One thing: you're not supposed to punish them, just don't reward them. If they bite you don't react, just make sure you train it properly and reward good behavior.
I raise my voice but in a low deep tone as my mother would do when I was a child, and I certainly got the message that my loving mother disapproved of my actions and I was being reprimanded. You can hold the beak if it bites, remove the bird from the environment it is in, and or give 🦜 baby quiet time in her or his cage, covered with a sheet for a short spell. I never hit or throw my baby against the wall like some terrible frustrated owners do. If you haven’t got the patience of a saint and can’t relate to having a human baby/toddler that is 3 years old with ADHD for LIFE, then a Caique is definitely not for you ! ❤️🦜 These birds can not be left alone in a cage all day every day 24/7. My baby wakes me up 7am and is with me all day until bedtime in her cage at 6-7Pm. ❤
This is completely false and ridiculous. Parrots are more than smart enough to know when their owner isn't happy with something they do. This idea that "punishing" doesn't work is just pushed over and over in the parrot community with little to no substantiation behind it.
ItsDanKReviews ha, fair enough! would love on myself, but the cost an attention required seems to be prohibitive. My budgie is great though. nice review :)
my girl is a year old, such a handful but i wouldn't change her for the world, her favorite sentences are "Vinnie get down" (telling out cat to get off the kitchen bench) and "bakie bakie boo" (her name is Bacon), she hes really helped our cockatiel come out of her shell
My last parrot (Indian Ringnecked Parakeet) lived 32 years, but I have always wanted a Caique, such little clowns. I thought once my bird passed I would never have a bird again, but i miss the challenge. They are very smart, hard to keep them mentally stimulated, and extremely messy, so as a pet they are a lot of work, but so rewarding.
I literally spent almost whole year to decide,research and find what pet would suit me and my lifestyle, as i dont want to ever separate with him/her. Thank you for making awesome video! hopefully in 2 years ill be ready to get my 1 lifelong pet
If your parrot isn't already trained. You can put it on the top of the cage or on a perch, somewhere they are allowed to go to the bathroom. Once they go to the toilet you can pick them up. You need to find how long it takes before they need to go again. Mine its about 15 minutes. When they time nears you can put them back. Even when trained it can have some accidents.
Great information! We love caiques, but you're right, these parrots take a lot of time and attention... and if you don't give them enough, they will tell you! Kumquat, our caique, loves your video! 👍
Just in case you haven't gotten one for your baby. There are flight harness for birds. I'm planning on harness training my Green Cheek Conure Jester. This will allow you to take them out with you and keep them safe.
My caique is absolutely my bestie. He lost his foot as a baby while with his original owner. I'm absolutely in love with my sweet little baby boy. Absolutely one of the most loving and funny babies I've ever come across and I don't know what I'd do without him. Every morning I'm greeted with a gravely "I love you pretty bird" which is the only thing he can say. I 110% recommend these guys. I've rescued many types of companion birds and so far he is the one who gets along with the entire family the best!
I like this video, you have a great bond, however there are some things I disagree on.Clipping a bird's wings doesn't mean that they can't fly or get away- a gust of wind or another animal could scare them and they could take flight and be gone. Also, you should never hit or grab their beak, or anywhere. If you insist on punishing them, put them in the cage for a minute or two.
Ali Essa Clipped doesn’t mean 100% flightless. They can still catch wind with their wings and hover down somewhere else. Clipped just means they can’t really get their own lift and keep flight. Unless they’re improperly clipped or severely pluck, they can still somewhat “fly”. Though it’s less likely cause the bird knows it can’t fly as well they still can if they feel they need to to get away from danger or are spooked.
@@515leopard a gust of wind and they can take flight and be gone, not without the feathers they need to fly, the tips that we clip. They can barely glide. That's the point of those feathers. It depends on the clipping really, my bird can jump off somthing go 5 inches forward and just barely glide straight down. Idk about yours.
@@515leopard if you clip their flight feather they 100% can't Fly ( gain altitude) they can Jump and flap their wings enough for a softer landing think Chickens. When people say FLY they mean Fly away into the sky and escape.
