an emotionally neglected male ARN last year. He doesn't talk, step up, take food from your hand, eat when anyone is within 5 feet of his cage. This is AFTER I've been working with him for 10 months. I've changed his diet, allow him to fly the house once or twice a week, he gets fruit and Roudybush. He loves his mirrors, so I put an iPad in his cage and set it to YouTube playlists of other ringnecks. He LOVES the babies and snuggles up to them, sings to them, taps the iPad all the time. He's figured out how to keep tapping it to get to the video on the list that is his favorite(s).

I recently heard of an experiment where humans trained birds to ring a bell when they want to video chat with another bird, and they are pretty good at face timing! If anyone has a lonely, or not lonely, African Ring Neck, who could face time with mine for a bit a couple times a week, perhaps our birds could become friends? The most I can get him to do is not bite me when I work the iPad inside his cage, and touch (only touch) a fruit treat before he jumps to the back of his cage and waits for me to put it in the bowl. I'm told this is a big improvement from where he was. It's just sad! I know he's lonely and needs company, but he doesn't want it from me.

Anyone who might want to try this? Here he is with the iPad in his cage.

 

[wrench13]

Parrots and mirrors - always a crap shoot. My Salty has zero interest in a reflection of himself, I think he understands that its just him. But he does love to watch YT vids, especially those crazy RIngnecks. He learned a lot of what he says from watching vids of them talking. He also reacts to videos of other yellow shoulder Amazons and some BFA and YNA's but oddly not all!

Personally, I would remove the mirrors. And a year is really not that long for a Ringneck to open up, they can be pretty stubborn.

 

[zERo]

Welcome to the forums!

I saw the video of this experiment too and it sounds like your little guy is loving it!

I agree with @wrench13 about removing the mirrors as it can cause sexual frustration. Not all birds will understand that the reflection is not another real bird.

I just want to make sure that IPad is very secure on the platform, if it were to fall on him he could be seriously hurt.

Have you considered getting another ARN?
I don’t usually recommend people getting another bird but some birds will be more comfortable with another bird rather than with a human.

Though, if it were me, I would consider continuing the process of taming. It took me 2 years to get my female budgie Hedwig to step up onto my hand without lots of luring and even then she was very hesitant.

Have you heard of target training? It’s a great hands off way to bond in a hands-off way.

I’m tagging an owner of an ARN here so she can give advice on how she’s gone about on her progression of getting him used to her: @Cottonoid

 

[HSRivney]

Parrots and mirrors - always a crap shoot. My Salty has zero interest in a reflection of himself, I think he understands that its just him. But he does love to watch YT vids, especially those crazy RIngnecks. He learned a lot of what he says from watching vids of them talking. He also reacts to videos of other yellow shoulder Amazons and some BFA and YNA's but oddly not all!

Personally, I would remove the mirrors. And a year is really not that long for a Ringneck to open up, they can be pretty stubborn.

Thanks, I'll do that. I just hate for him to be "alone".

 

[HSRivney]

Welcome to the forums!

I saw the video of this experiment too and it sounds like your little guy is loving it!

I agree with @wrench13 about removing the mirrors as it can cause sexual frustration. Not all birds will understand that the reflection is not another real bird.

I just want to make sure that IPad is very secure on the platform, if it were to fall on him he could be seriously hurt.

Have you considered getting another ARN?
I don’t usually recommend people getting another bird but some birds will be more comfortable with another bird rather than with a human.

Though, if it were me, I would consider continuing the process of taming. It took me 2 years to get my female budgie Hedwig to step up onto my hand without lots of luring and even then she was very hesitant.

Have you heard of target training? It’s a great hands off way to bond in a hands-off way.

