Should I get a caique? Please help me!

[Bert]

I have had birds all my life and now I curently have a green cheek conure I share with my girlfriend. She takes the bird back and forth with her to her house so it stays about 50 percent of the time with her but I am interested in a caique now. Unfortunately I have been reading some negative things about aggressive caiques. Is this mainly in the males or all of them? I know not all birds can be generalized but in my experience they do have some generalizations to each species. I guess I am hoping to hear some positive reviews from people on here but if there aren't any then I'll defiantly keep looking at other birds. I have played with a caique locally but I'm not ready yet. I'm still in the looking stage but the bird was so nice and it liked to play with the sellers other birds and anybody which is why I liked it of course. I already have an extra HQ cage for another bird as I would definitely be housing them separately when my other bird is here but Im still concerned about the aggressiveness of some caiques. Please if You gave any advice good or bad advice I would love to hear it!! Thanks!!

 

[Irishj9]

Ok I have 11 caiques. 8 of them are 4 years old ( so have been through the early hormonal years)

Here's the short version. Caiques play rough and love it. Its not aggression, its playing rugby with your delicate little conure who WILL get injured.

Caiques have ATTITUDE. Challenge them and they will challenge you RIGHT BACK!

It is not mainly in the males. it is in all of them, though some are much more 'independent' than others.

Definitely caiques need A LOT of attention and do not mix well with other birds

Irishj9's albums - Imgur

 

[itsjoyceduh]

I would say go for it ! I absolutely love caiques. Although I don't own one they are on my wish list. I played with one before and it is absolutely adorable. They like to play rough and you can pretty much do what you like with them. They are kind of like dogs ? Of course all birds get hormonal when they are at a certain age so that is something you need to be prepare for. I have a blue front Amazon just a baby right now but I am prepare for her to become birdzilla when the time comes.

 

[JerseyWendy]

I'd say listen to Irish. As much as I loved my Tia girl, she would go after my YN Amazon with such a vengeance that it was down right frightening. She NEVER backed down, for nothing and nobody.

 

[Bert]

Thanks everyone! I think the caiques are not the breed for me as long as I have a a greencheek conure. Maybe one day and then i will only have them. I hoped to hear something better but I wanted the truth. I will still enjoy watching their videos and seeing their pics but I guess that will be it for now.

 

[SoCalWendy]

Thanks everyone! I think the caiques are not the breed for me as long as I have a a greencheek conure. Maybe one day and then i will only have them. I hoped to hear something better but I wanted the truth. I will still enjoy watching their videos and seeing their pics but I guess that will be it for now.

I understand how you feel. i recently rehomed my Senegal because she tried to kill my parrotlet on more then one occasion. i love Caiques too, just not worth the risk.

 

[Dangerdoll]

I am impressed with the OP's question, I think more people need to be so inquisitive BEFORE taking the plunge and going out and getting themselves in trouble with a wicked bird that no one wants to touch. Great job, Bert, kudo's to you in your quest!

 

[Kyoto]

When I was first looking, I was actually torn between a caique and a green cheek. Ended up getting the bird that was first available because I couldn't pick one over the other.

One of my vets had a caique and he truly adored her. I would be in the same boat though, don't want to get another bird out of fear for my conure being jealous and getting herself hurt. I have thought about maybe a red crown conure in the future, but years down the road. Plus they're hard to come by here!

Good luck with your search!!

 

[Irishj9]

....getting themselves in trouble with a wicked bird that no one wants to touch. Great job, Bert, kudo's to you in your quest!

LOL!

There is nothing wicked about caiques. Wickedness is an ENTIRELY human trait.

Each species is adapted perfectly to survive in its natural environment. The natural environment of a caique is the treetop canopy in the Amazon rainforest . This canopy does not include exotic birds from Australia, human houses, cats, dogs, noisy TV's, or emotionally erratic human children.

So if you take this treetop canopy dwelling bird from the Amazon and place it in close confinement in a human house with another species whom it would NEVER encounter in the wild, then any resulting unwanted caique beheaviours are entirely YOUR OWN FAULT. This I learned the hard way by allowing a quaker to play with my caiques!

Bert made the right decision. If we are going to keep these foreign birds, then WE have to adapt our environment to THEM.

