shop


The Furry Critter Network

White Belly Caique Species Description

Back to Avian Species Menu


thm-img

Breed Organization

National Audubon Society

Cornell Lab of Orinthology

The Avian Web


Other Names
N/A

Classification
Order Psittaciformes
Family Psittacidae

Scientific Name
Pionites Leucogaster

Species Description

The White-bellied Caique, Pionites leucogaster, has an orange-yellow head, a white belly, green wings and back, bluish primary feathers, a horn-colored beak, and pink or grey feet. There are several subtypes of the White-bellied Caique, including the Green Thighed (Pionites leucogaster leucogaster), the Yellow Thighed, and the Yellow Tailed. Currently, the Yellow Thighed is the type most commonly kept as a pet in the United States. The Green Thighed is somewhat rare in captivity, and the Yellow Tailed has been documented in the wild but is very rare in captivity.

Juvenile white bellies often have brownish or black feathers on the head and back of the neck, as well as yellow feathers on the white belly. Generally these off-colored feathers will be lost and replaced by orange or white feathers respectively. Young birds will also have dark brown irises, which will change to a rust or orange color as the bird matures.

Habitat

It is most often found in pairs or small flocks of 10 or so, sometimes up to 30. They live in both forest and savanna, and are partial to forest edges. In the wild, they eat mostly flowers, pulp, and seeds and possibly insects.

Distribution

White-bellied Caiques are found south of the Amazon from northern Brazil to Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador.


Captivity

Caiques bond well with humans and have a reputation as playful birds, and enjoy playing with toys while lying on their backs. They are not particularly good flyers, becoming tired and winded after only a short distance. They also tend to be clumsy and slow in the air as compared to other birds. They often prefer to walk, jump, climb, or hop as a mode of transportation. They are excellent climbers, with very strong feet and legs. Their behavior has been said to be most comparable to Lories and Lorikeets.

Summary

Compared with the volume of larger parrots, caiques are fairly quiet if trained properly. They have a peculiar call which has been compared to a smoke alarm, used for warning and for making contact with flock members who are out of visual range. This call is high, piercing, and loud enough to alert flock members across the jungle or neighboring apartment dwellers. They are extremely active, prefer lots of physical interaction and playtime, and are prolific chewers. They can be distrustful of or aggressive toward other species of parrot, so prospective buyers should be careful if they have or plan to have other types of parrots. They can also be highly demanding of human attention, and stubborn, not easily distracted from stealing eyeglasses or chewing unapproved items even when tempted with favorite treats and toys. Caiques are poor imitators of human speech, and their appeal as a pet lies in their playfulness, not their speaking ability. Some individuals can learn to mimic words, and will speak in a soft and gravelly voice. Many caiques easily 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.

Caiques also possess a particular odor. The smell of a particular individual depends on genetics, emotional state, grooming and diet. Some birds smell more strongly than others, and the scent can be described as a dry, cardboard-like smell. Happy caiques on a healthy diet that includes flax seeds or another source of high-quality seed oil often smell slightly sweet. Prospective buyers should interact with a bird before buying it, as all pet buyers should, to see whether they find the smell unpleasant.

As parrots go, caiques are somewhat "difficult" birds and inexperienced parrot owners should be ready to learn the bird's moods well. Although they can make great companion parrots for the right person, due to their extremely engaging and funny personalities, some individuals can be very hot-tempered. Caiques ordinarily respond well to homes in which some time is devoted to playing with them each day, and like all pet birds, they need to be kept in a bird-safe environment.


Back to Avian Species Menu

Featured Rescues

"Don't Shop ... Please Adopt"

laptop pro

ASPCA

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals® (ASPCA®) was the first humane society to be established in North America and is, today, one of the largest in the world.

Our organization was founded on the belief that animals are entitled to kind and respectful treatment at the hands of humans and must be protected under the law. Headquartered in New York City, the ASPCA maintains a strong local presence, and with programs that extend our anti-cruelty mission across the country, we are recognized as a national animal welfare organization. We are a privately funded 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation, and are proud to boast more than 2 million supporters across the country.

The ASPCA’s mission, as stated by founder Henry Bergh in 1866, is “to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States.”


laptop pro

Petfinder

If you can’t find the pet you’re looking for on Petfinder, don’t give up. Some shelters maintain waiting lists for specific breeds, so don’t be afraid to ask! There are also breed-specific rescues for just about every breed, and most of them post their pets on Petfinder. (Petfinder can even e-mail you when a pet that fits your criteria is posted — just click “Save this Search” at the top of your search results page.)


laptop pro

Rescue Me

Jeff Gold, Founder, Rescue Me! Animal Rescue Network

Jeff Gold lives in Watkinsville, Georgia on the same property as Rescue Me's Animal Rehabilitation Center, with 18 rescue animals. Shown with him in the photo to the left are Maggie, Izzie and Cortez. In 2003, after learning there was nobody doing boxer rescue work in Georgia, Gold founded Boxertown, an organization which helped find homes for over 500 boxers during its first two years. Based upon this success, Gold came up with the vision for Rescue Me! ― a network which helps all breeds of dogs, cats and other animals find good homes, anywhere in the world. RescueShelter.com is also a free service of Rescue Me! and provides the world's largest and most up-to-date directory of animal rescue organizations for all breeds of dogs, cats and other animals, including a comprehensive directory of wildlife rehabilitators in over 150 countries.



Top