What a cute little birdie. Those feathers on their legs look like little pants, so cute. Such a sweetie birdie. I hope you have her for decades. I had a sun conure for maybe 12 years, he was so unique. He refused to fly, I mean why would he, when he had his trained humans to carry him. If he felt too ignored, he would hop out of his cage and walk into the room, to be with his pet humans. I never heard of a bird that choose not to fly. If he was on our shoulder and we stopped short and he fell off, he would flap his wings, but crash onto the floor. He really did refuse to fly. I don't think he realized he was a bird, I think he thought he was a human with non-working wings. I'm sure you will have so many fond memories together, and keep loving each other.
"Caiques are very quiet." Mine is screaming in the background. But this is a very great video. I grab mines beak when she is misbehaving too. And mine was also my first ever bird. A very beautiful, kind, and funny bird caiques are.
Hi Dan As one who trains and sells caiques, I find that your conclusions are flawed. Yes caiques are very smart, but there really is no such thing as domineering in the parrot world. With positive reinforcement training, you can get the bird to do what you want without having to force anything on the animal. As to flight I can say this, in my opinion there is no better mental or physical stimulation. And as you say, eeks are very smart and easy to train, so recall is very easy for them to learn and flight is really the ONLY way that they can exercise. It has become a choice for us, but only at the expense of the bird and basically we blame the victim: I don't have any control of the parrot, so I'm going hobble him. That strikes me as very unfair and exceptionally lazy. But that's what we as humans do, take the easiest path possible without regard to the eventual fallout. I trained a parrot for OUTDOOR recall in about three weeks. It is really not tough, but does require something of the owner. I have also trained a caique for outdoor free flight and keep in mind that clipping only inhibits flight, it doesn't remove the ability, especially outside. Also as a technical note, parrots are not domesticated, but still wild animals. If anything is domesticated at this point it's the budgie, but that would be it. Something to think about anyway.
Take it as you will but Caiques like to be fearless, dominant. My bird doesn't think twice about chasing after dogs and cats wanting to attack and indeed, I have no doubt she would kill another parrot if given the chance. She has been flying for the past few months of late inside and for outdoors, she has a harness.
ItsDanKReviews if you say so, but the r+ trainers I know would suggest that you find another word than dominant. Parrots are flock animals and may have social hierarchies but not based on dominance. The aggressive behavior that you mention is more about resource guarding than dominance if you really look at it. It's the same rain crows or gulls will chase raptors out of the area; protecting resources whether it's food or their own lives. The basic idea is to describe the behavior you see not what you think you see.
gizmotis I've seen my caique try to kill cats, dogs, attack small children etc. Anyone who comes into contact with Kitty, if they show that they are not afraid of her, that they deserve her respect, they are the ones that will not get attacked. If Kitty can see that you're afraid of her, she will decide that you're inferior and will avoid/attack you. Just based on my experience with Caiques compared to the other numerous parrots I've owned, they are a bird with a superiority complex and certainly enjoy complex social interactions. Maybe I'm wrong in assuming it is the same for all Caiques but I know many other Caique owners with similar experiences to my own. I'm more than happy to share this information although please do realise that it may not be relevant to all Caiques :)
ItsDanKReviews all I can say is that it's true for all Caiques that are on-board with you. How do you get them there? R+ training. There are lots of bad stories out there about any parrot species that you can think of. Does that mean those bad stories HAD to happen? No it doesn't and I still say that the reasons they occur are due to the people, not in any sort of personality flaw in the species or individual. And just as an fyi, all parrot species have a superiority complex. Especially the smaller birds. Caiques have realized that attacking is their best line of defense. And it works. Keep in mind there are three primary motivators in the world, things that all animals need to continue on this planet. If any of those is endangered, any animal is going to react. And just because you don't understand the repercussions of what you do, the animal does. And THAT affects the relationship forever, both in big ways and small.
