Black Headed Caique:
Pionites Melanocephala
a.k.a
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The Low Down on the Black Headed CaiqueThe Black Headed Caique, scientific name Pionites melanocephala, is approximately nine inches tall and less than six ounces. They are smaller than the White Bellied Caique. There are two subspecies of this mini parrot |
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This colorful parrot is found north of the Amazon River in the countries of
Brazil, Columbia, Peru, Venezuela, French Guyana, and Surinam. They are found in
the canopy of the forest, along the edges, and often in the woodlands along the
savannah. Most often they can be found in small family groups or in flocks up to
thirty birds during breeding season.
The Black Headed Caique that is most easily found in captivity is the subspecies Pionites melanocephala melanocephala. It has a white breast and abdomen, but has
a black forehead and crown. They have an orange neck, their wings, back, and
tail are green.
The subspecies, Pionites melanocephala pallida, is very similar except the
orange feathers are yellow on this variety. Younger birds of both species have
duller feathers than their adult counterparts. They are expected to live up to
30 years in the wild, possibly longer in captivity.
Many scientists believe that the Black Headed Caique will breed with other
species of Caique and can therefore find hybrids in the wild. This may account
for the subspecies of this parrot. Some scientists even believe that the Black
Headed and White Bellied Caiques will cross breed in areas where their ranges
overlap.
You can also check out a not to distant relative, the
White Bellied
Caique.
Training and Caring for your Black Headed Caique
If you choose to purchase a Caique, you can expect it to be similar to other parrots. Since they are social birds in the wild, you know they’ll need plenty of interaction from you. They need a ready supply of food, plenty of fresh clean water, and a variety of toys to keep them occupied when you’re not with them. Intelligent, they can be trained to learn a variety of tricks.In the wild, Black Headed Caique normally feed on fruits, berries, and seeds. In captivity, you can feed them fruits, vegetables, pellets formulated for them, seeds, nuts, and grains. They particularly like flax seeds. Since they are very active, they need a steady supply of food to maintain their energy levels.
The Black Headed Caique obviously lives among other parrots, however they are wary of their larger cousins and will take flight if one of them comes too close as they see these other parents as an intruder. In fact, if you’re considering purchasing a Black Headed Caique, you probably don’t want to bring it into a home where there is already another species of parrot, or choose not to bring another bird into the home after the Caique gets comfortable with their surroundings.
They have a tendency to bite, as most parrots do, particularly if they experience emotional overload. They may also bite to try to prove their dominance, but they need to understand that biting is not acceptable. To stop their biting, you can train them using positive reinforcement. You may also want to provide them with plenty of destructible toys made of wood.
This will give them ample things to chew on rather than your hand or items you don’t want chewed on in your home. They also like noisy toys as well as ropes and ladders that they can do tricks on. Swings are a particular favorite of this small parrot.
| They need a strong hand to let them know who the boss in your home is. If you
don’t stand your ground and establish your dominance when they come into your
home, they may quickly become aggressive. Yet, like all animals, dominance
cannot be established with aggression and negative reinforcement. Our videos on
training
caiques will help you understand how to establish this relationship
with your caique. This will have the opposite effect and result in aggressive and destructive animals. Luckily, you can use the same training techniques with a Caique as would work with larger parrots. |
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This means rewarding positive behavior, ignoring
them when they want your attention if they behave badly, spending time with them
daily to ensure they learn what you are trying to teach them.
Even though the Black Headed Caique is not known for their speaking ability,
they can pick up a few phrases that can be understood. They excel, however, at
mimicking other sounds heard in the home. You may be surprised to hear them
making the same noise as a ringing telephone or someone whistling.
All-in-all, the Black Headed Caique is thought to be a good choice as a pet if
you are interested in owning a bird and are willing to invest the time into
caring for and training your Caique.