I’m tagging an owner of an ARN here so she can give advice on how she’s gone about on her progression of getting him used to her: @Cottonoid

Thanks for thoughts. I'll keep working with him regardless. I tried target training, but he is terrified of the target (a chopstick). I'd get him another bird if I thought it would turn out well enough. I don't know if another male would be best or a female. Yes, the iPad is secured with a little non-slip pad underneath, and a leash behind that would keep it from squishing him!
I'm a Certified Fear Free Pet Professional, but this guy baffles me.
He's not my first bird, either, but first ring neck, and I took him on because he was suffering in his last place. Just kind of at my wits end on the next steps to make him happy. He's never had a nail or wing trim, nor been to a vet. I don't want to stress him, but don't want to neglect his care, either.

 

[Cottonoid]

I can't type a lot right now but your situation sounds just like mine with my ARN Cotton!

 

[Cottonoid]

I'll try in the next couple of days to add more videos of Cotton's sounds, and to write up how we've done over the last year.

Here's a really short one, I got busted spying

 

[kme3388]

I'll try in the next couple of days to add more videos of Cotton's sounds, and to write up how we've done over the last year.

Here's a really short one, I got busted spying

Cotton is looking amazing!! So adorable

 

[kme3388]

2 of my friends sent me this study about birds doing video chat. I was interested in it. Please do keep updating if you see any positive benefits.

 

[HSRivney]

2 of my friends sent me this study about birds doing video chat. I was interested in it. Please do keep updating if you see any positive benefits.

I need to find a ringneck that wants to video chat, first.

 

[HSRivney]

I'll try in the next couple of days to add more videos of Cotton's sounds, and to write up how we've done over the last year.

Here's a really short one, I got busted spying

They hate the camera! Too funny.

 

[HSRivney]

Welcome to the forums!

I saw the video of this experiment too and it sounds like your little guy is loving it!

I agree with @wrench13 about removing the mirrors as it can cause sexual frustration. Not all birds will understand that the reflection is not another real bird.

I just want to make sure that IPad is very secure on the platform, if it were to fall on him he could be seriously hurt.

Have you considered getting another ARN?
I don’t usually recommend people getting another bird but some birds will be more comfortable with another bird rather than with a human.

Though, if it were me, I would consider continuing the process of taming. It took me 2 years to get my female budgie Hedwig to step up onto my hand without lots of luring and even then she was very hesitant.

Have you heard of target training? It’s a great hands off way to bond in a hands-off way.

I’m tagging an owner of an ARN here so she can give advice on how she’s gone about on her progression of getting him used to her: @Cottonoid

I have found a target stick - one of his molted tail feathers! He's not afraid of it, but he's not quite sure why I'm asking him to touch it. He'd rather touch the pomegranate aril itself, or my finger. BABY steps.

 

[JinPicaJest]

I have found a target stick - one of his molted tail feathers! He's not afraid of it, but he's not quite sure why I'm asking him to touch it. He'd rather touch the pomegranate aril itself, or my finger. BABY steps.

Nothing wrong with your finger as a target (as long as he doesn't nip it), or the feather, or anything, really. Doesn't have to be stick-like! Good work!

 

[DonnaBudgie]

Taking a stab here. I rescued an emotionally neglected male ARN last year. He doesn't talk, step up, take food from your hand, eat when anyone is within 5 feet of his cage. This is AFTER I've been working with him for 10 months. I've changed his diet, allow him to fly the house once or twice a week, he gets fruit and Roudybush. He loves his mirrors, so I put an iPad in his cage and set it to YouTube playlists of other ringnecks. He LOVES the babies and snuggles up to them, sings to them, taps the iPad all the time. He's figured out how to keep tapping it to get to the video on the list that is his favorite(s).

I recently heard of an experiment where humans trained birds to ring a bell when they want to video chat with another bird, and they are pretty good at face timing! If anyone has a lonely, or not lonely, African Ring Neck, who could face time with mine for a bit a couple times a week, perhaps our birds could become friends? The most I can get him to do is not bite me when I work the iPad inside his cage, and touch (only touch) a fruit treat before he jumps to the back of his cage and waits for me to put it in the bowl. I'm told this is a big improvement from where he was. It's just sad! I know he's lonely and needs company, but he doesn't want it from me.

