IRN with new behavior

[T.W.]

Hi all,
I have a new development with my IRN Skye. She has a large food bowl, that she has had since I got her, it is big enough for her to sit in, anyway, lately she has started getting in it and knocking all of the food out, onto the floor, and she just sits in it or kind of straddles it. It has definitely started since Sunny the new IRN came home. I was told he was 7 months, so now he is about 9 months and a little doll baby. Could this be a nesting behavior on her part, now that there is a bird of her breed in the room with her? There are also 2 pairs of nandays, one pair of greencheeks, 4 cockatiels, 2 parakeets and 5 finches in her room. None of the pairs breed, the one pair of Nandays has free flight at all times, and I let Skye out for a few hours each evening, and Sunny also gets to come out at that time, and there is no interaction between them, although I have seen Peeko the one Nanday over visiting with Sunny, but there is no aggresive behavior, they all do their own thing. SKye will bother the finches, by running on their cage bouncing at them, so I cover them when she is out. I gave her a smaller food dish, and she leaves the food in it and of course eats it, at first I wasn't sure if she was angry at the food choice, but since she keeps it in the small dish, I can only guess that she is emptying the big dish and thinking of it as a nest? I know she is jealous of Sunny, so I take him to my bedroom and play with him in there, so as not to kind of tease her. She was never really jealous of the other birds, but it seems different with Sunny. I was told she was 4 years old, is that an age they would get the breeding bug? Any thoughts?

[rewki]

My females scratch and kick out whatever is in their way in their nesting boxes. They prepare themselves a sort of nest shape area and just plunk themselves into it. Also if you have a male who is around 9 months old he will be doing the courting walk I call it, a little hop , step and jump with long strides, neck held high and wings back in the shape of a heart. He will also display a kind of head banging as some type of signal, pinning of the eyes and moving head from left to right to get the females attention. The female has a diiferent voice, and I will try to get it on tape and post it. IRN males also have voices of their own with different vocalisations during the mating period. The bouncing on other birds seems to me like the way the IRN shows he's the number ! in this group.. I have 14, and they are all together, so my observations are strictly of IRN behaviour, and not that of other types of birds. The wild birds here in small flocks display similar "supremacy mannerisms" in attracting their females attention and affections.

Thats it for now.
Rebecca in Israel

[T.W.]

The male, Sunny, doesn't seem to be doing anything, he is like a goofy baby, haven't seen him doing any dominant or manly behavior. The female, Sky always does what I call her beefy walk, she puffs out her chest, kinda of crowches, and has her wings out a bit and low, and she struts, it is hysterical to watch. She has always done this, even before his arrival. I wish I had a digital camera, then I could post it. If you say your females kick the stuff out of the nest box, that kind of makes sense, that is what she is doing. The two of them are not together, so to speak, they are in the same room, but across from one another, with seperate cages. I didn't really intend to breed them, I just really love the ringnecks, if they become love birds, that is one thing, but not something I planned. I know she is dominant, so far he is just clueless, but the females call the shots with them, correct? He is not dna tested, so I was told he was male, but won't know for sure, until his ring does or doesn't come in. I have seen different color rings, he is yellow, with a bit of green mixed on his body, not alot, his head has changed to a bright yellow. I was told he was lutino, but the green leads me to believe differently, unless this is normal for young ones to have a bit of green, will his ring be that reddish color or black? Skye is a beautiful turqoise blue, with a lighter ring on her neck, so I am pretty positive she is a girl. I will continue to monitor this situation, and feed her in the smaller bowl. Thank you Rebecca,
Tina

[Kathy]

(Rewki- I have posted this years ago an no one answered perhaps you or other new members know will know...)

Everyonce in a while Tawheed will tap on the table with his beak. Kind of like knocking three times. Sometimes i do it back with my finger and he will do it again.

What does this behaviour mean?

[rewki]

Confrontation of the male IRN ego. Mating time is just around the corner. Uploading some new clips, will post later tonight. Tomorrow is my Dreaded Thursday!!! Hope to be back on line on Friday.

[Kathy]

Confrontation??? The little...
Now I feel guilty for doing it back to him.
Well at least it is good to know.... won't be trying to kiss him at that time!