Caique info

[Allisonn]

Hi I'm interested in owing a caique but I don't have any good info on them and I have a couple questions:

1) do they make good pets?

2) are the loud?

3) are the sweet cuddly birds?

4) do they talk a lot?

Thank you for any useful info!

 

[RissaLynn]

As an owner of a young caaique,I can tell you I love having him! I think they are good pets,but you need to take them as they are.They tend to be a bit nippy,and they can bite a tad hard if they want to so its best to monitor them if there are young children around.They are alot(in my opinion) like a child hthemselves that they want what they want and they like to be spoiled Aside from that my little guy loves to play and sit on my shoulder,and just relax with me.They are certainly lovable.Mine only gets loud if he is upset or being bratty,otherwise he mostly whistles and chatters.Of course since mine is only a year he may grow out of being so bitey,so definitely take other opinions into account

 

[weco]

Welcome aboard Allisonn, glad you decided to join us.....can't help you with you caique questions...never had any, but welcome anyway.....

 

[thekarens]

I've never heard of a caique being a taker.

 

[weco]

I've never heard of a caique being a taker.

Was that "taker" or talker ? ? ?

 

[veimar]

I never owned a caique, but really wanted one and read a lot about them. From what I learned they are one of the best pet birds ever. I'm not sure about talking, but they are cuddly, friendly, and fun. As far as I know they are not too noisy. But again, I don't own one (yet). They are quite expensive and rare as well - se get ready to spend $600-800 just for the bird.

 

[dskidd]

Hi I'm interested in owing a caique but I don't have any good info on them and I have a couple questions:

1) do they make good pets?

2) are the loud?

3) are the sweet cuddly birds?

4) do they talk a lot?

Thank you for any useful info!

Hi Allisonn:

There's a lot of good info on them out there. Just as an example:

Black-headed Caiques, Pionites melanocephala

And a good, more personal, article:

The Bird That Would Be King, By Sally Blanchard

(Note: Both of these refer to black-headed caiques, but I have a BH and a White-Bellied caique, and any differences between the two seem to be more along the lines of individual personality traits rather than any sort of species variation.)

I'll take a shot at answering your questions:

1) As far as being good pets, that kinda depends on your experiences with birds. Have you had birds before? I couldn't tell from your post, so please forgive me if I sound like a patronizing know-it-all. If you've had birds before, then yes--they're wonderful pets (although--as with any pet--just how wonderful they are completely depends on the time and work you're willing to put in). If you're used to dogs, cats, or any other mammal, and have had no experience with birds, then definitely do a LOT of research, ask questions, and then more questions, and so on. Caiques (or any pet bird, for that matter) are--to put it blatantly obviously--a different animal altogether!

2) They can be loud, but--at least with my two--it's not a sustained racket. They're excited when I get home, they can let me know they're not too happy to be stuck in their cages when I'm housecleaning, one or the other will occasionally make an alarm-shriek, and so on. But I've never found anything really all that objectionably loud about them. Even when they're telling me how excited they are that I'm home, I just talk back to them. (Then again, maybe prolonged exposure to Eliza and Henry has damaged my hearing!)

3) They can be sweet and cuddly, sure. It probably depends on the individual bird and how much work has been done with them, how much interaction they have, etc. Eliza is perhaps a bit more cuddly then Henry, even though I treat them both the same. (Well, at least I think I treat them both the same: I'm sure they have different opinions!) They can also be "bite-y," playful, stand-off-ish, and a zillion other things. Being caiques, their world view can change at any second.

4) I've heard a couple of people talk about their caiques talking, but--as I understand it--it's rare. I think i read that their vocal cords aren't quite right for talking. That being said, I can hear Eliza or Henry trying to say something on occasion, but it generally comes out as just chatter. (They're pretty good at imitating sounds though--both Eliza and Henry do the "kiss" noise when I come into the room.) They do chatter; it's never bothered me though. They'll whistle, and just basically make noise, but actually I like it. I live alone, so it's nice to have them chattering away. (Besides, as everyone knows, if you want peace and quiet, under no circumstances should you get a bird!)

Come to think of it, they're totally silent right now. I'm in my office working--they made their "where are you" call, I answered back, and now they're completely quiet. Hmmm...that's probably not good...

I hope that helps a little bit. There are lots of resources out there, far more professional and eloquent than I am--I definitely recommend checking them out. I just wanted to give you a personal perspective.

Well, Henry just flew in, with Eliza right behind. That means no more typing for me!

Cheers!
Derek

 

[thekarens]

I've never heard of a caique being a taker.

Talker, that will teach me to post from my phone.

 

[dskidd]

I've never heard of a caique being a taker.

Talker, that will teach me to post from my phone.

LOL...I was gonna say, caiques are DEFINITELY "takers!"


Derek

 

[Pinkbirdy]

I like Dereks take on them I have 3 Blk headed caiques two males and one female. My last guy I got [was because they thought he had issues]. Hes great with me. Caboose talks [and boy was I surprised] . He came from a house where I think he wanted more attention. That's why he might be talking . Love my Caiques ,great birds all the way around.