Caiques are the clowns of the parrot world and the Black-headed is one of the two kept commonly. They hop rather than walk, wrestle with anything that will wrestle back, sleep flat on their backs, and have more energy per gram than any other parrot their size. If you want a bird to sit quietly on a shoulder, this is emphatically not it.
Black-headed or White-bellied
The two are close relatives and keepers disagree about the difference in temperament - most say the Black-headed is slightly the calmer and the White-bellied slightly the bolder, and plenty of people who have kept both say the individual bird matters far more than the species. They should not be housed together as a mixed pair. Choose on the bird in front of you rather than on a reputation.
The energy is the whole species
A caique is in motion from the moment it wakes. They need several hours out of the cage, a play area, and things to physically fight with - rope, swings, foot toys. A caique with nothing to do becomes a caique with opinions about your hands.
They nip
Caiques play roughly with each other and they do not naturally distinguish between a beak and skin. Most caique owners get bitten, most of it is play rather than aggression, and it responds to consistent handling and to giving the bird something else to wrestle. Children and caiques need supervising, not because the bird is vicious but because it is enthusiastic.
Noise
Loud, in a sharp whistling, chirping way rather than a macaw scream. Not a quiet bird and not a good flat bird, but the sound carries less than a conure's call. They are also excellent whistlers and will learn tunes.
Talking
Limited. A handful of words at best, usually in a small comic voice. Whistles are where they shine.
Living with one
Twenty-five to thirty years, which catches people out for a bird this size. A pelleted base with fresh vegetables, a cage with horizontal bars to climb, and a floor area to play on - caiques spend more time on the ground than most parrots.
Buying one
Ask to watch the bird play rather than just hold it, because play is what you are buying. Ask when it weaned and about disease testing. More than a hundred breeders have listed Black-headed Caiques here, so there is no need to rush. The breeders listed on this page raise them and can be contacted directly through the site.