How to Sell Caiques in the United States | PetzLover

What laws apply when you sell caiques in the US?

• USDA licensing: Animal Welfare Act rules (9 CFR 2.1) exempt people who sell, as pets, up to 200 home-bred birds a year of species averaging 250 grams or less, counted across the household. Caiques weigh about 130 to 170 grams (World Parrot Trust), so most home breeders fall under the exemption; ask USDA APHIS if you sell more.
• CITES: both species are on Appendix II. CITES covers trade between countries, not a sale between two US residents, and exporting a caique needs CITES documents from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.
• Endangered Species Act: neither species is listed (checked November 2026), so an interstate sale needs no ESA permit.
• Imports: the Wild Bird Conservation Act has barred most imports of CITES-listed birds since 1993, so buyers will expect a US-bred bird with a closed band.
• State and local rules: breeding, animal numbers and noise rules vary. Check with your state agriculture or wildlife agency and your city.

How do you identify and document a caique before you sell it?

1. Confirm the species: only the black-headed has a black cap; the white-bellied has an apricot crown and nape and a yellow face (World Parrot Trust).
2. Name the form if you know it, for example a pallid black-headed or a yellow-thighed white-bellied caique, and never sell a cross between the two species as a pure one.
3. Wait until the chick is fully weaned and eating on its own.
4. Have it DNA sexed; Chewy notes that females usually sell for more because they are less common.
5. Book an avian vet exam and keep the results, including any polyomavirus test your vet advises.
6. Note the closed band and any microchip number.
7. Write a care sheet: pellets and a small amount of fresh produce daily (PetMD), a little more fruit than most parrots and vitamin A-rich vegetables (Chewy), and a shallow bath or misting.

How should you price a caique for sale?

Compare current caiques for sale of the same species near you. A hand-raised, DNA-sexed bird with vet records sits at the top of the range; price a bird of uncertain species or history lower. For an adult pet you are placing for its own sake, a rehoming fee may fit better; see how to rehome your caique responsibly.

How do you write a caique ad that finds the right buyer?

1. Put the species, age and sex in the title, for example: hand-fed female white-bellied caique, 14 weeks.
2. Add daylight photos of the head, belly and thighs, and a short video of the bird playing and calling.
3. Describe the noise honestly; the World Parrot Trust calls black-headed caiques very vocal, with loud shrieks.
4. Describe its play and biting: keepers quoted by Chewy say caiques can be strong biters, often from excitement.
5. Say whether it has lived with other birds and how it behaved.
6. List the records: band, DNA certificate, vet exam and tests.
7. Give the price and what is included, say the buyer collects in person, and keep your phone number and home address out of the ad text.

You can post your caique ad free on PetzLover, and interested buyers message you there.

How do you screen buyers for a caique?

• Have you kept a parrot before, and which species?
• What other birds do you have? PetMD says caiques are known to be aggressive toward other birds and should be housed individually.
• How many hours a day can the bird play out of its cage?
• How big is the cage? PetMD gives no smaller than 24 by 36 by 48 inches.
• How will you handle nipping when it gets excited?
• Which avian vet will you use, and who would care for the bird later? The Merck Veterinary Manual gives caiques an average lifespan of 20 to 30 years.

A buyer who will not visit, wants several birds at once, asks only about breeding or wants the bird shipped without meeting is a reason to stop. Buyers may have read how to buy a caique, so expect questions about species, band and polyomavirus.

How do you take payment and hand over a caique safely?

• Meet in person, at your home or an avian vet clinic, and let the buyer handle the bird.
• Take payment at the handover. Refuse overpayments, shipping agents and requests to refund a difference.
• Sign a bill of sale with both names, the date, the species and form, hatch date, band, sex, price and the records handed over.
• Send a care sheet, a few days of food, a favorite toy and the vet records.
• Remind the buyer to keep the caique apart from other birds until their vet clears it, and never to let it loose.

If you are placing an adult pet rather than selling, you can list your caique for adoption instead.