Pionites - Caiques

The brightly-colored Caique (pronounced kye-eek).is endemic to the Amazon Rainforest of northern Brazil and southern Venezuela, and the Guiana highlands, where they can be found in the canopies of forested areas.

Diet / Feeding

Their natural diet consists mainly of fruits and seeds.

Description

The average length of an adult caique is 23 cm or 9 inches in length. They weight around 150 to 175 grams or 5.3 - 6.2 oz. Their average expected lifespan is 30 years.
The Caiques are very distinctive and beautiful in appearance. They are often referred to as the "Seven-Color Parrot" because of their highly defined black, green, yellow, orange, white and blue feathers.
The two major species are the Black-headed Caique (Pionites melanocephala) and the White-bellied Caique (Pionites leucogaster), both of which are endemic to South America.
Caique wing feathers produce a distinctive flapping sound in flight.

Species and subspecies

Black-headed Parrot, Pionites melanocephala. There are two subspecies, with birds between them intermediate in color:
- Black-headed Caique (P. m. melanocephala). East and south of range.
  - Orange legs and undertail, nape (lower back of the neck) deep orange, belly white.
- Pallid Parrot/Caique (P. m. pallidus). West and north of range.
  - As Black-headed Caique, except all orange plumage replaced with yellow. Breast and abdomen whitish.
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 three subspecies:
- White-bellied Caique, also known as Green Thighed Parrot (Pionites leucogaster leucogaster).
- Yellow Thighed (P. l. xanthomeria).
- Yellow Tailed (P. l. xanthrus).

There is little difference in personality between the two species, so which to choose is often decided by price and availability. Typically, the White-bellied Caiques are more expensive than the Black-headed Caiques -- largely because the latter is more common. Prices can range from $500 to $1500, depending on source and area of the country. Buying directly from a breeder will be cheaper than purchasing a caique at your local pet store. Below you will find breeders listed.