Caiques bond strongly with humans and are well known as being playful birds, and enjoy entertaining themselves with toys while lying on their backs. They are not particularly good flyers, instead preferring to walk, jump, or hop as a mode of transportation.

White Bellied Caique Caiques bond strongly with humans and are well known as being playful birds, and enjoy entertaining themselves with toys while lying on their backs. They are not particularly good flyers, instead preferring to walk, jump, or hop as a mode of transportation. 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 and even 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 and personalities, 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. White Bellied Caiques live to play and hand fed birds make excellent pets.  A wide variety of toys are a must for these active little birds.  They spend lots of time hanging upside down and laying on thier backs.  Caiques can be very trusting of people and can be taught to lay upside down in the palm of your hand.  Caiques are considered by many to be the "ulitmate" small parrot.  The antics of a hand fed Caique are a constant source of amusement.  They delight in the company of their owners.  Caiques are generally about 9 inches in length and 150 - 165 grams and are a relatively uncommon bird from South Africa.. These clown-like characters can live upwards of 30+ years with the proper care and diet. The minimum cage size for them is recommended at 24" x 20" x 24", but with their level of energy, the larger the better. However, try to maintain bar spacing of 5/8" to 3/4".