There are 2 species of caiques & they are
White-Bellied Caique & the Black-Headed Caique.
(To my knwledge, there is one subspecie of the White Bellied Caique - and is the Green Thighed Caique)

Caiques are growing in popularity in aviculture, the more commonly found species being the black-
head. Caiques bond well with humans and have a reputation as playful birds, and enjoy playing
with toys while laying on their backs. They are not particularly good flyers, instead preferring to
walk, jump, or hop as a mode of transportation.

A Caique is a small, brightly colored and playful parrot that originates from the Amazon
Rainforest of northern Brazil and southern Venezuela. The Black Headed weighs around 130 to
160 grams and the White Bellied averages 140 to 180 grams. Caiques are not known for their
speaking abilities, some have been reported to have quite an amazing vocabulary.

Caiques are also occasionally known as the "Seven-Color Parrot" because black, green, yellow,
orange, white and blue feathers have all been observed. They have also been historically known as
"The Dancing Parrot" for their habit of hopping and dancing, especially when encouraged by
rhythmic clapping. Caiques are friendly, playful, intelligent and inquisitive. They enjoy interacting
with their humans and love peek-a-boo type games, hand wrestling, and finger tag. These
affectionate little parrots are often seen laying on their backs playing with their foot toys or foot
wrestling with toys allowed to dangle within their grasp. Caiques are fearless and can often be
found hanging upside down while swaying to and fro. Flying is not a Caiques’ forte due to their
stocky little bodies, however, they are known for their hopping and dancing prowess.

The White-Bellied Caique, has an orange-yellow head, a white belly, green wings and back, bluish
primary feathers, a horn-colored beak, and pink/grey feet. The white-belly tends to flock in pairs.

The Black-Headed Caique, has a black crown, yellow to orange head, white belly, yellow leg
feathers and underside of tail, green back and wings, bluish primaries, greyish bill, and black feet.
The black-head tends to flock in groups.

Caiques are quiet compared with the volume of larger parrots. They have a peculiar call used for
warning and for making contact with flock members who are out of visual range. They are
extremely active, prefer physical interaction playtime and love chewey toys. They can be distrustful
of other species of parrots, so buyers watch your pets interact together when introducing them. At
times, they can be demanding of human attention stubborn, and at times are not easily distracted.

Caiques are poor imitators of human speech, and their appeal as a pet lies in their playfulness, not
their speaking ability. They can learn to mimic words, and will speak in a soft and gravelly voice.
They can also learn to whistle and some birds enjoy developing a large repertoire which they
creatively recombine to come up with new calls and short tunes. They also enjoy learning
environmental sounds such as telephone rings and microwave beeps.

Because Caiques are so active and playful, they need the largest cage possible. You can never have
too large a cage for these energetic little clowns; they will use every square inch of their apartment.
These colorful little clowns love to wrestle and tackle their toys. Because the are so inquisitive and
intelligent, toys need to be rotated often to keep boredom from setting in. “You can never have
too many toys at any given time”.

All Caiques love fruit. Their favorites include all berries, grapes, all melons, papaya, mango, apples,
all kinds of citrus and citrus peels, kiwi, fresh and dried figs, peach, plum, apricot, raisins and just
about anything else you can think of. Caiques also enjoy fresh or very lightly steamed veggies, raw
okra, fresh sweet red bell peppers, fresh or dehydrated or frozen corn and peas, halved cherry
tomatoes, raw celery pieces, cooked red beets, steamed carrots, steamed or baked sweet potatoes,
asparagus, raw or steamed green beans, and any summer or cooked winter squash. Raw, unsalted
pecans and walnuts will make your Caique purr. Caiques also enjoy homemade sprouts. Chunky
salsa or vegetarian spaghetti sauce over pasta is another all time favorite. They also enjoy an
occasional organic peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a well rounded tablespoon of a high
quality seed mix containing black striped sunflower seeds.

As with any parrot, Caiques are NEVER to be fed avocado, chocolate, or any beverage that
contains caffeine. When possible, please feed only organically produced foods, fruits and
vegetables and wash them well before feeding.

As with most parrots, males and females of either species of caique look exactly the same. The
only ways to determine sex are surgical sexing and DNA sexing. As with all parrots, Caiques need
a yearly wellness check by a certified avian vet.

If you are looking for a highly sociable, entertaining, intelligent, playful feathered companion with
whom you are willing to devote a lot of attention to for the next 30 years, then the Comical
Caique would certainly be one of the best to consider.
Only purchase fully weaned, Polyoma vaccinated chicks from a reputable breeder.
CAIQUE  CASTLE