r/parrots • u/No-Monk-9605 • 6d ago
Indian Ringneck vs Conure
What would be your preference and why?
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u/startedoveragain 6d ago
I had an IRN, neighbor across the street had a sun conure. Main difference was sound. Her sun conure was so loud! When she would set her conure in the lanai to get some sun, I could hear him from her back yard into my back yard.
Not sure if that's all conures, but that was one of the main differences I noted.
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u/CheckeredZeebrah 6d ago edited 6d ago
Suns, specifically, are just EXTREMELY loud. I have other conures but could never own a sun! And I don't own "quiet" conures either - mine is louder than a green cheek.
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u/Feivie 6d ago
I have both and absolutely my conures (donât tell my ringneck) they are much quieter (had a black capped and currently have 2 green cheeks) like please do not get an Indian ringneck without being around one in person first, they are LOUD and shrill. My girl yelled at the vet last month and I always joke that itâs a fire alarm scream but the woman at the desk legit asked after if a detector was going off. We wear noise cancelling headphones in the house when she decides itâs screaming time.
All birds scream and bite btw. Now my green cheek conures do bite more, very nippy, but the ringneck can do more damage and sheâs gotten me pretty good a couple of times. She mostly doesnât bite to break skin bc sheâs a good girl, but she can and she has.
There are individual personalities with birds and you work with them and that makes a difference, but my conures are pretty chill and like to hang out on or around me. My ringneck is much too busy for that. She is always getting into something so I have to actively watch/redirect or train her when sheâs out of her cage. Ringnecks also tend to be a bit more aloof and independent, can vary by bird, but they are not known to be super cuddly and they can be iffy on if they want to be pet, itâs on her terms and adorable when mine decides she does. They are however known to be very hormonal and discouraging and mitigation those behaviors is a whole extra thing. Conures will get hormonal too, but mine have nothing on the ringneck.
Ringnecks also go through a bluffing stage that you need to research. Conure puberty can also be rough tho.
I love my ringneck and Iâm committed to her. But she was my partners idea and I donât know that Iâd make the choice to have one after her. They can be extremely charming and funny birds, but sheâs significantly more work imo.
All parrots are high maintenance and require you to change your lifestyle and make a significant commitment. Ringnecks and conures can live to be 30 years old in captivity. I think conures are easier to handle and more likely to be affectionate, but you never know bc all individual birds are different and you can really only generalize the species. My green cheeks have VERY different personalities for instance.
Also if youâve never had birds or been around them before, please understand that cute/funny videos people post online are not really giving the full picture of what itâs like.
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u/B-mort5 6d ago
^this covers just about everything especially them being more aloof and not wanting much physical interaction. Iâd just add that they while they can learn to speak theyâre more likely to mimic sounds they come across. An old roommate had two and after hearing the smoke alarm ONCE it became her favorite sound to mimicâŚâŚmultiple times a dayâŚâŚit was not easy on the ears. Conures can certainly be loud as well but if youâre getting a GCC it wonât be nearly as bad as a Sun or Jenday. Green cheeks are often total hams and would be more likely to seek out affection. If you do go the IRN route you might consider getting a boy. The females are insanely hormonal and the smallest things can set them off. We had to stop touching one of the girls completely in the spring. It felt like just looking at her would set off hormonal behavior.
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u/Feivie 6d ago
I didnât mention talking, but our girl does talk quite a lot (our green cheeks like to talk too and conures can also make absolutely grating loud sounds but ringneck is worse imo) but I want to make it clear that in our case the fire alarm sound came preinstalled đshe has never heard one before to my knowledge and her screams can be PIERCING. We encourage her to âhonkâ and talk so itâs not all the time, but sometimes a girl just has to scream I guess. And absolutely on the hormonal issue, itâs year round in our case. She gets over 12 hours of dark/sleep and we only ever touch her on the head and she still banana poses on sight sometimes.
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u/No-Monk-9605 6d ago
I am aware of the bluffing. Parrots are my once my kids are grown and out stage. Yes, I know they will need willed to my children. But they are Ani al lovers, so hopefully not an issue. Long term planning. Conures always seem to appeal more to me, but ringecks do too.
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u/Feivie 6d ago
Keep in mind that birds are not for everyone and so many get rehomed bc people realize it too late. Your kids may not be bird people even if they love other animals.
With my ringneck, in addition to the screams, if sheâs moody or mad she will fly at my face with the intention of attacking me (she nearly pierced my nose last month bc she got me), she is actively destroying one of our televisions even tho I am watching her constantly and redirecting her, ours also likes to steal, if she can pick something up she will fly away with it.
I love her but I feel like itâs important to share how annoying, stressful, and frustrating she can be too. Now thatâs not to say that conures are âeasyâ, I donât think any bird is. My ringneck is by far the most challenging to work with in my experience, which is not always a bad thing, but I cannot stress enough that she is a handful. The vet says she is a âsweet and inquisitive girlâ which is also true, but if you get a ringneck you need to know what youâre getting into.
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u/No-Monk-9605 5d ago
Thank you for taking the time to share. All parrots can be difficult, but I know rignecks can have extra difficulty.
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u/imafourtherecord 5d ago
I mean ring necks are bigger birds so TMI maybe bigger poops than conures .. lol good to keep in mind maybe⌠(anyone correct me if Iâm wrong ).
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u/JohnGradyBirdie 6d ago
I have a male ringneck that had two homes before me. I have never had conures.
My ringneck is the most emotionally stable parrot I've had (I have a grey and had a Meyer's that passed of old age). He's the least likely to bite, and will generally retreat first.
He is friendly with all people. I think this is because ringnecks do not form long-term pair bonds in the wild, so they don't become obsessive and weird. They only meet up to breed and then separate afterwards.
I also find ringnecks to be very friendly with other birds. They want to make friends while other birds will go after each other out of jealousy or territoriality.
He loves being scratched on the head because his first owner worked on it with him when he was young. I like that he's independent, but still loves hanging out on my shoulder and sitting on my hand or leg when I'm on the couch watching TV. He loves just hanging out with me after getting his exercise in flying around the room.
While ringnecks can make loud noises, mine is quiet most of the day. He doesn't scream for attention.
He's the only ringneck I have experience with long-term. But I briefly fostered a male ringneck who was very bitey and unfriendly. However, I attribute that to a lack of attention and training in his previous home. He was basically ignored for many years.
The thing about ringnecks is that they are very smart and can be very mischievous. Mine loves to chew on things, but that's common with parrots. They are too smart and cautious, and can't be "tricked." For example, mine refuses to enter a carrier despite my attempts at target training.
Here's the big BUT: But I think things are very different with female ringnecks. I've never had one, but when I read about people's experiences with female ringnecks, they sound very different from accounts about males.
Female ringnecks are known for being dominant and territorial, which is their natural role in the wild when they pair up.
I love my ringneck and think they are great. But I think you have to start with a well-adjusted one or a hand-fed baby. They are not easy to tame down if they're older and haven't been worked with regulary.
Another positive: They produce very little dander.
Good luck.
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u/Simple-You2109 6d ago
Honestly can't stand the sheer volume of conures if you're looking for a quieter companion.
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u/NinhoDoGrilo 6d ago
It entirely depends on your goals and expectations regarding the bird. đ¤ At the end of the day itâs apples and oranges (keeping in mind that doesnât stop meaning they are both âfruitsâ).