STROLL is excited to introduce this month's unique family pets. Say hello to Nico and Frankie Bojangles III (or just Frankie for short), a pair of Indian Ringnecks. These colorful and playful birds actually come from quite an interesting history founded in India, and these intelligent animals were believed to be sacred beings due to their ability to mimic human speech and noises. According to history, they were treated like royalty, but the present day story hasn’t changed much for the Reingold family as they care for these two.

When entering the Reingold home, everyone can immediately hear them. These birds are quite a comedic couple and "having the mind of  3-4 year olds" says Terri. They are very smart and have equal conversational capabilities and also do a few tricks. Over time, these feathery friends have learned some stunning maneuvers on command, such as flight recall. This is when a bird lands on your arm or hand when called. While it may seem simple, experiencing it in reality can be way more astonishing than it sounds. 

One of Nico's and Frankie’s favorite activities is to have sensational dance parties, specifically hitting a move to their favorite song “Hooked on a Feeling”. Another cute, but understandably brutal habit they love to do, is act as personal alarm clocks for their humans. The Reingolds describe the start of their morning often being “woken up with a ‘what are you dooooing?’ or ‘are you being a good baaaaby?' " One can't help but laugh.

    

The first few months of owning the birds was definitely an adventure for the family. Getting any animal can sometimes make people question their decision, however bonding time helps the transition. Terri says they rapidly grew on each other. Frankie specifically went into a “bluffing” stage, where he would act as if he was trying to show some love and then suddenly start biting his owner’s hands. Despite this, the Reingolds got through it by showing their care and love for Frankie before, during, and after this phase. 

Similar to the humans, Frankie and Nico at first did not get along just because they were placed  in the same cage together. They first seemed to hate each other, which was most likely due to jealousy. But with time and perseverance, they both became best buddies. Today, Frankie and Nico are two wonderful and fine feathery friends, proving their intelligence and living up to their royal name. 

The way these birds show love to their humans is amazing, too. It's as much as a bird possibly could, and probably a lot more. Each member of the Reingold household is extremely happy to have Nico and Frankie around (as they are to have them as their caretakers). They are loyal and affectionate and a lot of fun to have around.