The Caique Parrot

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Caiques are energetic and comical friends

The Caique parrot is full of energy and has a large personality.

They are not great for first-time bird owners, but they will always keep you entertained. They enjoy playing on their backs, hopping around the house, and just being comical. They are mischevious, stubborn, and need clear boundaries or they may become nippy.

They aren’t good talkers, but they like to learn tricks and most will be friendly with everyone in the family. They can be noisy, so they are best kept in a house. Because of their strong personalities, it’s best to make sure you get a hand-fed and properly socialized baby.

If you live in a house and are prepared to care for a medium parrot with a strong personality (and put up with some bites here or there), then you just might be the right owner for one of these energetic bundles of fun.

Types of Caiques

Black-Headed

Black-Headed

White-Bellied

White-Bellied

Fast Facts

Name Caique (Pionites)
Origin Amazon Basin
Size 9″, 170-200 grams
Color Differences There are two species of these birds and the most notable difference is that the top of the Black-Headed’s head is black while the White-Bellied’s is yellow.
Owner Need a more experienced bird owner because they can become nippy if not taught correct boundaries.
Average Cost $400-800
Lifespan Up to 25 years
Noise Moderate–They can be noisy at times, so they are more suited living in a house.
Qualities High energy, big appetite, vocal, love to chew, like to roll around with toys, tendency to skip and hop around, like to learn tricks, good at mimicking sounds, can be noisy, get into mischief, can become nippy, active, comical, playful, can be very stubborn, fearless, intelligent, most will be friendly with everyone in the family, some may become one-person birds, like to bathe.
Abilities Good–Some can learn to talk a limited amount (with small voices!), but all are good at learning tricks.
Interaction/Time Requirements They should be handled daily in order to keep them socialized and from becoming nippy.
Diet They need a diet for medium birds.
Supplies Needed They need supplies for medium birds.
See How Caique Parrots Compare to Other Types of Pet Birds!

Caique Videos

“Chickie and JoJo talking Caique”


These birds can be good talkers and this video is a great example of their talking ability and their tiny voices!

“Caique wrestling”


These birds love to play and roll around on their backs with toys. This video shows just how much fun they can be.

“Hopping Caique”


They are also known to hop and skip around. This is a cute video of one hopping.

Caique Training

Caiques, like most medium-sized parrots, can be very nippy. You definitely need to know how to train him if you want him to be hand tamed and enjoy spending time with you and your friends/family. However, if you don’t know how to train one, you may have difficulty even getting your bird out of his cage.

For this reason, we highly recommend that you find an effective training program for your Caique. Whether your parrot is new to your home or you’ve had him for years, a training program will always come in handy. We personally recommend the Bird Tricks Parrot Training Course by Dave and Jamieleigh Womach. You can see many of their videos for free to get an idea of how much they know about parrots and how they can help you train yours.

Below is one of Dave’s videos that shows how to teach your Caique to step up without biting. This video is a great example of how effective the training courses can be and how they are filled with a wealth of useful information for any bird owner.

This video is only the first step in getting your bird hand tamed. We highly recommend checking out the BirdTricks Training Course for taming your parrot even further.

For more information about Dave and Jamieleigh’s courses, you can visit the Bird Tricks website HERE.

Caique Education

To learn more about your pet Caique, we recommend these books:

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Caique Gifts

Have a friend of family member who loves Caiques? Gift them something that will truly spark joy!

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Have A Great Story About Your Caique?

Share your experience with others! There’s no better way to learn about a pet bird than from an owner.

Some helpful information for potential owners can be: What is the sex of your bird? Is he/she friendly? Loving? Cuddly? Talented? Messy? Loud? You get the idea!

Your comment may just help someone decide whether or not this pet bird is for them.

5 replies
  1. nancy lee ertter
    nancy lee ertter says:

    My cockitiel passed away and I was in mourning. At the time my husband was terminally sick and he said go get another bird from Mr Ed at American Bird Company. in FALLSCHURCH VA. He recommended a caique to me and I got a white bellied Caique and Dave and I named him Britches. Cause of his little gold pants. David said after I’m gone he will be there to keep you company and you’ll always have a piece of me in him. Well the awful day came when David passed away. I laid around the first week not able to bear my life going on. I had Britches out with me and he kept looking up at the ceiling at something. I means he really was. This went on for two weeks every morning when I had my coffee. I believe David hung around and didn’t cross over to make sure I was ok. Britches is my constant companion and when I’m in my computer room working he sits with me. I love him beyond all comprehension and he is my life. someone had given him up. i cant imagine my life without my little boy. he gives me so much love.

    Reply

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