Black-Headed Caique
Nicknamed the "clown of the parrot world" — among the most energetic, entertaining, and relentlessly playful of all parrots.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Origin
Colombia
Lifespan
25–40 years
Weight
155–170 g
Height
23–25 cm
Diet
Herbivore — parrot pellets, fresh vegetables, fruit, limited seeds. Higher caloric needs than similarly sized quiet parrots.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Psittaciformes
Family
Psittacidae
Genus
Pionites
The Story
Nicknamed the "clown of the parrot world" — among the most energetic, entertaining, and relentlessly playful of all parrots. Famous for "surfing" on toys and objects, rolling on their backs to wrestle with toys, and play behaviour that is unmistakably joyful. Their energy level is extraordinarily high even by parrot standards. Also capable of exceptional loudness relative to their size, and can be seriously aggressive with other birds including other Caiques.
Also Known As
Quick Facts
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Physical Profile
Source: wikimedia
Compact, rounded, and stocky with a very short tail. Jet-black cap, bright orange-yellow cheeks and throat, green back and wings, white-cream abdomen, and orange thighs. The closely related White-Bellied Caique has a yellowish head instead of black.
Grooming
Low
Shedding
Low
Coat Colors
Recognized By
Source: wikimedia
Temperament & Personality
Relentlessly playful and active — will "surf" upside down on toys, roll on their backs, and play with extraordinary intensity. Deeply affectionate with their person. Not reliably tolerant of other birds. Their noise level is significant.
Living Profile
Care & Wellness
Professional Care Protocol
- •Large cage with horizontal bars minimum 75 × 60 × 90 cm. Enormous variety of toys required — replaced rapidly. 3+ hours out-of-cage daily. Never leave with other birds unsupervised.
Vaccination Schedule
Vaccination Schedule
Health Overview
Feather plucking. Caique-specific polyomavirus sensitivity. Aspergillosis in stressed birds.
Common Conditions
Fun Facts
Caiques are one of the few parrots documented to sleep on their backs — alarms owners unfamiliar with the species.
"Caique" comes from Portuguese/Tupi and originally referred to a small boat — the bird was named for its plump, boat-like profile at rest.
