Baby White Bellied Caique

Description

White Bellied Caique For Sale

  The species Pionites leucogaster contains three subspecies including the nominate race, but recent morphological work suggests the species should be split into three. Caiques (pronounced kye-eeks or Kye-ee-kayes) belong to the psittacine genus Pionites. White-bellied caiques comprise three sub-species: Pionites leucogaster, P. l. xanthomeria, and P. l. xanthurus. Mass: 5.5 oz (Adult) Scientific name: Pionites leucogaster Conservation status: Endangered (Population decreasing) Higher classification: Caique Order: Parrot   Caique (/kaɪˈiːk/ or /kɑːˈiːk/^[2]) refers to a group of four species of parrots in the genus Pionites. The term “caique” in their official common name according to the IOU is replaced with “parrot”; however, “caique” is used by most persons and has been in use for at least 100 years (reference note). The term "caique" is primarily used in aviculture, with ornithologists typically referring to them as "White-bellied Parrot and Black-headed Parrot" to describe the nominal species. They have historically been called the “seven colored parrot”. They are relatively small and stocky, with a short, square tail and bright colors; this may be why they are referred to as “caique” based on the term for a similarly described Turkish vessel. The two primary nominal species are best distinguished by the black-headed caique’s black crown; both have white “bellies”. Their typical weight is 150–170 grams, with the white-bellied species being the larger and heavier of the two nominal species. They can live up to 40 years, but this is not common in captivity.  Caiques are generally canopy dwellers, spending most of their time in the tops of trees, foraging and playing. Caique wing feathers produce a distinctive whirring sound in flight. They are highly vocal and can inflict severely damaging bites.

Taxonomy and systematics:

Originally Pionites were classified as two species, the black-headed parrot and white-bellied parrot. However, recent morphological work has indicated that the white-bellied parrot should be split into three species based on plumage and leg coloration. In the past these parrots were often allied with the conures or other South American parakeets. Recent mitochondrial and nuclear DNA work has found Pionites to be the sister taxon to the Deroptyus (the genus that contains the red-fan parrot); the two genera occupy a basal position in the tribe Arini.

Pionites
Common name (Binomial name) Status	Image	Description	Region and habitat
Green-thighed parrot (Pionites leucogaster)		About 23 cm (9.1 in) long. Mostly green and pink feet; apricot-orange cap; a medium, stout parrot.	Amazon region of Brazil Lives in lowland humid tropical and seasonally flooded forest.
Yellow-tailed parrot (Pionites xanthurus)		About 23 cm (9.1 in) long. Similar to the black-legged parrot, but yellow tail and pink feet.	Amazon region of southern Brazil Lives in lowland humid tropical and seasonally flooded forest.
Black-legged parrot (Pionites xanthomerius)		About 23 cm (9.1 in) long. Similar to the green-thighed parrot, but yellow-thighs and blackish feet.	Parts of Bolivia, Peru and Brazil Prefers seasonally flooded forest.
Black-headed parrot (Pionites melanocephalus)		About 23 cm (9.1 in) long. Mostly green, with yellow thighs with hints of orange; blackish feet; black cap with a black bill; a medium, chunky parrot.	Parts of Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Peru, and Brazil Lives in lowland humid tropical and seasonally flooded forest.

Behavior and ecology

These parrots are found in the edges of forests and secondary-growth forests. They usually forage on at higher levels in the canopy, although can also be found lower at forest edges. At least two members of the flock act as sentries during feeding time. Their diet consists of flowers, fruit, pulp, and seeds, although in captivity they are known to eat insects. Depending on the species and the location, they can breed from October to May at various times of the year. Caiques are high-nesting cavity birds and roost communally. They defend themselves in something like packs, together [reference or personal observation note needed or discuss in talks section]. This may help to explain their relative self-confidence, compared to other parrots. Caiques are also known to form ad-hoc defensive committees in response to predators. The number of the flock is usually around 10 to 30 individuals. The species of the white-bellied parrot complex is found in humid forest and wooded habitats in the Amazon south of the Amazon River in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru. It is generally fairly common throughout its range and is easily seen in a wide range of protected areas, such as the Manú National Park and Tambopata-Candamo in Peru, Cristalino State Park (near Alta Floresta), Xingu National Park and Amazônia National Park in Brazil, and Madidi National Park in Bolivia. The black-headed parrot is found in forest (especially, but not exclusively, humid) and nearby wooded habitats in the Amazon north of the Amazon River and west of the Ucayali River in Brazil, northern Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. It is generally fairly common and occurs in many protected areas throughout its range. Caiques (Pionites app.) have a few unique ways of moving. They “surf” (described below), “hop” (when excited or to move quickly without flying), and “shuffle” (often in a rapid, backwards direction). They flip their wings rapidly, which exposes their red/orange patch under the wing, to potentially communicate to one another or other animals. They make different types of “purring” noises; some express wariness, others interest. They purr quietly when enjoying a drink. A startle call causes all caiques in the vicinity to take flight in random directions regardless of the initiator. A sound resembling a dead battery on a smoke detector is the typical contact call for the Black-headed Parrot. When highly stimulated caiques pin and flash their pupils, making their emotional state obvious. They are likely to attack and bite when displaying pinning and/or flashing eyes.

