Do You Want to Adopt a Caique?

Do you want to adopt a caique? When looking for a caique parrot, doing your bit to investigate the best candidates will set you and the parrot up for a successful union. Not taking the time and choosing the first one that you see could mean problematic days ahead. Since caique birds are known to live a pretty long lifespan – up to 20 years and even more! – it is best to scout out these playful little birds from aviary adoption centers or shelters, or owners who might have more than they had bargained for.

Do you want to adopt a caique? The beauty about adoption is that, the birds would’ve normally gotten the proper exposure to people and have been socialized to a certain extent, making them more open to the presence of humans. Do you want to adopt a caique? But do beware that caique birds are loyal little flyers and will be a little skittish or aloof at the onset of the meeting.

How to Adopt a Caique Bird

Do you want to adopt a caique? When adopting a caique bird, make sure that you are given amply moderate access to the bird before the actual turnover, that way the bird is not freaked out by your presence which makes for a better transition period when you bring home your new caque buddies. This will give you and the birds the proper amount of time to get to use to each other. Transporting caique birds could take a bit of toll on the bird, so be careful that you have the proper equipment – a transporting cage with a cover – for road or air travel.

Assuming that everything went good during your visits, the next thing to do is prepare for their move to your place by having set up their space and enclosures – with all the fittings and furnishings – before the actual transfer of the caiques to your home. By this time, you would have been stocked up on the proper bird food to give them a welcome feast after what could be an arduous experience for them. Should the birds react, and act a little displaced at the start, fret not. If you give them just enough time, they will get used to their new digs and, you, their new human friend.

Parrot Sanctuaries

Do you want to adopt a caique? With more and more parrot sanctuaries mushrooming around the country, it is apparent that many have perhaps bitten off more than they can chew with their pet birds. Other reasons for caiques finding its way to avian sanctuaries abounds; divorce, death, a residential move, a job transfer, etc.

Many of these people perhaps did not have a choice in leaving their feathery buddies behind, and they are just waiting for someone like you to come, rescue, and keep them. Think long and hard about how you want to acquire a pet bird and if possible make your first option one of adoption. Not only would you be saving a ton of money in terms of purchasing a bird that has never been owned before. You get the perks of joining up with a caique that has been housebroken, socialized and trained to mingle with people.

Bird Owners

Do you want to adopt a caique? Acquiring a caique parrot from a breeder would be another avenue you could take in terms of procurement of said bird. Finding a reputable breeder in your area is almost heaven sent as caique bird owners are scattered throughout the country. The convenience of purchasing from a breeder is that you should be provided with a guarantee in case of anything happening later on after you take home your birds. A guarantee would almost usually include preliminary and initial medical checkups and vaccination given to bird. The birds would have gotten the proper care and would have been exposed to the correct socialization it would need in order to thrive and live amongst humans.

Caique Health

Do you want to adopt a caique? It is important that you know of the history of the birds you are acquiring, unless you are comfortable with surprises, have deep pockets and your aim is really to help out a caique in need at all costs. Since the caique bird naturally lives a pretty long life, you may later on want to give it company. It’s important that birds are checked out extensively by a certified avian vet.

What You Need to Know

Do you want to adopt a caique? The caique bird is a parrot classified under the Psittacidae family and originates from the shores and regions of South America. There are a two major species of the caique parrot – the black-headed caique and the white-bellied caique; the black-headed caique or the Pionites melanocephala melanocephala is commonly found in Brazil, Roraima, Venezuela and Columbia. Another species of the black-headed caique, the Pionites melanocephala pallida is a native of Peru, Colombia, and Ecuador.

One of the white-bellied caique parrot species is known scientifically as the Pionites leucogaster leucogaster, and is found in large numbers between the Amazon and Madeira River basins in Brazil. Another species of the white-bellied caique is the Pionites leucogaster xanthurus, and they are found only in the regions of the Amazonia of Brazil. The Pionites leucogaster xanthomeria is a white-bellied caique bird found in Amazonas regions of Ecuador and Brazil. The size of the colourful caique parrot ranges between 9 to 11 inches with an average size of 10 inches.

Black vs. White

Do you want to adopt a caique? The colours of the caique parrot depends on the sort of sub-specie they are. The black-headed caique bird has a black crown, forehead, and nape of the neck. It sports a green streak under its eyes. It has orange-yellow cheeks and its throat is similarly coloured as such. The back wings, the rump and the upper part of the tail of the black-headed caique are green. The breast is colour is cream and this colour trails down all the way to the abdomen of the bird. The black-headed caique has orange-yellow thighs. The legs and beak of the caique parrot is grey in colour and it has orange-coloured irises.

The white-bellied caique has an orange crown, forehead and nape. The sides of its head as well as its throat have yellow-coloured feathers. The back wings, the rump and the upper part of the white-bellied caique are green. Its breast and abdomen has a cream-white colouration (giving it its name). The white-bellied caique has green thighs and pink legs. It sports a pale beige bill and has red eyes.

Seed Feeding

Do you want to adopt a caique? Contrary to popular belief of birds being exclusive eater of seeds, different birds in fact, have different diets. In the wild, and depending on where they come from, caiques have a wide and varied diet that range from fruits from the plants of the awarra, hitia, the acai palm, wild figs, guava and fruits from the warimia tree.

The caique would also be seen dining on fruit tree leaves and flowers, like the chewstick, the flowers from the liana plant and the shirada. It also eats the seeds from rubber trees, grumixama, as well as seed heads of rice, American muskwood, the seed from a tamaquare and the mangabe. The caique can also be spotted harvesting nectar and pollen from bacuri plants, the pulp of a chonta palm and the grumixama. Thankfully, commercial bird food is now available and ready for bird owners to feed their pets making it more convenient for an avian pet owner to provide nourishment for their feathered friends.

Bird Diet

Do you want to adopt a caique? Caique bird owners now have the option to choose from a variety of bird diets that are made and sold commercially. There are now high quality diet supplement pellets which contain equal quantities of fruits and vegetables. Make sure that you check out the packaging, and most importantly, the ingredients of the bird food you are buying. Be aware that food colouring and food additives to make food more enticing are very bad for the caique parrot. In addition to what is available in the market, a caique bird owner can include a variety of other found-in-nature vegetables and fruits which are also available in grocery stores and supermarkets such as berries, greens, nuts, seeds and legumes. For a “tasty” variety in your caiques diet, toss in a cricket once a week.

Keep them Clean

Do you want to adopt a caique? You, being the new owner of a caique parrot will need to groom the bird occasionally. Trimming its beak and nails will be something that you will need to make a routine of when you decide to raise caique parrots. Since the caique will be living in close quarters with you, the caique bird will need to be allowed time out of its enclosure for a good stretch; therefore, there will also be the business of clipping its flight feathers a wee bit so that the bird does not accidentally fly out too far or too high.