Indeed, Training can only account for so much though I feel. Generally speaking, parrots that are co-parented during the weening phase and parrots that have been hand reared are always going to be easier to manage than those that have not been hand raised and reared. Those first few months are, in my opinion, essential to the development of the parrot in the long term. Also, as mentioned, these parrots are highly complex in their social interactions so there isn't simply one way to train them, merely there may be one way that suits a majority of Caiques but they all react to stimuli in a different manner. I'm sure I'll have fun learning to adapt to the new baby Caique I am welcoming into the family come January as well. It's all one big learning phase!
Make Sure: The right pet bird diet, a clean cage, fresh bird food and water, safe bird toys, exercise, and lots of attention are the basics. Pet bird cages should have plenty of space for activity and a grate to separate your pet bird from the substrate.
Your parrot has so much personality! Love to see the bond between you and the parrot. We just rescued an Amazon parrot, and trying to gain her complete trust. Not there quite yet, but we're working on it. I love that your bird seems to love to travel.
Not for beginners. We had one for over a decade. Given with him, he was from a neglect situation and had some extra attitude issues. He’s actually the reason I have a fear of birds now because he could be so aggressive. In the end he rebounded with my sister fiancé and then when they broke up, he hated all of us and couldn’t be let out or he’d attack. My sister had to make the difficult choice to surrender him because his life wasn’t good and neither was ours. I did hear he was adopted by a single guy with no other birds and is doing really well which I’m happy to hear.
i know this an old video but id still like to thank you for it =) we have had other parrots but picked up our little female a week ago & she has been amazing! cant wait for years on lunacy from this gorgeous little one =D
Had a white bellied caique for the last 12 years, since I was 6. God I love that bird, I have no idea what I'm gonna do when she dies. Extremely playful, usually very talkative, couldn't ask for a better pet once they get to know you. We usually don't clip her wings, it's a spacious house and most of the time when we're home she gets to fly around where she wants.
My caique is Nacho, he just turned six. He was flown to us from Georgia when he was fully weaned. He is delightful, and has several youtue videos. If you want to see some of the funny things he does, go here : Nacho the Caique, further adventures Nacho was hand-raised, and does have a mind of his own. But we are breezing through the "bad years" (I was told to expect "puberty" around ages 4-7.) He is very attached to me, I am self-employed, so home most of the time. When he wants me, he calls, "sweetheart, SWEETheart," he says "I love you," "hey buddy," "good morning," sings, dances, wolf-whistles...he is wonderful.
It's a great review of the species, but I definitely disagree with hand rearing them. This is a myth people have bought into for the last 15-20 years, that hand feeding a parrot from a small chick (or even the egg) is the only way to get a really tame bird. It's not. And more often than not, it does more harm than good. You wouldn't take a puppy, kitten or foal and bottle-raise it away from its own species in order to "make the perfect pet". Why? Because not having the care and guidance *from their own mother* will quite frankly, fuck up their psyche. Kittens are sometimes taken at 8 weeks (though they should stay with mom until 12) and puppies sometimes at 6 weeks (though they should stay with mom until 8), and any reputable breeder will tell you how irresponsible and cruel this is. They may become confused, aggressive animals that are in worst case scenarios put down because the owners don't understand what's wrong. But parrots, for some reason we take for granted to separate from their parents, raise with human (primate, not parrot) hands and assume they're just gonna turn out fine. Like with early separated puppies and kittens, some do - many do not. And people often don't even realize that the problems they have with their parrots later in life - such as uncontrollable aggression, screaming, etc. - are in large part due to this. I had two hand-raised chicks (Meyer's parrot and sulphur-crested cockatoo - the Meyer's is still with me and thirteen years old now, she was nine weeks when I got her), and two parent-raised (white-bellied caique who I got at four months, and scarlet macaw at two years - both had never been handled but only kept as aviary birds). The hand-raised Meyer's has been infamously aggressive and antisocial pretty much her entire life. Some of it is down to poor handling her first couple of years I'm sure, as she was my first "real" parrot, but I don't think all of it is. The cockatoo I got at four months, told