The areal of black-headed caique is the northern part of South America, in particular, northern Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and south of Venezuela. They are usually found in pairs or small flocks up to 30 birds and rare gather in large flocks. During the flights often call out loudly. They eat fruits, nuts, seeds and insects.
The black-headed parrot is a medium-sized parrot (23-24 cm). The name of black-white-bellied caique clearly describes its color: the forehead, crown and nape -Black, breast – white. “Face” of the head, throat, orange-yellow. The top of the neck of the border back to the neck and down to his chest covered by a wide belt of orange-brown color, on which there are few blue feathers. The wings, tail spin are green. The bill is greyish-black. Iris is orange. The feet are gray. Male and female birds have identical plumage. The sex can only be determined by DNA analysis. Chicks can be distinguished from the adult by the color of the iris, beak and breast until about one year, after that the differences disappear.
During the breeding season the pair equips a nest. The hen lays about 2-4 eggs and incubates them alone. The incubation period lasts 26 days. The chickens during the first 2 weeks are fed only by the hen, which receives food from the male. Later the male also takes part in the fledging. Young fly out of the nest at the age of 63- 68 days.
Black-headed parrots are popular in aviculture. Black-headed parrots are energetic pets. They need a large cage with lots of toys and perches (they tend to hop more than fly). The black-headed parrot can have a tendency to bite, so owners may need to set boundaries early on. However, potential owners should prepare for a bird that uses its beak more often than other parrot species. Black-headed parrots poorly mimic human speech. They will mimic other surrounding sounds, such as alarm clocks, smoke detectors, microwave-oven beeps, laughs, car alarms, and whistles. In addition, caiques will combine sounds they have picked up to make new ones.
