(soft piano music)
- [Jamie] So one of the things that I keep hearing
and reading about Indian Ringneck parrots is
that they are incredibly social.
They want to be around you,
but they don't necessarily want to be touched.
I would say so far, this has rung true with Touché.
He literally flew into my master bedroom,
which is where you're looking at him right now,
just preening.
He's happy to be around me,
but he's also happy to not be
hands-on being touched or anything.
He definitely doesn't seem interested in cuddles.
Anytime a hand is above his head,
he's pretty freaked out about it,
which is why I wanted to train him to spin around
in a circle is because just briefly,
I have to hold my hand or my arm kind of above his head
and getting him to a different comfort level
with that has been really huge.
Another thing I've been working on is
when I hold him to transport him somewhere
from one room to the other,
I try to hold him fairly close to my body and close enough
and sideways enough that I'm able to kind of lean down
and kiss his back every now and then.
And he's learning that, that big body,
that big head over his body is not threatening in any way.
You can see he's comfortable enough
that he falls asleep in my presence.
He's fallen asleep on my shoulder,
on my back of my chair, on my headboard.
So I definitely see the social side
of him wanting to be near,
but just not being comfortable enough to be touched.
He has slept in my room various nights on a stand.
He seems super content.
Even sometimes in the morning,
he'll just fly right to the bed to say hello.
But again, he kind of keeps his distance.
So, he'll look interested, he'll come a little close,
but for the most part,
he kind of just keeps his distance where he knows
that nothing threatening can happen.
So I'm really interested to hear
about why people get Indian Ringnecks.
I think it's just a talking thing,
because they're known to be so cute and talkative.
If people get into them wanting a cuddly bird
and then realizing that not all of them are that way,
obviously birds are all different,
they have different personalities,
so some are going to be more cuddly than others.
But I would really like to hear
from other Indian Ringneck owners,
why did you get your Indian Ringneck?
What made you want one? What's appealing?
What's not appealing about them?
Obviously, they're heavy chewers, I'm finding out,
which most parrots are, so that was no big surprise.
But I'm just really curious to kind of
find out the inner workings of the mind
of people who want Indian Ringnecks as pets.
The other thing I read about them is this bluffing stage
where they tend to act like they're going
to bite or attack you, but they don't actually.
You can see that he acts like it every now and then,
but he doesn't actually do anything.
He's more likely to retreat, but at the same time,
I try to make it more playful and lighthearted
so he knows he doesn't have anything to worry about
and he knows that I'm just playing.
I'm going to back off. I'm not going to grab him,
which seems to be his main concern in life.
All right. I figured something out.
(clicks)
Good.
Before, one of the problems I was having is
that I would get him to turn around
and then when I would bring in the treat,
he felt really threatened by my hand
and he would jump off the t-stand
so I'm trying to avoid that.
One of the things I was doing is
I was coming in on this left side
and that was really freaking him out,
so I've learned to come in on the right side.
So everything is on the right side.
He doesn't feel like anything's sneaking
up on him on his other side.
Good.
So we're halfway there.
(clicks)
Good job.
You're doing so good.
And he's definitely becoming more comfortable
turning his back on me quicker.
(clicks)
Before, it was he would kind of do it
and jump off and get nervous.
So definitely establishing that trust
that nothing bad is going to happen when he turns his back.
(clicks)
Good.
And so what happened this morning was he actually went
over to Lefty's breakfast and wanted Lefty's breakfast
because I happened to give Lefty a few sunflower seeds
this morning just for being super awesome.
And Touché noticed and went right over there.
And so I thought, all right,
if you want some flower seeds, you can come earn them.
And what happened was the first couple of reps,
he ended up down on the table,
but then when I walked away to go get something,
he put himself back up on the t-stand
letting me know that, "Hey, I'm going to do this."
(clicks)
Good.
(clicks)
Ready?
(clicks)
Good job.
I'm gonna see if he'll do it this time.
I know, what?
Keeping going- Ah, darn it, okay.
Pushed too fast.
I had a feeling it might be too fast, but...
Can you come?
Touché? Can you come?
Nope.
Oh, he had to poop.
Can you come?
Don't step in the poop.
(clicks)
Good job.
(clicks)
(Touché chirps)
(clicks)
Can you come?
Okay.
Can you come?
(clicks)
Good job.
This way, you guys can see what I'm doing
with my hand and the stick.