by the breeder he'd been weaned at three, but he still had dry formula in his feathers when I got him home. A month after, he relapsed into a crying, screaming mess of a bird, and the breeder had told me nothing of this. Others told me to ignore him, because hand-feeding him more would "spoil him". What I didn't learn until much later was that parent birds never worry about "spoiling" their chicks. They feed them, more for comfort than for food, long after they're flighted, and every chick chooses themselves when they feel ready to wean (just like not every child starts walking or becomes independent at the same age). I had him for four years, and he never became an aggressive bird (as cockatoos are so infamous for), but he had psychological problems and showed signs of frustration, as well as sleeping problems. The macaw and caique on the other hand, are hands down the best birds I've owned. The macaw I got as a 2½ year old, parent-raised and lived in an aviary with other parrots - macaws, amazons, and Meyer's. I got him tame in four months (as the first bird I ever tamed successfully - I don't recommend it though, if you don't have a good understanding of parrots or are at all afraid of a large beak), and he was a bird with an extremely healthy psyche. Last year I got a four month old caique, also parent-raised. Took me about the same length of time to tame him, and the moment he realized my hands are fun, not scary, he became the cuddliest, most playful and ridiculous bird (in a good way) I've ever met. I can do absolutely anything with him, while I have to watch my every move around the Meyer's. The big difference I've noticed between my hand-raised vs parent-raised birds, is that the latter will *know how to be birds*. They'll *treat me like a bird*, and that's easier for me because I know what to expect. The hand-raised birds seem more confused and can be very unpredictable. I would like to see a real scientific study made, with some 50 birds of each category, followed from hatching until they turn 10 or something, and see how they're doing. But until then, I only see negatives from hand-rearing, and certainly not just from my own experience. Again, you wouldn't do this to any other animal because we know it's detrimental to them.
Thank you for saying this! Strictly hand-rearing a bird is definitely a terrible idea. New information suggests the ideal way to tame a baby is to co-parent. They absolutely need that round the clock attention from their parent to grow into a happy and well-adjusted adult. They are birds, not humans, and only other birds can understand a baby's needs. That said, if you handle the baby, do some feeding, and give it love and cuddles, it will learn that humans are also part of its flock, and you'll have the best results. If you have a good relationship with the parents, this won't be a problem. And you should, I am sick of these horrible breeders who treat their parent birds like machines whose only value is laying and incubation. Anyone who is buying a bird, PLEASE check out your source thoroughly, and only buy a bird from a responsible, humane breeder. Otherwise, adopt.
Frida Nyberg I definitely see your point, but I feel like something I'd missing, maybe more research on parrot behaviour, I definitely gonna check out some more information later, thanks for giving me a new point of view!
Frida Nyberg we got a cocktail that has not been hand raised when we got him. And we have 1 that has been hand raised and they took his wings away (he has wings again so he can fly again thank god) But i have to say that the one bird who has not been hand raised is more tame!
My previous caique made it a point to scream every morning at 7am on the dot. That was the only time during the day he'd scream. And being in the same room with him when it happened was one of the worst ways to wake up in the morning. I never got used to it. Thought I was going to have a heart attack every time. Lmao.
As Ian isn't techsavvy, how would you feel about interviewing Ian Adcock about the different species of parrot he breeds, to help people make the right choice of parrot. There's so little on what it is like, mostly videos are entertainment or training rather than really useful information to decide on suitability. I'd personally love to hear all about caique varieties and conure varieties....mostly because I can't decide which would be more suitable from what little information is out there.
Thanks so much... just put a deposit on one. Was not familiar w/ this breed. After visiting for a while with the breeder, I'm sold. Can't wait for our new Baby in two weeks when she is weaned. Thanks for the video!
Good luck, remember to establish gentle dominance and discourage biting early on (we grab and hold kitty's beak when she bites so she knows not to do it). You'll need to spend about the same amount of time with the bird as you would a small child and toilet train your bird, honestly the best thing we've ever trained her on.
