Common Reasons for Surrender
The caiques are loud, messy biters. The little caiques tend to like to grab your cuticles, and it hurts. Another reason for surrender is people do not educate themselves on the caiques and suddenly realize they are stuck with this bird for 30 years so they surrender it.
Pros
White belly caiques are clowns. If you give your caique a toy to hold in his claw, he will often play with it for a long time, much like a teenager plays with a hacky sack ball, kicking, flipping the ball over its back, and attacking it. When bored with the ball, the caique may decide to hop about and will make a soft trill sound if content in her play or on her perch.
Cons
Caiques are mischievous parrots that tend to focus on one thing and are tenacious until they get whatever it is they’re after. This is not a parrot for a new owner, as an experienced bird enthusiast will know how to train the bird with firm resolve.
Sometimes the caique will choose one family member that he likes and “blow off” everyone else with a bad attitude. The way to curb this possibility is to look for a bird that was hand-fed as a baby and socialized with other birds and other people.
Diet
You may feed your caique parrot a mixture of pellets, seed, fruits, vegetables, and as an occasional treat give him a small piece of meat on a bone. He will likely eat the meat and crack open the bone to eat the marrow, a special treat for the caique parrot.
Exercise
This is one animal that will exercise himself without being told, as long as you provide toys, swings, and bungees. The caique parrot can be very entertaining when playing.
Possible Health Issues
The caique is prone to respiratory problems, viruses, and parasites that any bird can get.
Housing
Caiques are noisy parrots, so they are not suited for apartment dwellings or close quarters with neighbors. The bird needs a cage at a minimum of 30 x 30 x 36 inches with bars about half an inch spaced. Caiques like to sleep in hanging beds or in places you provide in the cage where they can hide. Don’t forget the bird bath. A shallow dish of water will delight your caiques.
Grooming
You may buy a therapeutic perch at a pet store for your bird to help keep her nails trimmed. Natural wood perches at three quarters to two inches in diameter are ideal.
Training
Both species of caiques need a firm hand in training because they will become nippy and “sassy” unless given strict boundaries.
Entertainment
The caiques parrot will entertain herself and her family by rolling around and playing and manipulating balls and other toys. She’s a lot of fun to watch and will play until she’s exhausted or bored, whichever comes first.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
We want to thank Feathered Friends Forever, Harlem, Georgia, for help with this profile.