Caique Black Head Health Information

If Black-headed Caiques are kept in a cage, they will need lots of exercise and playtime- getting a playpen is suggested! Be sure your bird has many toys and perches in his cage to keep him amused. The minimum size cage for one Caique is 24 X 24 X 24, the average size of Amazon-sized cages. A better choice would be the Cockatoo-sized cages, usually 36" long X 24" deep X 36" high. The bar spacing should be no larger than 3/4". The cage must be long and tall enough to fit several perches, a variety of toys, swings and vines. A Caique will use every square inch of the largest cage. Black-headed Caiques do very well on a basic pellet food supplemented with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables along with grain and sprouted seeds. They eat fruits, berries, and seeds, even fighting with each other over the seeds. They love to play and bathe, and need many leafy green branches for chewing. No matter how tame, docile, or affectionate your Black-headed Caique is, it is always capable of biting severely. Aggressive behavior in Caiques seems to stem from fear. Still postures, staring, and cheek puffing are all signs that your Black-headed Caique may be about to attack. Many Caiques react badly to strangers and may be very territorial. Be sure to teach your Black-headed Caique "up" as a command to come out of its cage, because allowed to come out of the cage by itself, Caiques are encouraged to develop territorial behavior. To prevent boredom, your Black-headed Caique needs a variety of toys.

Breeding
A Black-headed Caique's gestation period lasts about 27 days and the clutch consists of two to four eggs. The male Caique provides food for the female, who does the entire sitting. Young Black-headed Caiques have most of their feathers and can see by six and a half weeks of age. They generally remain in the nest for about two months. Immature Black-headed Caiques have horn colored bills, which spring from blackish bases, duller plumage than adults, and very dark irises.