White Bellied Caique (Pionities leucogaster)

These fun-loving little parrots are not common in the US, with less than a dozen so far being found there. They are native to South America, particularly Bolivia, Brazil and Peru, and they like sub-tropical or tropical moist lowland forests or even muddy swamps. They are though extremely sociable. They can call loudly in flocks when in flight. The White-Bellied Caique measures around 23cm and generally its plumage is green, with a, you guessed it, white belly. They have bluish primary feathers, a horn coloured beak and pink or grey feet. The sexes look identical. They live for about 30 years. White-Bellied Caiques are captivating pets, outgoing, acrobatic and lovable in personality, and they are trusting, even being able to be taught to lie on their backs in the palm of a hand. They are great for households containing children, who I am sure would love to take these birds out for the outings they so much love. If you have taken your children to shows where parrots have been entertaining audiences chances are those birds were White-Bellied Caiques. These delightful birds however, can be noisy so homing one in an apartment may lead to trouble with close neighbors. Such screaming does not necessarily mean that they are frightened or stressed as often the sound can be one for ‘attention’ only.