Caique
Caiques are small, stocky South American parrots in two species — the black-headed and the white-bellied — both with a bright orange or apricot head, white chest and green wings.
They are compact but built like little tanks.
What defines them is behaviour. Caiques are the acrobats and clowns of the parrot world: they hop rather than walk, wrestle with toys, sleep on their backs and surf across towels. They are relentlessly energetic and enormously entertaining, and they are also nippy, stubborn, and quite capable of bullying birds several times their size.
- Origin
- Northern South America
- Size
- 23–25 cm; 150–170 g
- Lifespan
- 25–40 years
- Diet
- Pellets, vegetables, some fruit
- Temperament
- Playful, comic, energetic, nippy and bold
- Noise
- Moderate but piercing; poor talkers
3 caique photos, newest first
Living with a caique
Caiques need more enrichment than almost any parrot of their size — foraging toys, destructible material, and space to hop and wrestle. An under-stimulated caique is a biting caique.
Biting needs addressing early and consistently; the breed's reputation for nipping is earned and gets worse if it is laughed at.
They should not be housed unsupervised with other species. Caiques are fearless and have seriously injured much larger birds.
Base the diet on pellets with plenty of vegetables. Keep well away from non-stick fumes, aerosols and scented products.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual birds vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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