Fun White-bellied Parrot Facts For Kids

Pionites leucogaster (white-bellied caique) is known by different names such as the eastern white-bellied parrot or green-thighed parrot. This caique is a very cute and joyous bird and is loved by people across the world.

It has an orange-yellow head, and its cloaca is also yellow in color. In addition, it has a green-colored feathery back and thighs, and its beak and legs are pinkish in color. Its range is limited to South America: mostly in Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil and it has a long life span.

Here, we have many amazing and interesting facts about white bellied caiques that you will enjoy. Let's look at a few of these facts and information. If you enjoy these, do also read our kea parrot facts and night parrot facts for more.
 

White Bellied Parrot Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a white bellied parrot?

White-bellied caiques (Pionites leucogaster), also known as green-thighed parrots, are a species of the Psittacidae family.

What class of animal does a white bellied parrot belong to?

White-bellied caiques belong to the class Aves and are a Parrot species found in the South American regions.

How many white bellied parrots are there in the world?

White-bellied caiques are an Endangered species. The total number of these birds is still unknown, but it is considered low as they are decreasing at an alarmingly fast rate — mainly due to deforestation and hunting and capture.

Where does a white bellied parrot live?

White-bellied caiques prefer to live in moist forests or tropical rainforests that have a humid environment. They live in places where plenty of food such as seeds or fruits can fulfill their diet.

What is a white bellied parrot habitat?

A white-bellied caique bird's habitat includes places like tropical rain forests or swamps. These places have high humidity levels and are suited to this bird species. This species has an average population range and is native to South America, mainly found in Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia.

Who do white bellied parrots live with?

White-bellied caiques are often seen in flocks containing 25-30 birds living together. Their behavior is social, and they're always found in flocks or with a companion. These birds are never seen alone and are always found in another bird's company.

How long does a white bellied parrot live?

White-bellied caiques have a long lifespan, and they live for about 27-30 years in the wild. However, various factors affect their lifespan in the wild, such as deforestation or predators or even being hunted down by a human.

In captivity, their life span increases significantly. They can live for about 30-40 years in a cage. But they live up to 40 years only if they get a caring owner who looks after the health and diet of this species.

How do they reproduce?

Green-thighed parrots do not showcase any courtship behaviors. But before mating, they are seen feeding and grooming each other. These birds copulate every day and sometimes more than once a day during the breeding season. Their reproduction behavior is affected by factors such as temperature or humidity.

They breed once a year, between October and April. By the age of two or three, these birds become mature enough to reproduce and lay eggs by the third year. They lay three eggs per clutch in the wild, while in captivity, a female lays around six eggs.

The pair uses nest boxes during breeding. The female remains inside, incubating the eggs for up to 26 days while the male searches for food and feeds his mate. Newborn or young chicks are blind and very sensitive to light.

What is their conservation status?

Pionites leucogaster (white-bellied caiques) is a bird species that have the conservation status of Endangered in their natural habitat. This species is classified as Endangered because their population is low and rapidly decreasing due to deforestation and being hunted by humans in the process of capturing them.

White Bellied Parrot Fun Facts

What do white bellied parrots look like?

White-bellied caiques have a body made of a unique mix of striking colors. They have green-colored feathers and thighs, which gives them the name green-thighed parrot. Their head is orange or yellow, while their belly is off-white or white. They have a pinkish-horned beak, and their feet, too, are pinkish in color.

Chicks are different from adults, their head is black or brown-colored, and their off-white belly also has yellow feathers and greyish legs.

How cute are they?

The white-bellied caique or green-thighed parrot is a really cute and adorable bird. Even though these birds cannot mimic their owners like other parrots, they have a fantastic personality as long as they are playfully stimulated and given a lot of attention. They are very energetic and playful birds. You can play for hours with this cute little birdie.

How do they communicate?

The green-thighed parrot communicates through vocalization. They are full of energy and make screeches, shrieks, and squawks. They are really noisy and loud in the wild and scream while flying or even while resting, but they are not as loud and are much calmer when in a cage.

They can easily mimic sounds in their surrounding environment, but they cannot mimic a human. Apart from vocalization, they use other senses such as touch, taste, and sight. They are known to have a keen sense of hearing which helps them in perceiving the environment well.

How big is a white bellied parrot?

The white-bellied caique or green-thighed parrot is about 9-10 in (22.8-25.4 cm) in length. They are slightly smaller than a thick-billed parrot, measuring up to 15 in (38 cm).

