How to Adopt a Caique in the United States | PetzLover
To adopt a caique in the United States, apply to a parrot rescue, a shelter or an owner offering a caique for adoption, pass their interview and home check, and sign an adoption contract; expect a fee of a few hundred dollars, such as $300 at Phoenix Landing. Before you apply, make sure you can give an energetic, sometimes nippy bird hours of play, a sturdy cage and, usually, a home without other loose birds.
An adult caique's personality is already formed, so adoption lets you see how playful, loud or nippy it is before you commit.
Key points
- Phoenix Landing lists a $300 adoption fee for caiques; Foster Parrots asks a $200 placement fee.
- Expect an application, an interview, a home visit and often a foster-to-adopt period.
- Tell the rescue about every bird in your home: PetMD warns that caiques are known to be aggressive toward other birds.
- Ask whether the bird is a black-headed or white-bellied caique and how its age and sex are known.
- Book an avian vet exam soon after adoption and ask about polyomavirus, which VCA Animal Hospitals says can be deadly to caiques.
Is a caique the right bird for you to adopt?
PetMD calls caiques the clowns of the parrot world, very mischievous and interactive, and the Merck Veterinary Manual notes that they actually hop. That makes them entertaining, and it also means a bored caique finds its own fun, often with its beak.
| Need | What to plan for |
|---|---|
| Play and exercise | A huge amount of energy (PetMD); caiques actually hop (Merck) |
| Cage | No smaller than 24 x 36 x 48 inches (PetMD) |
| Bathing | Regular baths, misting or shallow water bowls (The Vet Desk; World Parrot Trust) |
| Other birds | Often housed alone; known to be aggressive toward other birds (PetMD) |
| Noise | Very vocal, with loud shrieks (World Parrot Trust) |
| Lifespan | Average 20 to 30 years (Merck); 25 to 40 years (World Parrot Trust) |
If you share walls, check your lease first. Foster Parrots, for example, does not place large or highly vocal parrots with people who rent or share walls.
Where can you adopt a caique in the US?
- Parrot rescues: Phoenix Landing, which serves Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina and Jacksonville, Florida, lists caiques among the birds it places through foster-to-adopt homes. Foster Parrots is a Rhode Island sanctuary accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries, and Mickaboo Companion Bird Rescue in the San Francisco Bay Area adopts only within California.
- Shelters and humane societies sometimes take in small parrots; staff may not know the species, so check the head color yourself.
- Owners who can no longer keep a caique often list it for adoption or rehoming.
You can browse caiques for adoption on PetzLover, filter by location and save a search to hear about new listings. Directories such as Petfinder also list bird rescues by location.
How does caique adoption work?
- Read the rescue's requirements and fill in its application, including every bird and pet in your home.
- Take part in a phone or video interview.
- Allow a home visit or video walkthrough of the cage and play area.
- Meet the caique more than once and play with it under the foster's guidance.
- Expect a foster-to-adopt period with some rescues; Phoenix Landing's fees apply to birds placed that way.
- Sign the adoption contract and pay the fee.
- Book an avian vet exam soon after the move.
What should you ask about an adoptable caique?
- Is it a black-headed or white-bellied caique? Only the black-headed has black feathers on top of its head (Chewy).
- How old is it? The World Parrot Trust says juveniles have yellow flecks on the belly and brown eyes.
- Is the sex known from a DNA test?
- Why was it given up, and how many homes has it had?
- Does it bite, and when? Keepers quoted in a Chewy article say much caique biting comes from excitement.
- Has it lived with other birds, and how did it behave?
- What does it eat, how does it like to bathe, and what vet records come with it?
How much does it cost to adopt a caique?
- Adoption fee: Phoenix Landing lists $300 for caiques, in the same group as Senegals and Meyer's parrots, and says its fees do not begin to cover its costs. Foster Parrots asks a $200 placement fee.
- Yearly upkeep: typically $300 to $400 (The Vet Desk), which notes that the caique diet is more specialized.
- Cage and toys: a cage of at least 24 by 36 by 48 inches unless one comes with the bird, and a steady supply of chew and foot toys.
Compare with breeder prices of $1,200 to $2,500 for a black-headed caique in one Texas aviary's 2026 guide; see how to buy a caique if you would rather raise a young bird.
How do you help an adopted caique settle in?
- Keep it in a separate room from other birds until your avian vet clears it, and ask about polyomavirus; VCA says conures are often thought to be carriers and the virus can be deadly to caiques.
- Wash your hands after cleaning the cage; the CDC notes that birds can carry psittacosis without looking sick.
- Offer a shallow dish of water or a light misting; Chewy says caiques love to leaf bathe.
- Give it foot toys, chew branches, ladders and puzzle toys, as the World Parrot Trust suggests.
- Keep play calm at first and stop before it gets overexcited, to avoid lunge bites.
- Expect it to be quiet, loud or nippy for a while in a new home.
Owners and rescues placing a caique will find their side in how to list a caique for adoption. For a private placement, see how to take in a rehomed caique.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to adopt a caique?
Phoenix Landing lists $300 for caiques, and Foster Parrots asks a $200 placement fee. Budget too for a sturdy cage, toys and an avian vet check.
Can I adopt a caique if I have other birds?
Tell the rescue first. PetMD says caiques are known to be aggressive toward other birds and should be housed individually, so expect to need separate cages and supervised time out.
Is a caique a good bird for a first-time owner?
It can be for a patient owner with time to play every day, but caiques are energetic, loud and can bite hard when excited. Ask the rescue to match you with a calm adult.
Do caiques like baths?
Most do. Chewy says they love to leaf bathe, and the World Parrot Trust suggests overhead misters or shallow water bowls.
How long will an adopted caique live?
Merck gives an average of 20 to 30 years and World Parrot Trust profiles 25 to 40 years, so even an adult may have decades ahead. Plan who would care for it later.
Do adopted caiques come with papers?
Often only a leg band and vet records. No federal permit is needed to own a caique, since neither species is listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Helpful guides
Pet for AdoptionHow to List a Caique for Adoption in the United StatesList a caique for adoption with an honest description of its energy, biting and behavior with other birds, firm criteria, a modest fee, careful screening and a contract with a return clause.
Pet for SaleHow to Buy a Caique in the United StatesBefore you buy a caique in the US, choose black-headed or white-bellied, plan for a playful bird that can bite and fight other birds, and get the band, hatch date and records in writing.
Pet for SaleHow to Sell Caiques in the United StatesSelling a caique in the US means naming the species, being honest about biting and other birds, pricing from typical ranges and handing the bird over in person with its records.
Pet for RehomingHow to Take In a Rehomed Caique in the United StatesBefore you take in a rehomed caique, confirm the species, ask about biting, other birds, diet and vet records, meet it in person and book an avian vet check soon after the move.
Pet for RehomingHow to Rehome Your Caique Responsibly in the United StatesTo rehome a caique well, rule out fixable problems, choose a rescue or private home, describe its biting, noise and behavior with other birds honestly, and hand it over in person.