Aviculture

Caiques are growing in popularity in aviculture. The more commonly found species is the black-headed caique since it was introduced first in captivity, but the white-bellied caique's popularity is growing rapidly. Well-raised caiques bond well with humans and have a reputation as playful and energetic birds that enjoy playing with toys and lying on their backs. These birds sometimes perform a behavior unusual for avian species in which they roll over on their backs in apparent play-fighting with other caiques—sometimes called "wrestling". They are not particularly good flyers, becoming tired and winded after only a short distance. They also tend to be clumsy and slow in the air compared to other birds. They often prefer to walk, jump, climb, ride other animals' backs, or hop as a mode of transportation. They are excellent climbers, with very strong feet and legs. Caiques also exhibit a unique behavior known as "surfing", where the bird will vigorously rub its face, wings and chest against any nearby soft item (e.g. carpets, towels, cushions, crumpled paper, curtains or human hair) while using its beak to pull itself along. The bird will display jerky movements and may roll over several times. This behavior is thought to be a cleaning or bathing motion and occurs regardless of age or sex. In the wild, caiques use wet leaves for this behavior. In captivity caiques are capable of breeding at under three years of age. They typically lay a clutch of four eggs, with incubation taking between 24 and 27 days. Most pairs will struggle to raise all four chicks; often the last chick to hatch will not survive unless it is taken for hand-rearing or co-parenting. Chicks are fed by both parents and remain in the nest box for approximately 70–75 days. Parents can be very affectionate towards their offspring and after the chicks have fledged they will return to the nest box each night with their parents where the family will roost as a group.   Two species of caiques are commonly kept as pets: the black headed caique (Pionites melanocephala) and the white bellied caique (Pionites leucogaster).   Diet: The Caique's main diet should primarily be seeds, fruits, and green vegetables. A commercially prepared parrot mix or pelleted diet can also be beneficial.   Description: The white-bellied caique is a small parrot, averaging 23 cm in length and 165 g in weight. With a helmet of bright orange feathers, a brilliant yellow chin and snowy white breast, white-bellies are certainly one of the most colorful small parrots. There are color features that distinguish the three white-bellied sub-species. All have white underparts, but some differ in tail and thigh coloration. P. l. xanthomeria has yellow thighs and a green tail. The back and wing feathers are dark green, with wing coverts deep blue. Range: White-bellies are native to Brazil and parts of Peru and Bolivia. They prefer lowland forests near watercourses. Very social, white-bellied caiques travel in pairs or family groups, feeding on rainforest fruits, nuts, vegetation and seeds. Like most parrots, white bellied caiques like to nest in cavities high in the canopy of rainforest trees. These parrots lay anywhere from two to four small white eggs which the female incubates. Incubation lasts around 26 days, during which the female rarely leaves the nest. The male will forage and feed her while she sits the eggs. The chicks hatch blind and helpless and both parents feed and care for them. At about 14 weeks of age the chicks are ready to leave the nest to begin foraging and feeding on their own. Habitat: Like so many species of plants and animals in the region, the white bellied caique is threatened with shrinking habitat, as Brazil is losing rainforest at an alarming rate. The wholesale destruction of habitat has contributed to the decline of countless rainforest species, and if left to continue will surely lead to the extinction of many. Artificial Incubation: Nest boxes are checked daily during the breeding season, which in Florida begins in January and usually ends in June. Eggs are removed by 0900 hours and are weighed, measured for length and width, labeled for species, date and cage number and placed in an avian incubator. The incubator is maintained at (99.9 F) with 50% humidity. Chicks hatch on the 26th day of incubation. Upon hatching, chicks are weighed, color-coded with a non-toxic marker and placed in individual plastic cups lined with soft absorbent cotton. Hatchlings are placed in an avian brooder set at (97 F) and saturation humidity. Brooder temperatures are lowered with chick age, usually in three to five degree increments. Once chicks are feathered, brooder temperatures are set to ambient room temperature. Hand-feeding: Upon hatching, white-belly chicks are fed every 90 minutes around-the-clock for the first five to seven days. The chicks are fed a commercial parrot hand-feeding formula prepared fresh for each feeding. Syringes are used to feed the formula, which is heated to (100-105 F). Growth patterns indicate that within the first five to seven days, a weight gain of 15-20% over a single 24-hour period becomes a benchmark for future development. Upon achieving this daily growth rate, chicks "take off", and weight gains are usually sustained at roughly 15% for the next few weeks. After the first week, chicks are fed roughly every 2 1/2 hours, or whenever the crop is completely empty. After the first four to five weeks chicks should be fed four times per day. Weaning usually begins by week ten, with chicks fully weaned by 14 weeks of age. Feedings are gradually reduced at this time, and dietary additions such as millet spray, banana, soaked monkey biscuits, whole wheat breads, cooked rice, beans and pasta, as well as the full adult diet of seeds and fruits are offered daily.