(clicks)
Good job.
It's okay.
Okay, coming back.
(clicks)
Get out.
(clicks) Good job.
Come?
I actually want you to not use your beak.
Come?
Good.
It's just Capri.
Good.
Good job.
Easy peasy, right? You got this.
Good.
You outta here?
What do you wanna do?
Can you come back up here?
Can you come back up?
Hey everyone, Jamie Lee here,
and I just wanted to say a big thank you
for watching my series here on YouTube
about Touché the Indian Ringneck parrot.
Now Touché is known as a, what I call a project bird,
which is a bird that I'm able to work with with no charge
to the rescue that I got him from or the new owners
or any previous owners that were ever involved in his life.
So this is something that I am able to
offer my training expertise
to these birds with no cost involved to anybody.
And the cool thing about this is
it's really where my passion comes
from because I love sharing these birds' transformations
and what I learned from them
because they're really the best teachers with all of you.
So if this kind of content interests you
and you'd like to consider supporting project birds,
please go over to Patreon.com/Birdtricks
and consider being a patron of project birds.
Thanks so much for watching. Enjoy the video.
Come on up.
(clicks) Good.
(clicks)
(upbeat music starts)
(Touché chirps)
Come on over.
Oh good job, look at you!
Wow.
(clicks) Someone's flying to target.
That's amazing.
I'm so impressed. That was so cool.
Kiwi.
(clicks) Good.
And this is way fun now that he flies.
I'm gonna try to take a video.
Oh, well.
I was gonna try to turn around. Look who's here.
Just realized my video wasn't actually recording.
Turn it.
He didn't make this one last time,
(Touché chirps) let's see if he can do it.
(Touché chirps) Can you do it?
Come on.
(Touché chirps)
Come on buddy.
Can you do it?
(Touché chirps)
He landed on my head.
It's okay. You are trying really hard.
You're just not understanding the angle.
Good job.
Okay, let's start you back over here
and we'll do one you can do, okay?
We'll do one you can do.
Can you come over here?
Ooh, good job Touché.
Look at that enthusiasm.
Touché, come on.
(clicks) Good job.
Can you do it?
Woo!
(clicks) Good job.
Might have to bring your sleeping stand in here.
Actually, let's switch it up
and see if he can come to this one.
Touché.
Can you come over to this one?
Wow.
(clicks)
Good job, buddy.
I want to get my tripod.
Okay.
Whoa. (Jamie laughs)
That's Torpedo Touché.
I feel like I just have a connection with birds
who have a connection with flight, ha!
Which should be all birds, right?
But it's not. It's not all birds, let me tell ya.
However, oh my gosh.
I get so excited when a bird gets excited
about using flight.
I just freaking love it.
They just become what they're meant to be.
Okay, let me make sure that I get all this in the frame.
So I have this stand. That stand.
Not really the dining table, though.
(Touché chirps) Little bit.
Okay, you ready buddy?
You ready? Can you make it to this one?
Let me turn it for you, oh!
(clicks) You don't need it to turn. You got this.
Good job.
I didn't even let him touch the stick I got so excited.
Okay, can you come to the table?
Woo!
Back to the stand?
Touché?
Wow.
(clicks) Good job.
You're so good.
Nah.
Maybe there?
(Touché chirps)
(Capri imitates chirp)
(Touché chirps)
(Capri imitates chirp)
- [Capri] Hey, Lefty, do you want me to stop?
(Touché chirps)
(Capri imitates chirps)
(Touché chirps)
(Capri imitates chirps)
The talkatest bird.
(Touché chirps)
(Capri imitates chirps)
Only buy this bird if you want lots of noise in your house.
That's what I would do.
I might not.
(Capri imitates chirps)
- [Jamie] Would you buy Touché?
- I think I'd buy Lefty.
(Jamie laughs)
(Touché chirps)
(Capri imitates chirps)
(Touché chirps)
(Capri imitates chirps)
(Touché chirps)
(soft piano music)
- How do you think we should train Touché
to be more like Lefty?
- I don't know, cause it feels like he's getting meaner.
- Getting meaner?
Do you think that if we trained him some tricks
or some talking he might get nicer?
- Like waving?
- Well, he tried to bite you now?
- I think. He wasn't interested in going on me.
- Does it hurt your feelings.
No? That's good.
- Lefty I think is way way sweeter.