Pionites leucogaster leucogaster 

White-bellied Caiques are found generally south of the Amazon River in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. They inhabit the forest canopy and show a preference for coastal forests. They are generally seen in pairs, family groups, or small flocks outside breeding season and can often be heard screeching long before they are seen. In the wild they are said to not be well known as good fliers.They spend their days foraging in the canopy of the trees, feeding on fruits, berries and seeds. The species distribution map shows the suggested origin of wild green thigh caiques. As you will note, the range of the green thigh and yellow thigh overlap, which is under scrutiny by aviculturists. There is a possibility of a ‘middle species’ as reported by Noaves.

Very few green thigh caiques were ever imported into North America. Thus far, they are not available to the general public as household pets. It is uncertain as to when, or if, this will ever change. Breeders outside of Northern America do have access to these birds although access various from country to county. Many breeders have had great success breeding them. I recommend visiting  Joan’s Caiques, a portugese based caique website. Joan is a great breeder who has many photos of caiques, particularly green thighs.

According to John McMichael of thecaiquesite.com, other names the Green Thigh Caique is known by include:

White-bellied caique

Apricot-headed caique

Bay-headed parrot

Green-thighed caique

Green-thighed white-bellied caique

White-breasted caique

Tapir parakeet

Q: I want a green thigh as a pet. Can you refer me to a breeder??

A: Nancy Speed was the main breeder of green thighs in the US until late 2007, when she went into semi retirement. Photos and information of her birds can be viewed at her website – P Patch Parrots. At the moment, it is uncertain who is continuing to breed green thighs within the US. We also would discourage a person from obtaining a green thigh as a pet, due to their rarity, we believe that all captive stock should be placed in a breeding program to increase captive numbers before making them a part of the current pet trade.

Breeding Season
Because the two caique species differ in territory, their breeding seasons differ slightly. The Black-Headed caique’s natural season is March to October, and eggs are incubated for 13-14 weeks.

The White Belly Caique’s season is February to October, also with an incubation period of 13-14 weeks.

Sources- John McMichael & Gloria Balaban