Caique parrots are colorful birds. The head, the wings, the thighs, and the belly are of a different color from the rest of the body, but without any real gradient.
Those with blackheads have orange or yellow colored cheeks and a green line under the eyes. The wings and thighs are yellow, the legs and beak are gray, and the abdomen is white or tan.
The white-bellied ones have yellow and orange heads with green tails and wings. A bit of yellow dots on their thighs and their abdomen are white, with pink legs.
The Caique is a bird also known as the Black-headed Caique ( Pionites melanocephala ) or the White-bellied Caique ( Pionites lecogaster).
Intelligent parrot
Very intelligent and particularly sociable, the Caique is an endearing and affectionate bird. Small in stature, he nevertheless knows how to make himself heard, in particular, because he likes to play clowns and amuse his audience.
Very colorful, this beautiful bird is ideal for all adoption profiles, from beginners to experienced, and from singles to families. Discover its characteristics and our tips for raising it at home.
Habitat for parrot caique
Native to South America, the Caique is present in the wild in Guyana, French Guiana, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela, and Brazil. This very sociable bird lives in pairs or groups in low tropical forests and swamps.
Caique parrot lifespan
With an average life expectancy of between 20 and 30 years when living in a healthy environment.
Caique parrot personality
the Caique is known to attach very strongly to humans. Very sociable, he likes to take a real place in the life of the family and he participates in it by amusing the gallery with his antics and small dancing steps.
Very intelligent, he quickly learns the tricks that make his audience laugh and enjoys repeating them.
Caique parrots have a lovely melodious songs and know how to imitate those of their environment.
They can be loud and boisterous, which is why they are not suitable for all families. Sometimes they learn a few simple words in our language and enjoy repeating them.
Caique parrots like to explore their environment and discover new things and they have fun and are interested in everything.
Very energetic, they move a lot and play mischievous and funny. If they have a pleasant character to live with, they can be distant when they do not want to communicate, even pinch to mark a distance.
Likewise, they do not like being in a cage with another species of bird; feeling threatened, they then show great aggressiveness.
Caique parrot for adoption
SOURCE: African Grey Parrot Pet
Caique parrot breeding
The Caique is an easy bird to raise, including for beginners. It is suitable for both a family and a single person.
It is preferable to adopt a couple, but it is necessary to avoid mixing them with other species because the Caique would not support it and would be belligerent.
On the other hand, this bird is very sociable with humans and appreciates building a strong relationship with the one or those who take care of it, who show it love and affection. He is able to keep quiet with their adoptive family and to be playful.
Don’t adopt a Caique if you don’t have time to give him, because he needs contact and exchanges throughout the day to feel fulfilled.
He is, however, able to take care of himself for a while, which makes him adoptable by active people.
If it is not one of the noisiest, it is still a bird that utters very high-pitched cries; make sure you can support them at home before committing to twenty years of cohabitation.
Caique parrot food
Caique parrots need to eat fresh fruits (apples, pears, etc.) and fresh vegetables (chard, watercress, cabbage, etc.), but also nutritious nuts and beans.
For a better nutritional balance, supplement their diet with extruded pellets. Additionally, chia seeds can provide an additional source of essential vitamins and minerals.
Caique parrot types
At breeding, we breed 2 subspecies:
White-bellied Caique (Pionites leucogaster xanthomeria)
Black headed caique (Pionites leucogaster leucogaster)
As a general rule, Caiques are real clowns with their acrobatics and their ability to make small leaps on the ground or to play lying on their backs. caique parrots are cuddly, others a bit more independent. They are very curious and very greedy.
They have a strong character even towards other larger parrots. Depending on their character and education, some are more or less noisy. It is rather easy to live with minimum education.
White-bellied Caique
In adults of the nominated race, the hood, nape, hindneck, and upper part of the mumps are orange.
The upper parts, including the wings, take on a beautiful green hue. The chest and abdomen are creamy-white. The flanks and thighs display a green color while the anal area and the undertail coverts are bright yellows.
The axillaries are orange-red, sharp with the rest of the underside of the wings which is green. The top of the tail is green. The beak has a horn color.
The bare skin surrounding the eyes is pink. The irises are orange-red, and the legs rose.
In juveniles, the crown and nape are brownish, dotted with a few black feathers.
The beak is horn-colored with gray at the base. The orbital ring is grey, and the iris is brown. The legs are grey.
The other subspecies show some variation. The xanthurus race shows slightly paler colors. Thighs, flanks, under tail coverts, and tail are entirely yellow.
Rump and upper tail – coverts are yellow with varying amounts of green. In adults of the breedxanthomeria, thighs and flanks are yellow instead of green. The tail is green, as in nominate race leucogaster.
Black-headed caique
Uncommon, medium-sized parrot of the rainforest. In its range, the only species to have both a green body, a brown collar, and a black head.
Also present in lower forests with sandy soils. Fast and low flight; inside or just above the forest canopy, small groups are usually seen passing and rapidly disappearing;
just before seeing these groups, one often hears their strange, nasal-sounding cries. Like other parrot species, feeds on fruits and flowers in the forest canopy.