Fun Black-headed Parrot Facts For Kids

The black-headed parrot (Pionites melanocephalus) is a beautiful bird that goes by many names namely pallid parrot, black-headed caique, and black-capped parrot.

The colorful bird is a native resident of many South American countries like Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Guiana, Ecuador, Suriname, and Guyana.

The range of the bird is rather extensive in nature which suggests that the bird is quite common in its native land. The colorful bird is an absolute delight to have as a pet since the animal is not only pleasing to look at but also rather entertaining and playful.

But if you are planning to bring one of these birds home and put them up in a cage, you should learn more about them as they do require a certain degree of care and attention to thrive.

For more relatable content, check out these banded kingfisher facts and common kingfisher facts for kids.

Black-headed Parrot Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a black-headed parrot?

The black-headed parrot (Pionites melanocephalus) is a species of parrot bird. The animal belongs to the family Psittacidae and genus Pionites.

What class of animal does a black-headed parrot belong to?

It belongs to the Aves class of animals.

How many black-headed parrots are there in the world?

An accurate estimate of the number of mature birds is unrecorded.

Where does a black-headed parrot live?

The black-capped parrot is endemic to northern South America. The bird can be found scattered across different countries all over South America namely Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Guiana, Ecuador, Suriname, and Guyana. They also inhabit the Ucayali River in northern Brazil and the Amazon north of the Amazon river.

What is a black-headed parrot's habitat?

Black-headed caiques prefer to live in warmer climates. They can thus be found living in hot and humid forests or tropical rainforests. The birds may also sometimes inhabit clearings and wooded habitats.

Who do black-headed parrots live with?

Black-headed caiques are extremely social and active birds. The species lives, travels, and forages in groups of 10 or even 30.

How long does a black-headed parrot live?

Black-headed caique parrot can survive up to 30 years both in the wild and in captivity.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season commences when the weather becomes warmer i.e. around late spring.

After mating, the birds busy themselves building nests in the wild. Not much is known about their nesting patterns other than the fact that they typically look for hollowed trees, empty woodpecker's nests, or other natural cavities to lay their eggs.

The female lays three to four eggs in a clutch but not all at once. Eggs are laid every second or third day. The incubation period generally lasts for 25 days during which the male will feed the female melanocephalus.

It takes approximately 10 weeks for the young birds to become fledglings and then four to six weeks to become independent. If the birds are being kept in a cage, they should only be allowed to breed after they have turned at least two to three years old.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of the black-headed parrot (Pionites melanocephalus) is evaluated as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Their population has remained stable over the years.

Black-headed Parrot Fun Facts

What do black-headed parrots look like?

The black-capped parrot is a medium-sized, plump bird known for its vivid colorations and exotic looks. The crown of the bird is black, the head and neck are yellow and orange, the belly of the bird is white while the back is green.

Its thighs are yellow and bill and feet are black. Wild caiques may develop a brown tinge on their whitish chest as they have a habit of rubbing against plant matter. The plumage of both the sexes is identical.

How cute are they?

The beauty of the black-headed parrot is undeniable. Its vivid colors of yellow, green, orange, white, and black are instantly eye-catching and often transfixing. Although the birds are very energetic and jovial it is their exotic looks that first catches the eye, just like the Amazon parrot.

How do they communicate?

Black-headed caiques are very noisy. They may not be able to talk like some species of parrots can but they can learn to whistle and make clucking sounds quite easily.

Caiques are vocal birds that often let out loud cries or shrieks whilst flying in the wild.

Shrill calls are their way of letting their flock know that they are in danger. If kept in a cage and bred with care, they may even be able to do mimicries of common household sounds but their performances will pale in comparison to other talking species.

How big is a black-headed parrot?

The black-headed parrot is a medium-sized bird that grows up to a length of 9-10 in (22.9-25.4 cm). The bird is no bigger than the white-bellied caique which is also approximately 9 in (22.9 cm) in size. Caiques are bigger than the bee hummingbird which measures up to 2.4 in (6.1 cm) in size.

How fast can a black-headed parrot move?

Caiques are not good fliers. They would much rather climb or walk to their locations than fly. When they do fly it is for a rather short spell as they do not engage in long flights even when they have to escape predators in the wild. Their flight technique is rapid and direct.

How much does a black-headed parrot weigh?

The Pionites melanocephalus is a plump bird, it weighs about 5.3-6 oz (150-170 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

No specific name has been assigned to the males and females of the species. They are simply referred to as male and female black-headed parrots.

What would you call a baby black-headed parrot?

Young black-headed caiques do not have any particular name, they are called fledglings or chicks.

What do they eat?

Caiques are herbivores that feed on a variety of seeds, flowers, fruit pulps, and leaves. They may also eat insects but it is quite uncommon.

Are they dangerous?

The bird is not dangerous per see, just like Meyer's parrot. It won't be able to cause any substantial damage but may sometimes bite its owner if it doesn't want to be bothered.

Would they make a good pet?

The black-headed parrot is an ideal pet bird. A pet caique is playful, social, and very entertaining to be around. This popular companion bird can become its owner's best friend if it is properly looked after. They should be fed on time, given enough attention, and also many safe toys with which they can play to their heart's content.

Did you know...

Although the scientific name of the black-headed parrot is Pionites melanocephalus, it is often incorrectly assumed to be Pionites melanocephala.

Pet caiques love playing with toys especially ones they can destroy. Do not forget to incorporate some safe toys in your cage for your little bird friend.

Not only will these toys ensure your pet's energy remains at the optimal level but they will also help the bird take out its aggression. Experiment with different types of toys to find out what suits your pet the most.

Can black-headed parrots talk?

This exotic bird is not exactly known for its talking ability. However, a talented black-headed caique can learn to whistle or mimic domestic sounds they hear on a regular basis. Some of the most common sounds they can emulate are alarms, beeps, and sirens.

Comparisons with other parrots

The black-headed parrot along with the white-bellied caique are two species of the caique. The white-bellied caique is similar to the black-headed parrot in almost every aspect except that it does not have the prominent black crown that the latter so proudly sports. It is also an Endangered species.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our American white pelican fun facts and Cuban Amazon interesting facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable parrot mask coloring pages.