Caiques
Caiques are an intelligent bird from the parrot family. They like to be vocal and active and therefore require their owner to give them attention and opportunity to come outside the cage everyday so they can exercise and release their energy. If you have a pair of caiques then you'll see just how loud they can be when socialized with their own kind. For this reason most people prefer to own just one caique, but if you don’t mind the noise then two is a treat.
Caiques are green with an orange/yellow head and they are darker on the neck. They have a white underside and yellow under tail converts. They are native to the Amazon (south), Brazil, Peru and Ecuador.
Caiques are very playful as you will soon discover! They love to be with people (provided they have been hand reared, you should NEVER buy a bird which has been stolen from the wild, this is illegal and unethical) and need plenty of stimulation such as toys. They have a habit of becoming dominant so it is up to the owner to curb this behavior before it progresses. You can do this through training.
Caiques cost up to $1000 from a breeder. I don’t recommend buying from a pet shop. They are more expensive and secondly you don’t know the origin of the bird.
Caiques can live up to 25 years. You won’t be able to tell females and males apart as they look the same. They eat fruit bits like bananas, grapes, apples plus vegetables like broccoli and sweet potatoes. These should be bite sized chunks, not whole fruits.
Caique care is an exciting thing to learn about and the more knowledgeable you become, the better life you will be able to give your caique.