Update on Simo the ringneck! :)

[Viatrixa]

I haven't really been very active around here as of late - there's not really much going on. I just felt informing people that little Simo is doing absolutely wonderfully. A year ago he came to our house, all scared and shy, and now he's become a curious, content little boy. We've even had people visit us and he's been nothing short of a model citizen even with strangers. In fact, he even took a treat from them (after I instructed how to behave around him of course). He gets to see us do just about everything around the house from cleaning to cooking.

I've been doing stick training with him and he's progressing rapidly. A while ago I got Michael's book and it's been a huge help, too. Still, we're taking things nice and easy so he doesn't get overwhelmed. He's had his first molt and gorgeous new feathers have grown in. He hasn't really started to speak yet and we don't know if he ever will - and this doesn't matter. To us, he talks in his own birdy way (it's actually funny when me and the husband are having a conversation, he will always chime in with a little peep or two). I have seen him move his beak but I heard nothing so maybe he's trying to "whisper" and practice his speech. Only time will tell I guess

Though we have started to wonder if he is indeed a he. Granted he's only a year old but his ring is very very faint and I've seen no signs of any black feathers growing in near his beak. Could be that it's too early to tell still! One other thing that made us wonder if he is a she is his.. er her... uh, it's mild mannered way of vocalizing. It isn't a very loud bird and doesn't make sounds that often; and they say females are generally a bit more silent. I have some of it's old feathers here so getting a DNA test is easy. Of course when we got it, they assured us that it is indeed a "he". Then again I have since discovered that the person who sold it wasn't all too reputable. It's little ankle ring does have clear letterings and numbers but I have no clue what any of that means; other than "SE" which I'm certain means he was hatched in Sweden originally. It's gender of course changes nothing, other than perhaps the future decision on a partner.

Which actually brings me to a question: When would he/she be ready for a potential partner? Would this partner absolutely have to be of the opposite gender and of the same species, or could we, for example, get a cockatiel? (they don't really have rescue parrots over here but every now and then again people have budgies and cockatiels who need adoption). I have heard that female ringnecks can be hormonal, so if Simo is potentially a lady bird, would a partner of the opposite gender be somehow bad?

But yeah; at least I think we're doing okay with him? He seems very content in general (and I swear he has a great timing with his vocalizations, for example yesterday I was humming "I like big butts and I cannot..."PEEP!"). And he even dares to take a treat from a stranger. At least this feels like a big thing?

[liz]

Adding another bird is always iffy. I thought Rambo needed a friend and got him Myrtle. He loves her but she is a pest and even knocks him off the top of his cage. It is like a two year old kid tormenting the five year old sibling. Rambo gets mad at Myrtle but they have their own kind of bond and I don't think they can be separated.

Watching "Marnie" in YouTube is fun and interesting. I don't know how he and the other species of birds manage to get along since they are all but one bigger than Marnie. He does have a Cockatiel that he loves. Marnie is known world wide for his personality.

Each bird has it's own personality and you don't know what they are going to do until they do it.
I have never had a RingNeck and only know about them from this forum and YouTube so I don't have much input except what I have learned from my birds.

[Wolf]

Ringneck parrots have a slightly different set of mating behaviors than many other species of parrots as it is not uncommon for them to mate with a different partner each breeding season once they reach maturity. They are also sexually dimorphic, meaning that you can tell the males from the females after they become adults. The male develops a neck ring which shows up sometime between 2 and 3 years of age and it is the presence of the neck ring that allows us to tell the difference between the sexes after adulthood. Ringnecks in the wild are often seen feeding and even roosting with other species of birds.

I always get a little bit concerned when someone suggests putting a cockatiel in with another species of bird. This is due to the cockatiel extremely gentle nature as well as its general inability to defend itself from other species of parrots. What seems to get them into the most trouble with other parrots appears to me to be their need and desire to be with the other bird constantly, even if the other bird is clearly rejecting them they will continue to try to bond with that bird and be a part of its flock. Even a budgie can intimidate a cockatiel as it is a more aggressive bird than the cockatiel. I am not saying that this would not work out between a ringneck and a cockatiel, but I would be very cautious with this pairing. I do not have either of these species of parrots and for that reason I hesitate to say more than this in the matter.

I think that pairings of the same species and opposite gender is always the best bet and the only drawback to this that I see is the potential of them producing offspring which can be easily resolved by the use of dummy eggs to switch with the real eggs. All parrots regardless of whether they have a mate or not is going to go through hormonal periods.

As for your mention of talking in regards to ringneck parrots, it appears that the general age that most of these parrots begin to talk is around one year of age.

[Pajarita]

Sounds like everything is going very well, congrats! And I agree that the same species and opposite gender is always the best bet. IRN's are actually small birds and could get along with a cockatiel BUT, as Wolf said, it would require OUTMOST care on your part and a looooong introduction period so as to make sure that the tiel will not end up getting hurt.

[Viatrixa]

Thank you everyone!

It wouldn't necessarily HAVE to be a tiel but the idea occurred to me mainly because parrots are generally rare-ish pets over here, and sometimes there's a budgie or a tiel for adoption. The idea of giving one a home appeals more than buying a second parrot like that, if this makes sense. But I have already looked into a good place to get another IRN from.

Simo is barely a year so I do think it's too early to tell if.. uh, he is indeed a "he". But thus far I've seen no other colors starting near his beak / ring, but this may take a while until I can visually spot them. We are beginning to lean towards another ringneck, a partner of the opposite gender since this sounds like the best option for his fuzzy green birdie butt!

Marnie and his tiel friend are incredibly cute! I've seen those videos so cheerful! A tiel's partner has to probably be a very sweet mannered bird in order to fully get along and bond.

[Wolf]

In the wild Ringnecks have been observed feeding and roosting with other birds including crows. I do not think of crows as being very non aggressive towards other birds as I have seen them gang up on birds such as hawks and owls to run them out of their territory. It is for this reason that I would be very careful of having cockatiel in with them. The cockatiel will only want to be part of the ringnecks flock and will follow the ringneck even if it tries to fly away from it. This could cause the ringneck to get irritated with the cockatiel and the cockatiel can not defend itself from the ringneck. These are my concerns with this pairing. Other species of parrots, including budgies may work out with the ringneck.

[seagoatdeb]

i am very cautious about adding cockatiels to many other parrot species, they are really the most non aggressive parrot there is. The also do not "get" grudges and so if they are bothering a parrot and get chased away, they will go right back later, because they just dont think that the other parrot would still be mad. They get along great with Budgies though.

I had cockatiels before I got my Red Belly Parrot Gaugan, and they got along very well for many years untill Gaugan hit breeding age and decided she hated cockatiels. Gaugan was still good with conures, budgies, and other Pois, but not with cockatiels. That led to having to keep the cockatiels protected and they could not be let out at the same time.

I just posed this for something for you to consider, because there is no guarantee that the two parrots would get along in the long haul even if they got along initially.

[liz]

Cockatiels are so precious. They have no defenses and any other species of bird will bully them if not attack. Plets, Love Birds and etc. are just too aggressive for them. I have seen a single Love Bird hold the Cockatiels in a tight flock in one corner of their own cage.

[liz]

I love Cockatiels. They are very special by the way of upkeeping a good mood.he adventure I have when with them is the different little personalities.

It is close to 7am and still dark outside. My cockatiels have been singing since 5 when they heard me move. The rest of the house is still asleep.

[Viatrixa]

It may be that tiels are too sweet for their own good! Perhaps an adopted budgie would do better then? It's just that I'd really rather adopt than get a new one if a bird needs a home; we're also home a lot so at least I can keep a keen eye on them!