How fast can a white bellied parrot fly?

Normal parrots found in nature can fly up to the speed of 45-50 mph (72.4-80.4 kph). How fast the white-bellied caique can fly has not yet been measured as there hasn't been any detailed study on this bird species.

That being said, we can expect that this bird can fly up to 40-50 mph (64.3-80.4 kph), faster than a mealy parrot.

How much does a white bellied parrot weigh?

A white-bellied caique weighs around only 5.6-5.8 oz (160-165 g). They're about five times the size of an elegant parrot.

This is the average weight of this bird species, and it is achieved only if it gets a proper diet with plenty of food and exercise. They are almost as big as the black-headed caique but are a bit heavier.

These birds may not get enough food in nature, but in a spacious cage, they can have a healthy lifestyle and get the required amount of nutrition. A newborn chick has an average weight of 0.2 oz (7.2 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

Males and females of this species do not have separate names. They are not sexually dimorphic birds, meaning that it is impossible to know their sex by just looking at them. A DNA test is required to get accurate information about their sex.

What would you call a baby white bellied parrot?

A baby white-bellied caique is referred to as a chick. Young chicks have black or brown-colored heads, and their bellies have a bit of yellow and an off-white.

They fledge in about 11-12 days after being born, and until they can live on their own, their parents take care of them. These birds reach sexual maturity at the age of about two to three years and lay their first clutch by the end of the third year.

Young chicks are often confused with the black-headed caique because of the black-colored feathers on their head.

What do they eat?

Green-thighed parrots feed on fresh vegetables and fruits. Their diet also includes seeds and pellets.

A good pellet mix contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals, and it should make up to 50-70 percent of their diet when keeping them as pets. They also like to eat fruit now and then. Freshwater should also be provided to them at all times to keep them hydrated and provide a healthy life.

Are they dangerous?

Green-thighed parrots can get aggressive when paired with other birds. They have a bad reputation for fighting with other birds in a cage and can deliver strong bites, so they have to be kept in spaces of their own.

This aggressiveness is not entirely their fault as they are extra-energetic birds. They are short-tempered and can get angry very quickly, so you have to keep that in mind while keeping them as a pet.

Would they make a good pet?

White-bellied parrots make great pets indeed. They are very playful and have vibrant personalities, albeit a bit mixed.

They have all the traits that a parrot can have. They are aggressive, playful, and full of energy. Another thing that makes them great pets is their ability to learn quickly.

Many owners claim that they can be trained very easily because of their joyous nature. They are also cuddly, and if you are able to make a strong bond with them, they might sit in your lap or lay down on your back.

These caiques love toys, and you should provide them with multiple toys so that they can utilize their high energy and do not become self-destructive.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you should never leave this caique unguarded if it is out of its cage as they might pick up cutters or knives and start playing with them.

Did you know...

Green-thighed parrots have a limited range; they are found only in South America. These birds love playing with their favorite human. They do not usually bite, but they might even bite their favorite human if they get very angry.

Pionites leucogaster (white-bellied caique) is one of the three species of caiques. The other two subspecies are black-legged parrot (Pionites xanthomerius)and yellow-tailed parrot (Pionites xanthurus).

This species is considered Endangered, and the reason behind this is deforestation and humans that search for them to capture them using traps and even hunt them.

During the breeding season, this caique bird does not show any courtship rituals, but they are seen feeding and grooming one another before mating. During the incubation period, females take care of the eggs while males feed its companion.

A white-bellied caique costs anywhere between $1000-$2000.

Do white bellied parrot talk?

The white-bellied caique is an intelligent and smart bird and can mimic voices and noise like the ringing of a bell or the sound of a door creaking in its surrounding environment. One thing that this bird cannot do like its other parrot cousins is the inability to mimic words that humans speak.

It can hardly speak its own name or the name of its owner.

Are white bellied parrot good for beginners?

White-bellied caique is a great pet with a joyous and energetic personality. They really like playing with their owner and spending time with them.

If you make a strong bond with them, this caique will indeed go on to show the vibrant and playful nature they are known for. The thing that makes them a good pet for beginners is their ability to learn things quickly.

Beginners can teach them things like how to groom themselves well or to potty train themselves. Many people claim that they can teach a simple 'step-up' training to their bird in under ten minutes.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these cassowary facts and hawaiian crow facts pages.

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