Caiques are a very colorful, short-tailed type of parrot indigenous to the Amazon Basin. They usually live in tropical jungle areas, as they adapt well to hot and humid areas.
They belong to appendix II of the CITES species, so their trade and holding in captivity is regulated and must be done through the relevant documents.
How big is a caique
Caique parrots are small in size, usually not exceeding 23 centimeters. At this length, the weight when healthy is usually between 160 and 170 grams. It is not possible to distinguish males and females by their external physical appearance.
How many years does a caique live?
They usually live in large families, between 10 and 40 members, and each of them can live more than 40 years. Therefore, they establish strong and lasting relationships with each other.
What are caiques like in captivity?
These animals are very active, however they are not noisy. Although they vocalize a lot, they do so at a low volume and do not usually shout. This is directly related to the fact that their ability to speak is less than in other species. Of course, it is easy to find them imitating noises from household appliances, telephones or other technological devices.
Caiques spend more time walking than flying, they only support short flights and carry them out slowly and somewhat clumsily. Its legs are strong and robust, and therefore it can run, climb and jump with agility.
They have a unique natural behaviour, which is to rub against soft surfaces such as blankets, rugs or curtains with their face and chest.
what do caiques eat
Caique parrots must be fed with quality and specific feed, which is balanced for all their needs.
They can also eat fresh foods such as salads, mixed vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. But they should never be given food that people eat, especially avoiding everything with sugar and salt, chocolate and avocados.
The most suitable feeders and drinkers are made of stainless steel or ceramic, since they are easily cleaned and disinfected.
How should the cage of a caique be?
A captive caique can spend time in outside aviaries, weather permitting. But you will also be comfortable inside.
The cage or aviary should be as large as possible so that the caique is comfortable. It will be there all the time when you are home alone, sleeping hours and when we are generally unable to pay attention to you. Still, try to let them go out frequently to exercise and socialize.
Caiques need the cage to have right angles and the bars to be strong. The best arrangement of the bars is the one that mixes horizontal and vertical bars, but if you only find one type, you have to opt for those with a horizontal arrangement. The floor of the cage must have a grid that prevents them from eating food scraps that have come into contact with their feces.
Inside the cage there should be several perches, or sticks, so that the birds can lean on them whenever they want. The most suitable materials are the natural wood branches of non-toxic trees and not treated with pesticides. With these irregular branches they will be able to support their legs in different positions, spending their nails and beak, and having fun destroying the stick.
We have to choose perches that allow them to close their fingers in a comfortable position, especially the highest perch that they are likely to use for sleeping. And pay attention to the layout! You should never place them on top of feeders or waterers, or the faeces will fall inside.
what do caiques play with
Inside the cage it is recommended that they can find toys of all kinds, but always appropriate to their needs. What they like best is what they can destroy or what has nooks and crannies in which to hide food for them to look for.
You should always try to avoid anything that may be made of heavy metals. For this reason, the ideal is to go to specialized stores and look for toys for parrots. Surely your veterinarian can also advise you in this search.
What specific care do they need?
The first advice we can give you to take care of a caique parrot is to look for an exotics vet who can help you and guide you with everything you need to know. In addition, they will be able to review the animal and give you specifications on what needs to be done at the veterinary level.
One of the actions they sometimes need is deworming, and stools often need to be tested to see if this is necessary.
All birds are sensitive to quite a few contagious diseases, so great care must be taken when sharing space with other animals. Some of these diseases can be analyzed to verify that individuals are free of them, since they can be carriers without showing symptoms.
In addition, it is also quite common for them to suffer trauma, hypovitaminosis A, reproductive problems or even peak overgrowth.