Carmen Haas , yeah it is super helpful in the long run and didn't take long to train her on it either. I'm going to have to go back to the training on the "come here" command though as she will often try and get far too curious around the house.
My caique learned to poop on command in certain locations if he wants to be picked up. I love these guys so much. Happy this was my first ever breed of bird that opened my eyes to how cool birds can be.
I just bought a female she is 3 months she is payed for just still being hand feed after that she comes home wit me can't wait till she is some great video
Brilliant video. I've been researching pet parrots for a while, and I keep circling back to the caique, but most people just focus on the 'clown' personality; it's good to see the trainability is there as well- provided it's done right. Do you know of any specific character differences between genders, or between the black headed and white bellied caiques? Thanks, Nick.
Gender wise apparently the females are less affected by puberty in a negative way. When the males hit puberty its pretty brutal and from all accounts, the males can become more agressive. The females, whilst more expensive, can be much more manageable through puberty which hits between years 2 and 4.
thanks for the helpful video! dunno why i watched it as i've had my caique for over 5 years now but it was delightful nonetheless, loved the clip of her rolling off the table haha, my caique has done that too. mine is prone to attacking though, and come to think of it i believe he has behavioural issues. if he doesnt want to do something, he will get aggressive. i think it'll be real hard to train him out of this now but i need to give it a go. he also gets into this attack mode where his eyes pin and he does a little dance. eyes as red as your fingers will be if you dont lock him up when he's in that trance - he also swoops bystanders when in this mode. hes an interesting fella
Gabriela Wing I’ve never owned a bird before, and I got mine yesterday. Just research, and make sure you’re up for the challenge! She’s hilarious, so it’s worth it!
Really great and useful review! I now have my first 2 caiques for about 3 weeks and i must say, they are a handful. A real fun challenge! Could you give me some tips on how you got your caique potty trained? Thanks a lot!
I might get a black headed caique, yellow thighed caique or a meyers parrot and I probably will get more parrots when I'm older and I'm only starting high school
Awesome review. I have been tossing up between a Conure, Caique and Eclectus' for a while now. Does Kitty ever get hormonal/agressive at all? Cheers, Kev
3 years in and she can get a bit feisty but it's apparently much easier with the females to manage than the males. Then again, you pay much more for the females too.
We love little Gizmo. She is our 10-ish yr.old ADHD-Bipolar-puppy-bird. Her nickname is mini-me. A one word description for a loved Caique is not possible, but a close-ish would be mischievous!
It sounds like he is saying Cake instead of sounding like Kiike with a long I sound. They are wonderful birds. They train well and are the clowns of parrots. I disagree about not being a great beginner bird. I think they are one of the best for beginners since they are very easy to train, hold, and love. Ours was my 10 year olds first bird and its been wonderful! I will say they are definitely like having a bunch of toddlers in one bird lol. But wouldn't have it any other way!
normal parrot behavior is not attributable to caiques (or most pionus). They are super smart but in a different way than an amazon, macaw or Grey. Much more "play" oriented than other birds. Clipping their wings will ensure they fly to the ground as that is their tendency anyway. They are climbers not fliers and they have a strong instinct to be fearfull of predators. They will search the sky for hawks (and airplanes sometimes) and sound the "stranger danger" alarm. If they are outside they will look for cover, not look to fly away, for the most part. I usually carry them n my shirt so they feel safe as displayed in the video. Grabbing the beak is also normal because caiques surf and will tear small holes in shirts constantly if you dont correct them (called Caique lace). Its a distraction not a punishment in most cases. I have three, with the oldest being close to 20 now and i have owned amazons and softbills for my entire life. My second was introduced at about 2 years and the third i found in a petco in texas about 12 years later. It had been purchased and returned and I discussed the fact that it should not be sold in a non-bird oriented store so the manager sold her to me at cost. This bird is way more fearfull than my two older birds because she was essentially raised in a fishtank improperly. She is still sweet but where my other two will be curious about something she will try to get away. All three sleep in a 12x24 sleep cage with a soft bottom and other than normal caique squabbles they get along fine for the past 4 years (3) and 16 years (2). They are not beginner birds but they are family birds (dependent on the individual and their experiences with household members). I have 4 kids and for the most part, all but the last one will play with anyone in the family. If you punish a caique they wont forget it. Also they dont forget "friends". My oldest is a pit bull who will give any new person a test nip on the ear if not handled properly, but if its someone she knows she is a teddy bear. Even if it has been 5 years since she has seen them. One last item i have experienced is that white bellies are typically more personable than black heads. In my experience Black heads always appear to be more independent where the white bellies are content to be hanging out with a person rather than "looking for trouble". Most people say they are the same, they are not. Every Black head i have met would rather explore where White bellies are focused on people more. This will differ with with individuals but as a rule i have seen hundreds of them and it holds true. As for noise, if you ignore them they can be loud if they want something (food, attention, bedtime). Not Macaw loud but you will either need to leave the room, turn the sound of the TV off, feed them a treat or pay attention to them to get them quiet again.