My caiques ( 11) live in a flock in a dedicated aviary and are a delight to play with, every day. I am never bitten, never attacked, no unexpected aggression. Yes a couple of them CAN be moody, and P'D off, but so can I!.

JP

 

[dskidd]

Each species is adapted perfectly to survive in its natural environment. The natural environment of a caique is the treetop canopy in the Amazon rainforest . This canopy does not include exotic birds from Australia, human houses, cats, dogs, noisy TV's, or emotionally erratic human children.

I have always respected your thoughts, opinions and advice regarding caiques; your knowledge is clearly second to none.

However, I do have to question the above. Are you absolutely CERTAIN the Amazon rainforest treetop canopy doesn't include noisy TVs? From my observations of Eliza and Henry in my house, I had come to the conclusion that the rainforest is festooned with TVs, computers, laptops and iPhones...and that they all seem to have some sort of inescapably strong magnetic effect on caiques...

 

[smartiecoco]

Each species is adapted perfectly to survive in its natural environment. The natural environment of a caique is the treetop canopy in the Amazon rainforest . This canopy does not include exotic birds from Australia, human houses, cats, dogs, noisy TV's, or emotionally erratic human children.

I have always respected your thoughts, opinions and advice regarding caiques; your knowledge is clearly second to none.

However, I do have to question the above. Are you absolutely CERTAIN the Amazon rainforest treetop canopy doesn't include noisy TVs? From my observations of Eliza and Henry in my house, I had come to the conclusion that the rainforest is festooned with TVs, computers, laptops and iPhones...and that they all seem to have some sort of inescapably strong magnetic effect on caiques...

AGREED!!! My boys goes CRAZY trying to kill my iphone!!!

 

[Kyoto]

Each species is adapted perfectly to survive in its natural environment. The natural environment of a caique is the treetop canopy in the Amazon rainforest . This canopy does not include exotic birds from Australia, human houses, cats, dogs, noisy TV's, or emotionally erratic human children.

I have always respected your thoughts, opinions and advice regarding caiques; your knowledge is clearly second to none.

However, I do have to question the above. Are you absolutely CERTAIN the Amazon rainforest treetop canopy doesn't include noisy TVs? From my observations of Eliza and Henry in my house, I had come to the conclusion that the rainforest is festooned with TVs, computers, laptops and iPhones...and that they all seem to have some sort of inescapably strong magnetic effect on caiques...

AGREED!!! My boys goes CRAZY trying to kill my iphone!!!

Same with my conure!! She hates all electronics. They must all die XD

 

[Irishj9]

I have always respected your thoughts, opinions and advice regarding caiques; your knowledge is clearly second to none.

However, I do have to question the above. Are you absolutely CERTAIN the Amazon rainforest treetop canopy doesn't include noisy TVs? From my observations of Eliza and Henry in my house, I had come to the conclusion that the rainforest is festooned with TVs, computers, laptops and iPhones...and that they all seem to have some sort of inescapably strong magnetic effect on caiques...

Thanks for the compliment, but the caiques are teaching me that I still have a LOT to learn.

We cant be certain the canopy contains electronics but on reflection I think you're right. The reason our caiques are fascinated with disassembling our electronics is that they're trying to communicate with the Mother Colony back in the rainforest. ( E.T. phone home?)

If we would just sit back and watch we would see them RE-ASSEMBLING those smartphones into something which they can use to call in the caique invasion.

Well we buggered up their rainforest, Its time for them to take over our cities!

Soon we will be slaves to the Caique Overlords. I'm stockpiling grapes and sunflower seeds. I want to be in a position to negotiate!

LOL

JP

 

[dskidd]

We cant be certain the canopy contains electronics but on reflection I think you're right. The reason our caiques are fascinated with disassembling our electronics is that they're trying to communicate with the Mother Colony back in the rainforest. ( E.T. phone home?)

If we would just sit back and watch we would see them RE-ASSEMBLING those smartphones into something which they can use to call in the caique invasion.

Well we buggered up their rainforest, Its time for them to take over our cities!

Soon we will be slaves to the Caique Overlords. I'm stockpiling grapes and sunflower seeds. I want to be in a position to negotiate!

LOL

JP

I, for one, welcome our new Caique Overlords. Goodness knows, E&H run the house already, so at least I'm used to it...