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~ Caiques ~
A Caique
is one of two species of small, brightly colored parrot of the genus Pionites.
Caiques originate from the area of the Amazon Rainforest of northern Brazil
and southern Venezuela, and the Guiana highlands.
In the wild, caiques generally prefer forested areas and subsist on fruit and
seeds. Caiques are generally canopy dwellers, spending most of their time in
the tops of trees, foraging and playing.
Caiques are also occasionally known as the "Seven-Color Parrot" because black,
green, yellow, orange, white and blue feathers have all been observed. They
have also been historically known as "The Dancing Parrot" for their habit of
hopping and dancing, especially when encouraged by rhythmic clapping.
There are
only two species of caique: the White-bellied Parrot or White-bellied Caique
and the Black-headed Parrot or Black-headed Caique.
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. The white-belly tends to flock in pairs.
The
Black-Headed Caique, Pionites melanocephala, has a black crown, yellow to
orange head, white belly, yellow leg feathers and underside of tail, green
back and wings, bluish primaries, greyish bill, and black feet. Minor
variations in this coloration exist. The black-head tends to flock in groups
of about three dozen.
Caiques
are growing in popularity in aviculture, the more commonly found species being
the black-head. Caiques bond well with humans and have a reputation as playful
birds, and enjoy playing with toys while laying on their backs. They are not
particularly good flyers, instead preferring to walk, jump, or hop as a mode
of transportation. Their behavior has been said to be most comparable to
Lories and Lorikeets.
Caiques can be quiet (compared with the maximum volume of larger parrots) 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. They can learn to mimic words,
and will speak in a soft and gravelly voice. They can also 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 have a particular odor. Some birds smell more strongly than others,
and the scent can be described as a dry, cardboardlike smell. Prospective
buyers should interact with a bird before buying it (as all pet buyers should)
to see whether they find the smell unpleasant.
As with
most parrots, males and females of either species of caique look exactly the
same. The only ways to determine sex are surgical sexing and DNA sexing.
This article is licensed under
the GNU Free
Documentation License. It uses material from
Wikipedia.
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