Scared birds

[Valentin31]

Hi all,
I bought few days ago a pair a Indian ringneck. They are quite scared. The previous owner said they are around 6 months old but i think they are older. I tried everything to make them calm but they just very scared. I need to mention they stay just in the cage for the moment and they just chew everything inside. If i try to go next to the cage they are very agitated. Someone can help me please.
Thanks

[Pajarita]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your new babies! You are expecting too much too soon. Parrots, especially aviary species like IRNs, are not naturally people-oriented so you need to give them time to adjust and a few days or even a few weeks ain't gonna do it. Parrots take their own sweet time in deciding if they are going to trust you or not so, don't rush things and don't get impatient.

Put them in a LARGE cage (two IRNs will need a large flight cage to be comfortable) in front of a window with some sort of material draped on the back of the cage (kind of blocking their view of the rest of the room - this will make them feel safe). Always follow the same schedule whether it's a weekday or a weekend: open drapes or blinds at dawn, allow for at least 1.5 hours of twilight (meaning, without artificial lights on), clean their cage and give them breakfast (you cannot free-feed any type of protein food to an IRN because they are mostly frugivores) and just talk/sing/whistle to them keeping them company as much as possible. If you have no other birds (because, if you do, they will need to quarantine longer), you can move back the 'back wall' of the cage after ten days or so and start opening the door to their cage after a couple of weeks (but ONLY if you have been following a strict routine). If you feed them right (produce and very low protein/very low fat/very high fiber/very high moisture staple food like gloop, for example, and protein food -like a finch or a budgie seed mix for dinner) and always follow the same routine, you
can let them out two hours prior serving them dinner and they will go back into their cage to eat it on their own.

[Valentin31]

Thank you so much. I tried to let them some space and alow the to get used with the family but they are very agitated and scared. I will continue to try to get used with us an put some music and talk with them. Apparently they are much calm whem my 16 weeks daughter is next to the cage. She even said them names and every morning she is going to the cage and wave them and call by them names. Paco and Mimi

[Pajarita]

Hmmm, I think that your instincts were 100% correct when you stated on your first post that you thought they were older than 6 months... Those birds sound like a bonded pair of adults that were not hand-fed, not tamed and neglected for a long time. Mind you, this does not mean they cannot be great pets! It just means that they will take much longer to become used to your presence and that you might have to lower your expectations of them in terms of physical interaction with them. Are you letting them out to fly? Because that will calm them down a lot...

But, as a matter of curiosity: you have a daughter that at 4 months of age is saying the birds' names?!