WILD IRN HAS BECOME A MAMA'S BOY

[liz]

You seem to have the feel for critters.
2 of anything together are not as afraid as 1 alone.
When I bring home a rescue cockatiel all it want to do is disappear into the flock. It takes a while for him to make friends in the flock but once he does he is ready to make friends with me. It is kind of like he has a buddy to watch his back.
Flutter is the exception. He was adjusting to me but when I gave them their own room he went native.
The ones who can't fly get scared a lot. They know they can't escape if something is wrong. Tweet was warming up to me but lost all the flight feathers on his right wing and is afraid of everyone.
I would go for another IRN. It would be easier for him to bond.

[Pajarita]

Great baby steps in the right direction! Now, please, please, please, be very careful with UV lights and birds. Reptiles have a third eyelid that protects their eye from it but birds don't so their corneas get burned by it (as well as their skin -parrots are hardly ever out in the sun, they live in trees which 'filter' the light). Humans only have light receptors in their eyes so, when they close them, that's the end of their receptors getting the stimulus BUT birds have photoreceptors inside their brains with cranial bones so thin that the light actually goes through them so, even when they close their eyes, their bodies are still registering receiving light (and their entire endocrine system is governed by light so this is very important to know). I strongly recommend you get yourself a good quality full spectrum light (CRI 94+ and Ktemp between 5000 and 5500) and put it in the ceiling fixture where his cage is (it's great for humans, too!).

[Viatrixa]

I do indeed love all sorts of critters! There are very few animals, pet or wild, that I dislike. I even love bugs! But, since we live in a dinky city apartment we have to keep it down to earth. Two ringnecks and a snake is it!

The concept of clipping a bird's wings just "icks" me out; I mean their bodies were built in essence to fly so a flightless bird being skittish kind of makes sense to me. The only exception to this of course is the poor endangered kakapo! I hope your birds warm up to you again!

What Pajarita mentioned about lighting and how parrots perceive it is indeed true as well; they sense and feel light on a whole different level than most creatures we're used to. Birds also have really thin skin underneath their feathers so albeit they originate from warm locations, they're not "sunbathers". Sunlight is important to them but not in "direct" doses like that.

I've seen good pet shops sell specialized "sun lamps" that have been created specifically for pet birds so I think we'll probably go with one of those! I've been diagnosed with severe clinical depression too, and it always gets a whole lot worse in the winter due to the lack of light. Ergo, it's also healthy not just for the featherbutts but us humans too.

Simo calmed down even quicker today than yesterday. He's been sampling blueberries and seems to quite like them too (and looked very funny with having blueberry stains on his beak)! Small steps!

I think I forgot to mention in my very original post that me and my husband are pretty much home all the time so I think this is a huge factor in getting him used to us. He enjoys observing us! ... and we him. I think his mate will be a little lutino lady!

[Wolf]

Please be very careful about these sun lamps at pet stores, many of them are just repackaged reptile lights. Make certain that the bulb or tube meets the specifications given to you by Pajarita as any other is dangerous for a bird and it only takes a few minutes for some of them to severely burn or blind a bird.

[Pajarita]

Indeed, exactly as Wolf stated. As far as I know, there are NO avian lights, only reptile lights that have been relabeled. There was a company here in the States that was making bird lights but they closed down less than two years after opening and, although nobody found out why, we believe it was because their lights were just regular lights to which they had added some kind of a red strip (which deteriorated very quickly) so as to achieve a better spectral distribution and people were complaining/suing them.

[liz]

I took the cover off my ceiling light and put a UV bulb there. They get showered with the light but don't have eye contact with it.

[Viatrixa]

Oh wow, that's really good info about the lights. Thank you so much - sad how people would trick consumers with pet products that can potentially harm them >_<. Really good stuff.

Does anyone have any number specifications concerning wattage and the like so I know what to look for?

ALSO! Simo got his new huge cage today. It's a lot bigger than his initial one (which was suitable for ringnecks but still) this big cage has so much more room for him to move in. He's already climbing so much less than before, and now calms down even quicker than before when we gently approach him. He seems to feel safer and definitely happier in there - and he's even taking a liking to a toy! There's a closed bell at the end of it, and when he realized it jingles he actually bounced on it. He also hung upside down from it and "bounced" like that too in order to make it ring even more. As opposed to his frantic climbing this was clearly different and very amusing to watch.

The only problem we have is that he won't come out of his cage! We open the door and sort of leave the cage's vicinity but he still won't come out. I actually don't think this has anything to do with him "not wanting" to come out but rather not realizing that he can. We're also not too close to him either so I don't think it has to do with fear, either. Should we just continue keeping the door open for him once in a while and see if he wants to come out for a soar? Or maybe prop up a little toy ladder there so he sees it better?

:/ Thus far I seem to have no luck in finding a handfed ringneck. The only decent store that sells birds only had wild female ringnecks. The search continues :/

[liz]

I think it would be great if you got an IRN from a rescue. You may find one that has been socialized or you could visit one to get it to bond to you. They learn from each other and may calm the first one to be more like the second.

[Pajarita]

Liz, she is in Finland and there are no rescues there to speak of.

If you can't find a hand-fed, go for a parent-raised. She will be emotionally healthier than a hand-fed and you can tame them together.

Leave the door open and don't move around the room. Sit down as far from the cage as you can facing a side (so your face is not 'pointed' at the bird) and do something quietly like watch TV, read a book, work in the computer, etc. Do it about two hours before the bird's dinner. And put perches on the outside of the cage.

Wattage depends on how far the bulb is going to be, how many bulbs the appliance needs and the size of the room but I always go for a high wattage so as to make it nice and bright and cheery in the birdroom.

[Viatrixa]

Indeed, we have no bird rescue centers here. Pet birds are actually quite rare here in Finland in general unless you count in budgies & cockatiels. The number of people here who own a pet bird other than a budgie or a cockatiel is extremely small :/ But it also has its advantages. If one person is unable to keep a bigger pet bird it will soon find a loving home because the community of pet bird keepers is really strong!

Yup; we'll just keep leaving the door open. But, we also noticed this cage has a gate at it's top so he'll probably notice that door more! We only took note of it today when we put him to sleep. (have I mentioned how adorable sleeping birds look???)

AND! Good news, I've managed to track down a place that does sell hand fed female ringnecks. More than likely she will be a lutino

We figured the room the bird is in could also be our "sun" room in the winter. Sitting there will be as good for us as well as the little feather butts!