That's an awesome review. I have a Caique parrot two, for about 5 years now. I love him to bits but he has gotten to start creaming a LOT recently. He also is not as playful as he used to be. Have you ever had this with your girl? Any ideas on how to help him find his playfulness back and maybe stop screaming? Also what instructions did you follow to toilet train? I'd like to do that! And finally, that's too bad to hear that you can't get a second caique eventually. I've thought about it, and I got him as a rescue, before I knew much about Caiques and how well they do in pairs. I would love to get him a buddy, but I feel like it could potentially end in disaster! Thanks!
Thanks for the video much appreciated. As a soon to be caique owner Ive come across people who say that if/when they bite, grabbin its beak isnt a good idea of punishment instead the prefered treatment would be to ignore the action and that you stop doing what youre doing with him/her. Also, could you give me some tips on how to approach our first weeks? Ive been reading alot of books but practically it doesnt help the first weeks.
Everyone has their own technique, Caiques from my experience don't simply stop doing something because they are being ignored haha :) There's a website you should read before getting a caique, here it is :caiquesite.com/Foods/foods_for_caiques.htm
by the way, you want to stay away from punishers as much as possible. if your hands are seen as scary and not safe, if that going to help or hinder you and/or the bird?
@@gizmotis are you sure about this? (that you can eliminate biting) my caique attacks me quite often. sounds bad, i know but i've found ways to deal with this behaviour without a bloody finger or lip now. i just know when he's in that mood, but i'm telling ya this guy just gets aggressive sometimes. he has his days, and he has them often. it's like he enjoys attacking and doing his lil predator dance or whatever it is he does tho..
This was super sweet to find! I'm actually surprised since when I was younger I had my own white-bellied caique named Kitty, also hand reared. We decided to sell her and Cosmo, our male white-bellied, to a breeder though when they wanted to have babies and were getting pretty adamant about it. But this is all very interesting to know from an adult standpoint rather than as a kid. I'm definetly considering getting one again someday soon, great video!
im very torn between wanting a caique or a conure. its haaaard to decide. i may choose a conure though, because though my birdcage is abt 35 x 35 x 50 , i feel like its too small? i have another birdcage in storage thats abt 2.5 metres long and 1.4 metres tall (split into two for two large parrots), but its much too big for my room. if only they werent conjoined, id feel much more comfortable housing a caique in the smaller portion of that huge cage
I raise my voice but in a low deep tone as my mother would do when I was a child, and I certainly got the message that my loving mother disapproved of my actions and I was being reprimanded. You can hold the beak if it bites, remove the bird from the environment it is in, and or give 🦜 baby quiet time in her or his cage, covered with a sheet for a short spell. I never hit or throw my baby against the wall like some terrible frustrated owners do. If you haven’t got the patience of a saint and can’t relate to having a human baby/toddler that is 3 years old with ADHD for LIFE, then a Caique is definitely not for you ! ❤️🦜 These birds can not be left alone in a cage all day every day 24/7. My baby wakes me up 7am and is with me all day until bedtime in her cage at 6-7Pm. ❤
