The caique community — and it's pronounced kah-EEK, a fact that Caique owners repeat with some frequency because almost everyone gets it wrong — will describe their birds as the clowns of the parrot world. This is accurate and undersells the chaos. Caiques wrestle. They roll on their backs and kick toys into the air. They run-jump rather than walk. They have been described as perpetually caffeinated, and their owners wouldn't change a thing.

There are two species: the Black-Headed Caique and the White-Bellied Caique. Both are small (about 9 inches), both are high energy, and both are known for the 'caique hop' — a distinctive bouncing movement that serves no obvious purpose except to delight owners. They're not the biggest talkers in the parrot world but their antics more than compensate.

Caiques are known for being nippy — not aggressive, but mouthy in a way that requires consistent training. They are also highly prey-driven, meaning they can be aggressive toward other small animals and sometimes smaller birds. The health profile is relatively robust compared to larger parrots, but their high activity level means trauma and injury are legitimate risks.