Caique

The name "Caique" refers to two closely related South American parrots in the genus Pionites: the Black-headed Caique (Pionites melanocephalus) of the northern Amazon, and the White-bellied Caique (Pionites leucogaster) of the southern and western Amazon. Both are small, compact parrots with an unmistakable tricolor pattern and a bouncy, almost comical gait.

Caiques have a short, blunt tail, a large head, and a heavy bill relative to their body size, giving them a stocky, top-heavy silhouette in flight. Plumage is boldly patterned in white, yellow-orange, and green, with a contrasting black or orange crown depending on species.

Appearance

• Crown black (Black-headed Caique) or orange (White-bellied Caique)
• Thighs and lower underparts bright yellow-orange
• Belly and breast white
• Back, wings, and tail green
• Bare grayish skin around the eye

Key field marks

• Small, short-tailed, big-headed parrot with a distinctly "bouncy" hopping walk
• Sharp contrast between the white belly/breast and the orange thighs and vent
• Black-headed Caique: solid black cap and nape, orange-yellow thighs and neck patch
• White-bellied Caique: orange-yellow crown and thighs, greenish-olive nape

Similar species

No other Amazonian parrot shares the caique's combination of a pure white breast against orange-and-green plumage, making adults straightforward to identify. Young birds show duller, more olive tones on the crown before molting into adult colors.

Range

Caiques are found only in the tropical lowlands of the Amazon basin in South America. The Black-headed Caique occurs north of the Amazon River from Venezuela and the Guianas into northern Brazil, while the White-bellied Caique ranges south of the river through Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.

Habitat

They inhabit humid lowland and terra firme rainforest, várzea (seasonally flooded forest), and forest edges, typically remaining in the canopy and subcanopy. They are non-migratory, sedentary residents of their forest ranges.

Behavior

Caiques are highly active, playful, and social, usually seen in pairs or small flocks moving through the canopy in search of fruiting trees. They often hang upside down and use their bill as a third limb while climbing.

Voice

Calls include sharp, high-pitched screeches and chattering notes, especially in flight or when flocks contact one another.

Feeding

They forage in the forest canopy for ripe and unripe fruit, seeds, nuts, flowers, and nectar, and will also take insects and larvae.

Nesting

Caiques nest in tree cavities, typically laying 2-4 eggs. Incubation lasts around 26 days, with young fledging roughly 10 weeks after hatching.