White bellied Caique
BirdCare.com.au
PO  Box 126 Mitcham Vic 3132 ( Victoria, Australia )

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. white bellied caique
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  • Scientific Name: Pionites leucogaster
  • Common Name/s: WHITE BELLIED CAIQUE, WHITE BREASTED CAIQUE, WHITE BELLIED PARROT.
  • Sub Species in country / area of origin: 2... P. l. leucogaster, P. l. xanthomeria
  • Origin / Distribution: South of the Amazon, South America.
  • Habitat In Wild: Lowland forests.
  • Status In Wild: ?
  • Status In (Australian) Captivity: Rare
  • Age To Sexual Maturity: ?
  • Adult plumage: attained at about 12 - 18 months
  • Best breeding years (estimate): Caiques may start breeding at about 2 years of age but others may not start until 3 years of age.
  • Lifespan (estimate): approx. 25 or more years
  • Sexing: Monomorphic / Dimorphic
  • Mutations: No
  • Availability: Specialist breeders. Less than 100 pairs in Australia.
  • Temperament: Can be noisy, destructive birds. Some can be spiteful birds and bite their owners. Often kept as a pet in overseas countries.
  • Cost (Victoria) Per Pair: - Normal colour (Approx.) $Lots
  • Description Of Adults:
  1. Length: Approx. 250 mm (or approx. 10 inches)
  2. Colour ( "normal" colour ): Refer photo/s above if available.
  3. Weight: Approx. ? gms (or approx. ? ozs)

Caiques can be treated the same as Amazon Parrots.

Aviary Notes:

Level Of Knowledge Required: Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced / Specialist Breeders Only.

Government Regulations & By-Laws:  Refer to " Government Laws " web page.

Housing Requirements:  Refer to " Housing Birds " web page for general details on the housing of Non Australian Parrots or read on for specific details for this parrot.

Caiques can be treated the same as Amazon Parrots. Strong wire mesh is required as these birds have strong beaks. Take care to place these birds well away from neighbours as the White bellied Caique can be noisy.

Minimum cage size should be 3 metres long. Double wiring of the aviary will minimize the risk of injuries between neighbouring birds. Caiques love to bathe so keep a close check of the water bowl particularly in summer.

The White bellied Caique can be housed and bred in a suspended cage of about 3 metres in length. The nest can be internal or external of the suspended cage.

Non-toxic leafy branches can be placed in the aviary for the birds to chew up. This will entertain the birds, help minimize boredom and give the birds some beak exercise. Natural branches can be used for perches. These natural perches will be chewed by the birds and may need to be replaced regularly. The birds will chew any flowers and fruiting bodies on the branches.

Diet / Feeding: Refer to " Feeding Birds " web page for general details on the feeding of Non Australian Parrots or read on for specific details for this parrot.

Caiques can be treated the same as Amazon Parrots.

Require fruit, vegetables, corn, green leafy vegetables and nuts as well as a seed diet. Sunflower and safflower seed are favourites. Mealworms and other insects can form part of their diet. Soaked or sprouted seeds can be offered.

Fresh leafy branches should be offered. Caiques love to chew on fresh branches.

Nesting: A basic overview only. Dimensions are typical / average and can vary widely, influenced by the owner's preferences and the birds preferences.  Parent bird's preferences can also be influenced by the size and type of nest-box / log in which the bird was hatched and reared.  If space allows, offering a choice of sizes and types of logs or nest-boxes, and placed in various locations within the aviary, can allow the parent birds to make their own choice.  Once a pair has chosen a specific nest-box/log and been successful in it, offer that one to them each breeding season.  Try and keep that one for their exclusive use.  Once a pair has chosen its log or nest-box, the other ones can generally be removed.  If the "spare" boxes are to be removed and moved to another flight, ensure the log / nest-box is cleaned to ensure the receptacle has the minimal contamination of mites, parasites and pathogens.

  • Nesting months: Late spring
  • Log / Nest-box:
    • Length / depth 450 - 600 mm (or approx. 18 - 24 inches)
    • Log internal diameter approx. 200 mm. (or approx. 8 inches)
    • Nest-box internal dimensions approx. 200 mm square (or approx. 8 inches square)
    • Diameter of entrance hole approx. - mm (or approx. - inches)
    • Inspection hole (square or round) 100 mm (or approx 4 inches)
    • A removable top / lid can be a useful access point for inspections and for cleaning.
    • Location and height of log / nest-box = Prefer a nest box in a darker part of the aviary.
    • Angle of log or nest box =  usually vertical or near vertical.
  • Nesting log / nest-box material: Decomposed non-toxic saw dust, wood shavings or other suitable material/s.
  • Who incubates the egg/s: Hen / cock / both share.

Nest inspections should be undertaken with great care. Adult breeding birds can be aggressive. The hen may spend a week or two preparing the interior of the log or nest prior to laying.

Timber nest-boxes generally require a climbing structure attached inside the box below the entrance hole. Both logs and nests need an entrance hole/opening about 100mm (about 4 inches) from the top. Many species of parrots like the entrance hole to be just big enough to squeeze through.

More details on parrot nestboxes/logs and a selection of parrot nestbox/log photos can be found on the "nests", "parrot nests" and "parrot nestbox photos" web pages.  Click on "Up" then "Nests" then "parrot nests" and "parrot nestbox photos" in the navigation bars.

Breeding: Egg Colour White.  Clutch/s per year 1 - 2.  Eggs per nest 2 - 4.  Incubation approx. 25 - 26 days.  Fledge approx 10 weeks.  Independent approx. another ? weeks.

Both parent birds feed the young.

Prefer a nest box in a darker part of the aviary. Breeding birds with young should be closely monitored as they are often unable to raise all the young that hatch. Many breeders hand rear some of the young from each nest to minimize the loss of any young.

The White bellied Caique is only a recent introduction to Australia and has a small gene pool. Try and obtain unrelated birds for breeding.

Artificial incubation and hand rearing or fostering will not be covered on this web site.  It is too complex and diverse in nature to be attempted here.

Health Issues: Refer to "Avian Health Issues" web page for information and references.

  • Worming and parasite control and Quarantine requirements of new bird/s or sick bird/s are considered to require veterinary advice and therefore not covered on this web site. Refer "Avian Health Issues" web page option.
  • Avian medicine is advancing at a rapid pace. Keep updating your knowledge and skills.

General References: Refer to references listed on "Book References" web page.

Specific References:

  • Australian Aviculture

  • A/A Vol 58 No. 12 Dec 2004 Page 270-272 (Inc. photo).
  • A/A Vol 58 No. 8 Aug 2004 Page 182 (Book review - Caiques - R. Low).
  • Australian Birdkeeper

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