I think IRN's are great birds! How can I not considering I'm owned by a big blue booger? They aren't as likely to pluck which is wonderful. But they are likely to becoming screamers from what I've seen and experienced. You have to ensure you do have enough time, and personally I don't think two hours a day is enough if the bird doesn't have an exceptionally large cage with lots and lots of toys. If I only gave my IRN two hours out a day for majority of the week, he would scream all day long and would be absolutely miserable. But that's anecdotal. My IRN loves flying and needs to burn his energy, and because of that he needs at least four hours out a day.
He's also exceptionally bonded to me, and if I'm gone he screams even if my boyfriend is with him. I do my best not to reinforce it, but it's in his nature to make constant vocalizations. From the moment he's awake to the moment he's asleep he is constantly chatting. Some IRN's may not be needy, but mine is the exception. He demands 45 minutes to an hour of cuddling every night from me, and if he doesn't see me for a day he's absolutely miserable (according to my boyfriend).
My personal list of cons regarding IRN's:
- They need to stay flighted to burn their energy. IMHO, they aren't a species that does well clipped. It's possible and many people do it, but I know Shiko would become aggressive and unhappy if I were to ever clip him
- Their calls are very, very hard on the ears for a lot of people and they can be exceptionally vocal. If Shiko sounds off on my shoulder, my ear will ring. His screams can be heard from the top floor of the house we live in, and we live in a basement suite. So noise may not be an issue for other people in your area, but it might be for your family
- They are INTELLIGENT! And because of this they NEED highly interactive individuals with them and an interactive environment. I have yet to find a foraging toy my IRN couldn't figure out. He generally solves them within 5 minutes of first encountering it
- They are considered a "wilder" bird, and it can take a lot of time to have a tame bird that wants to physically interact with you. If you get an IRN, I highly recommend a breeder who socializes their babies in many different situations
- They need large cages, which can be hard on the budget. A minimum of 27" x 23" x 54" in my opinion. If you can go larger, I recommend it
- Active minds mean active bodies. You'll rarely encounter an IRN who is lazy. That means when they're out, expect to entertain them or they'll find trouble to entertain themselves with
- They often have a fear of hands, which they often have to be trained out of, and this can be harder with them than other species
Pros:
- Their intelligence makes them SUPER easy to train
- They will entertain you for hours on end with their hilarious conversation
- You'll never be bored with them as your companion
- The amount of love they are capable of giving is endless. I love cuddling my boy and saying I love you only to hear it be said back
- You'll be stumped figuring out how to stump them, which can be a fun challenge in itself
- Their colours are beautiful to look at and the combinations are almost endless
- They don't tend to be picky eaters for the most part, or at least from what I've seen. They're very food motivated!
Now my list of pros and cons is anecdotal. You only need to take them at face value and they may not apply to your bird. Personally I don't recommend IRNs as companions if you don't have a lot of time to offer consistently, just because of their activity requirements physically and mentally. They tend to flourish is highly interactive environments. That being said every bird should have lots of interaction and time out, but some species handle less time better than others.
I highly recommend YouTubing a screaming IRN and putting it at max volume. If you can't find one, I'll be more than happy to provide one [emoji12]. I really think it's important to think about the cons when it comes to birds. So many people get larger birds because of their ability to interact or talk on a deeper level, then condemn the bird when it does vocalize or demand interaction when it doesn't have those requirements met. Definitely mull it over and do your best to find exceptional IRN breeders near you, or look for rescues near you who have IRNs that you can interact with. Even going to a pet store that has an IRN you can handle would be a great experience. But good on you for doing the research and being critical about such a huge investment! It's wonderful meeting individuals who truly value the animal and are willing to put the work in before the animal even comes home. [emoji4]
