Indian Ringneck Parakeet
Psittacula Krameri or Asia Parakeet
The Indian Ringneck {IRN} is one of many sub-species in the parakeet kingdom. When most non-bird people think of parakeets, they are thinking of the Budgies that they see in pet stores. But some parakeet species can be as large as the larger parrots and quite intelligent.
In the wild the IRNs are found in parts of India, Burma and parts of Africa. The normal color is green, but they also come in blue, lutino as shown above, albino, cinnamon, pied, and turquoise among other combinations of these. They are bigger than a Cockatiel, but not as big as some Conures. Their chatter is just that and is not offensive to the sensative ear at all. Their size and noise level would make them a good apartment bird, or a good bird for someone who simply wants the intelligences of a parrot without the size and noise. They are also more affordable than some of the larger birds.
The IRN is an awesomely intelligent bird and have been
known to have extensive vocabularies. Their voice is quite clear
and they will mimic various household sounds as well. The Lutino
IRN pictured above had a rather extensive vocabulary by the time
he was six months old. While not one of our babies, he was a
clutchmate to two that I had bought out of the nest. The breeder
sold him/her to a pet shop where he sat for four months with
little to no positive interaction. He soon lost his sweet,
loving, hand-fed baby gentleness. But when we acquired him, it
was obvious that he still wanted to be around people and he
quickly became attached to us.
They are a fearless little parrots and tend to be territorial with their cages and belongings, but most parrot enthusiasts understand that this is part of parrot partnership. So it is best to move them onto a play stand for interaction. The IRN, like many parrots, will go through "their teen years" of sorts during their first year and may become defiant and will challenge you. But patience and time work wonders and before long your baby will have gotten past this phases and has become a gentle, mature pet. They will entertain you with their activity, amaze you with their ability to reason, and simply delight you. They love lots of toys and are fascinated by new things. Most Ringnecks are very hardy eaters and will eat just about anything you give them with a great deal of enthusiasm!
These darlins make a wonderful pet for the whole family. They do not have the tendency to be a one person bird, though there are exceptions. They do, however, require daily interaction, or they will become self sufficient real quick and may not want your attention. Most parrots are like this to some degree, but IRN are moreso that way and in shorter time. The good news is that is doesn't take long to get them back to themselves, but it is best to simply keep up that daily interaction.
Some parrots can handle days when your life is hectic and you can't spend as much time with them, such as Amazons. They will not have changed when you do get them out to play days later. Other parrots, such as Cockatoos, get emotionally stressed when they are not getting the attention they are used to. A Conure {some}might sit and scream.
An IRN will find other things to do and won't crave that attention. Again, the good news, is that it doesn't take long to get him back to "himself."
But when considering any parrot, you will want to be practical about your decision. It only takes ten minutes or so of interaction each day to keep your relationship with your IRN healthy. But, you have to do it. Besides, why buy a bird if you don't plan to spend time with him/her???
I think if I had to choose the one thing that stands out the most when I think of IRNs, it would be their extreme intelligence. The wheels are always turning in their birdie head. Not only intelligent, they are extremely graceful.
So, with these thoughts in mind, and only a small sacrifice of your time, you can have an awesome bird.
Links
Winged Wisdom Magazine - Introduction to Ringneck Parakeets
The Beauty Queens of the Asian Parakeets
Indian Ringneck Parakeets - Pictures, Breeders, Chicks
http://www.minnichsbirds.com/indian_ringnecks.htm
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