Anyone who might want to try this? Here he is with the iPad in his cage. View attachment 51258

You have gone so far above and beyond for your ARN! Such a lucky bird to have you.

 

[ramarieat]

Hi, welcome to the forum.
I have an Alexandrine parrot ( loki) it took me about nine months to get to the point where he would let me near him and step up onto my hand ( only when he wanted to) as long as i wore gloves to disguise those scary hands otherwise he would try to bite and a full year before he let me touch him without the gloves, I also used my finger as a target (whatever works),it's now been nineteen months and when he's not being a Mr snarky pants ( he's molting )he's really quite affectionate ,gives me kisses, climbs all over me,thinks my food is his and tries to steal it. let's me touch him pretty much anywhere if i need to and we do training everyday have just added "file" to his list which is me touching his nails with a nail file at the moment with the hope i can use it on him one day lol.
so just stick with whatever works for you and your bird, sounds like your going in the right direction with him, he's lucky you found him and it won't belong before you belong to him.
Unfortunately i don't have an iPad for Loki to FaceTime as he tends to destroy the screen on phones and tablets ( new flip phone broken beyond repair i don't want to talk about it lol) if given the chance otherwise he'd be happy the chat..
Hope he finds someone. Good luck.

 

[texsize]

I think my Amazon’s would be interested in FaceTime but I suspect their attention span would be limited.

My YNA is easiest to handle but I don’t know if he would treat a live video different from a YouTube video.
He tries to touch the birds on screen with his beak but never talks to them.

Merlin & Luna (the Twins) would vocalize for sure but They aren’t all that easy to handle and get to hold still for long.

I don’t know how my CAG would react.
I have shown her videos of Einstein the Texas CAG.
IDK, Bella doesn’t give allot away and I have trouble reading her.
My guess is she won’t talk to another bird over electric devices.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I think my Amazon’s would be interested in FaceTime but I suspect their attention span would be limited.

My YNA is easiest to handle but I don’t know if he would treat a live video different from a YouTube video.
He tries to touch the birds on screen with his beak but never talks to them.

Merlin & Luna (the Twins) would vocalize for sure but They aren’t all that easy to handle and get to hold still for long.

I don’t know how my CAG would react.
I have shown her videos of Einstein the Texas CAG.
IDK, Bella doesn’t give allot away and I have trouble reading her.
My guess is she won’t talk to another bird over electric devices.

How would a parrot know the difference between watching an up close video of an interesting bird vocalizing and doing a face-time with another bird? The face-timers won't actually have a two way conversation, will they?

 

[texsize]

How would a parrot know the difference between watching an up close video of an interesting bird vocalizing and doing a face-time with another bird? The face-timers won't actually have a two way conversation, will they?

I think it’s possible they would respond to each other Verbally.
how it would differ from a YouTube video I think would be touching the image of the bird on the other end with their beak.
Maybe it would be frustrating for them, not able to touch.

 

[wrench13]

Salty used to have real time playdates with a BFA named Amy. We haven't gotten together since Amy's Dad passed away and is now being cared for by his brother David. I think I will see if he wants to do a Zoom or Teams call with the two of them, and see if they recognize each other! They had a real bro-mance going!

 

[Cottonoid]

How would a parrot know the difference between watching an up close video of an interesting bird vocalizing and doing a face-time with another bird? The face-timers won't actually have a two way conversation, will they?

Mine definitely recognize their cockatiel buddy on video calls and voices of people they know.

@HSRivney I'm hoping to get a hand me down old iPhone to see if Cotton would be interested I bet he will!

I also took really really slow steps toward interacting, and now a little over one year Cotton will take treats from my fingers, and stays pretty calm when I approach him. He is still VERY anxious about being touched or "caught" so vet visits tend to undo progress, but I'm a bit ahead this year compared to last, so over time I think we'll keep moving forward.