The Caique (pronounced kai-EKE, not Cake!) is a beautiful and uncommonly small South American parrot that makes a wonderful addition to any home. These friendly birds are intelligent, affectionate, and easy to train. Caiques have beautiful feathers, and their colors are many and varied. Just as with many birds, the Caiques’ color is dependent upon the color of the bird’s parents, and upon the color of the nest in which the bird was born.
Do Caiques Talk?
The caique is a companion bird like all the great bird talkers of the world, so many people wonder if he, too, can talk! Well, there are two species, the black-headed caique, and white-bellied caique, that are commonly seen as pets. And, unfortunately, neither of them are known for their ability to talk.
However, it is said that in the wild, caiques will often talk to each other. But while they are not as talented at it mimicking human sounds in the way that a macaw, African grey, or even a parakeet would-be. At best they might mimic the human sound of whistling or clucking their tongue! Not very exciting, I know!
In Rare Cases Your Caique Might Talk…
Although they are not known for their ability to talk, this does not flat out mean that caiques cannot talk. In fact, there have been some instances where pet owners reported that tehir caiques can indeed talk – however not very clearly or loudly.
They may randomly mimic a short word or phrase but they will very much still sound rather “birdy” and not very human-like at all.
Other Things Your Caique Is Better At
While talking is not the caique’s finest hour, it is still a great companion bird. Caiques are extremely playful and you will find them enjoying themselves by swinging from perches, climbing on their cage and even playing with toys.
In fact, as long as your caique is not kept in a noisy environment or too small of a cage, he might talk more than you would think! However, if you really want to hear a bird talking clearly and loudly on a regular basis then this is not the pet bird for you.
Alternative (Talking) Companion Birds
If you have your heart set on adopting a talking bird, then please do your research and look at other talking birds that may suit you better such as;
- cockatoos
- cockatiels
- African greys
- macaws
- budgerigars
- quaker parakeets
- Indian ringnecks
The above birds and many more, are known for their chattiness! There are hundreds of Youtube videos with skilled birdkeepers showing off their tamed and very conversational parrots.
Why Are Caiques So Unpopular?
While they are certainly a beautiful and unique parrot species, the caique is not as well known as some of the other companion bird species. Moreover, these birds are often less available to buy than many other types of pets-animals. However, if you really want one then there are breeders who are more than happy to provide you with one of these little gems.
Conclusion
If you are prepared to spend some time with your new friend, and want a bird that will be loyal, loving, and so much fun to watch; then the caique is definitely one of the best birds out there.
However, if you are in doubt about whether or not this is the right fit for you – or perhaps you have already adopted one and find that it does not meet your expectations; then there may be other companion birds out there which would better suit you.
Whether or not the caique is the right choice of pet for you depends on what exactly is looking for in a bird! If you want a social and interactive friend who enjoys interacting with you as much as you do with it, then it should be a great fit!
However, if you are looking for a bird that can talk or even make weird noises out of boredom; then unfortunately the caique is not one of those birds.
If you want an easy to take care of pet-animal that does what it is told and does not require a lot of time to play with, then you might also be better off – dare I say it – getting a dog or cat.
