Sibylle Faye
Full-range Bird Products!Green Tips & Products
 
Web avianweb.com
Pet Bird Resources | Breeder's Web | Wildlife Resources | Healthy "Green" Living
Forum | Contact | Home

Resources

Parrots of the World

Pet Bird Species

Black-headed Caiques

Caiques


Black-headed CaiqueThe Black-headed Caique (Pionites melanocephalus) - also known as Black-headed Parrot, Black-capped Parrot or Pallid Parrot is one of the two species of parrot in the genus Caique (Pionites) - the other species being the White-bellied Caique.

This parrot is endemic to South America, specifically Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela - where it can be found in subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests or swamps. These parrots are social beings. In the wild, caiques are generally seen in pairs or flocks up to 30 birds, calling loudly during flight. Both black-headed caiques and white-bellied caiques prefer the same type of canopies and lowland forests.

In the wild, they eat mostly flowers, pulp, and seeds and possibly insects.


Description:

The Black-headed Caique is slightly smaller than the White-bellied Caiquet, with an average length of around 9 inches (23 centimeters).

The forehead, crown and nape are black and stand out in stark contrast to the bright green plumage of the back, wing and tail feathers. The cheeks, throat, thighs, undertail and flanks are a bright yellowish orange. The black-headed caiques have creamy white abdomen and breasts. They have bluish primaries, greyish bills and black feet.

Male and female birds look identical.

Juveniles have yellow/orange bellies.

Their life expectancy is about 30 years.


Caiques as Pets - Personality Traits


Housing Your Caiques


Care and Feeding:


Taxonomy:

Species: Scientific: Pionites melanocephala melanocephala ... English: Black-headed Caique ... Dutch: Zwartkopcaique ... German: Grünzügelpapagei ... French: Caïque à tête noire bullet Sub-Species: pallida, melanocephala

Description: General plumage green. The forehead and nape black. Lores and stripe under eye green. Cheeks, throat, band to nape, thighs and flanks orange. Breast and abdomen creamy-white. Under tail-coverts yellowish-orange; primary-coverts and primaries violet-blue; tail upperside with yellow tips, underside dull olive-yellow; bill blackish; periophthalmic ring dark grey; iris red; feet dark grey. Immatures with paler plumage, bill horn-colored with blackish base. Iris dark. bullet Length: 23 cm (9 ins)

CITES II - Endangered Species bullet Distribution: Brazil, Venezuela, South-eastern Colombia


Sub-species:

Pallid Caiques:

Species: Scientific: Pionites melanocephala pallida ... English: Pallid Caique ... Dutch: Bleke Caique ... German: Blasser Berlepschs Grünzügelpapagei ... French: Caïque à tête noir pallida

Description: As Black-headed Caiques (melanocephala) pictured above, but all orange plumage yellow; breast and abdomen whitish bullet Length: 23 cm (9 ins)

Distribution: Southern Colombia, North-eastern Peru, Eastern Ecuador bullet CITES II - Endangered Species

Related Websites: Lexicon of Parrots (Please scroll down to no. 2 - click on link to view photo.)



If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with the AvianWeb visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the AvianWeb Webmaster.
Photo contributions and articles are welcome!

The Aviator Harness & Flight Line

Check out AvianWeb's Favorite Products

SAVE!!! - The Aviator Harness now from $24!!

Incubator Sale!
Full-range Bird Products!

Bird Cage Information & Products

Bird Cages:

Cage Information, Instructions for Building a Cage

*** Browse Large Selection of Cages For All Birds & Ever Budget!



Environmentally safe, non-toxic products for your home:

Non-toxic Cleaning Products

Personal Care

Floor & Carpet Cleaners

Air Filtration / Conditioning

Heaters

Captive Foraging

Life of Birds - Great Bird Video - enjoy for hours!
First Aid

Book





Home | © Copyright 2006 AvianWeb - Disclaimers | For questions or comments, please contact Website Administrator: Sibylle Faye | AvianWeb Mail | Advertise on the AvianWeb

All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. The Avianweb assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published here. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.