Kinds of Caique Parrots

Caique parrots are small, colorful birds which are sought after as pets. Two species of caique exist: the black-headed and the white-bellied, with five subspecies. The birds are lively and intelligent, making them able to learn tricks quickly. Unlike some parrots, they do not often learn to talk but can be affectionate if trained well.

  1. Description

    • Caiques are small birds that grow to around 9 inches in height with a slender body type. The two subspecies of black-headed caique have a black top to the head, as the name suggests, and orange colored cheeks and throat. The birds back and wings are green in color with pale orange thighs. The three white-bellied subspecies have orange colored heads, yellow throats and a pale front. Like the black-headed caiques they have a green back and wings. The yellow-thighed subspecies of the white-bellied caique accordingly has yellow thighs compared to the green of the other subspecies.

    Habitat and Range

    • All subspecies of caiques are found in the northern countries of South America. The black-headed varieties range from Guiana west to Columbia, Peru and Venezuela. In the wild, the birds prefer the high treetops of both tropical and Savannah forests. The white-bellied varieties are more localized to the areas of the upper Amazon in northern Brazil, preferring the high forest canopies of tropical forests. The yellow-thighed subspecies lives a little further west than the white-bellied. In addition to Brazil, it lives in the forests of Ecuador and Bolivia.

    Diet

    • The wild diet for all of the caique subspecies include the fruits seeds and berries found in the high forest canopies. When kept as pets the birds are fed a variety of fresh fruits, seeds and green vegetables along with commercial bird feeds. In captivity, the birds should never be fed avocado as it can be toxic and harmful to them.

    Life Cycle

    • Caiques are social birds with all subspecies living in flocks or small family groups in the wild. The birds pair off for mating and will both take a part in the rearing of the young. Females lay between two and four eggs which will be incubated for around 27 days. During incubation the male brings the female food. Both parents will take care of the young for up to 10 weeks before they are old enough to leave the nest.