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Hi everyone. Yes, the title pretty much explains it all. I just got my first ever bird, a Caique [he's a WB whom I have named Calcifur] about five days ago. To give you a bit more information on him, he's pretty young, still has some black on his head, and I got him from a pet store [GASP].

But to put this into perspective some more, the closest thing I've ever had to a bird is my pet cat. Yeah.

Anyway!
I was wondering if it is a good idea to put his cage near a window.
We put it there after the initial two day adjustment period the store recommended and all he ever wants to do, it seems, is stare out it. Every time I go in he's in the same spot on the same perch looking out it/just standing there not playing with any of his toys.

Oh and when he was at the petstore I picked him up and he was rubbing his beak on my hand like CRAZY, which is a sign of affection right? Now it's a rare occurence if he does.

Is that just him getting adjusted?

I'll let those who know caiques better follow close on my heels, but I want to tell you just a few things.

First, after just 5 days, your baby is probably still quite scared. Tell us more about his interaction directly with you to help us help you.

Many birds feel safer when their cage is against a wall rather than a window. Until your baby has settled in more, you might want to move his cage back to the wall. If you've not already taken Calcifur for his well-baby vet exam, good to do that ASAP in case his behavior is illness rather than fright.

And last, the term "retard" is extremely offensive. Please think whether you want to portray yourself to us as so insensitive. I hope you'll decide it's a term you've used for the last time.

Paca

Well.

He likes to get on my shoulder when I hold him and bite my collar/shirt. Sometimes he'll also try to get in my hair.

He also likes to chatter softly every so often.
Thanks for the help, I will have to persuade my father to bring him to the vet.

Thank you for your advice.
And I won't get into a debate about the retard thing. ^^

Hey

You have bitten off a lot for your first bird!!!! They are amazing animals. Please do yourself a huge favor and read all you can about the species and go over all the post on Caiques on this website. There are many valuable insites to be had here.

I would def move him to a wall other than a window. Lots of scary stuff outside to a young bird and also he should have a place where he can get out of the sun if he gets hot.

I personally have spent as much time as possible with all of our and our familys birds right from day one. Take him out and away from his cage - preferably to another room. Yes this will make them uncomfortable but this will help strengthen the bond and he will gain trust in you. DO NOT let the young one become cage bound. I feel that trust is one of the most important thing about bird ownership. Once gained it is invaluable to your relationship. NEVER betray it.

Please - just read and trust yourself. Be confident. Your Caique will appreciate it.

Freddy

As most folks know on this list, I STRONGLY suggest you getting Sally Blanchard's Companion Parrot Handbook and reading it from cover to cover. Never, ever, ever hesitate to ask a question about anything pertaining to your new bird. We've all been there.
ABSOLUTELY find a good AVIAN vet and take your bird very soon even if you have to do it and find a way to pay for it. Birds are not cats or dogs; they require basically 24/7, 365 day a year care, love, discipline, husbandry and cleaning.

What are you feeding your bird now? Did the pet store give you ANY information at all regarding it's care? What did they tell you to feed it? What is the bird's actual hatch date and do you know for sure that it is a male?
What size cage do you have for it and are there toys in the cage? Perches?

Hi Shadow!
Welcome to the chat! Sparky, our 3 year old male WB Caique, was my first bird ever and he came from a PetCo and is absolutly the best! I was lucky that my husband had birds growing up but it had been a long time. He'd forgetten a lot and the current wisdom on a number of things had changed. We read a bunch on the Caiques and asked questions here and have done OK. I highly recomend the Caique Manual web pages:
http://home.rochester.rr.com/thecaiques ... uction.htm

Your in for a lot of fun with a Caique, but they are a lot of work. As to your specific questions:
Both our caiques love to look out the window but they sometimes get frightened by seeing other birds or just a quick movement or reflection. So we have their cage against a wall, in a corner actually, where they can see out the sliding glass door but are about 8 feet away from it. They have perches on some windows and spend time on us, looking out the window.

Your guy is still probably pretty scared at the big change in his environment. Definitly interact with him a lot. work on getting him to step onto your hand when you tell him to and to step off. play with his toys with him or whith a towel. Caiques are very curious and only need a little encouragement to explore under towels. It also helps at the vet if he's not scared of the towel. Also, I've noticed that our mood is mirrored by our birds. If we are happy and excited and playful so are they. If we are quiet, they tend to be, unless they are hungry or over tired in which case they're noisy no matter what. That said our two caiques are like night and day. Sparky is outgoing and loves everybody an would like nothing more than to be on my shoulder all day. Mika is fiercely independent. She wants us nearby but most of the time would rather sit on a perch than us. She only wants cuddled briefly, when she wants it. But she loves to play. It will take a while to get to know your new bird and if he is still very young it may take a while before his personality comes out.

Enjoy and don't hesitate to ask any questions.

How is Calcifur???????

Freddy