hi, im a GCC owner and suddenly really interested in caiques, tell me about yours, their personalities, favorite toys, volume level, show a picture if you can, etc etc. and question, if i was to get a caique, would that be a good choice for someone who has only had a GCC?
Hi!
My initial response to this could be seen as a bit frivolous, so I wanted to give you some serious (or at least slightly serious) observations:
First off, I can't help you regarding your question of choice as it relates to having a GCC; I just have Eliza and Henry. (As I think of it, I suspect a lot of what I'm going to write could very well apply to lots of different parrot species.)
In terms of personalities, um...yes, they have personalities. Gigantic, in fact. If Eliza's and Henry's personalities manifested themselves in physical size, I'd have to buy two airplane hangars to keep them in. And that--for me--is the number one charm of caiques: they have multi-faceted personalities that are a constant delight to me. Playful, loving, inquisitive, cuddly and any other adjectives you can think of. And yes--they are smart. I've long since resigned myself to the fact that I am the third most intelligent being in this house!
Their inquisitiveness and determination to get into EVERYTHING is not without its drawbacks. It's rather like having a puppy (or--in my brother and sister-in-law's case--a rabbit). You know they're going to want to get into everything, so you take the steps to make sure what they're allowed to get into is completely safe for them, and cut off access to any possible dangers. It's also part of the training: I've worked with them to encourage things that are okay for them to get into, and guided them away from things that might be dangerous. (As a side note, it means I have no problem putting them in their cages: since the garage is off-limits to them, the moment they hear me open the door in the utility room they're right there, demanding to be picked up. It will be a dark day when they catch onto this, of course, but it works like a charm now.)
Their favorite toys--besides each other, and me--are, believe or not, toothbrushes. My house is littered with them, and it always amuses me to watch the reactions of friends, family and guests when they visit: every sofa, chair, etc. has at least a couple of toothbrushes on it (as well as the floor being littered with them). Before anyone sits down, the toothbrushes have to be moved to one side! E&H will play with them by themselves, with each other, and with me, and it's great fun.
(Eliza has also realized that a toothbrush is quite handy for self-administered head skritches. I wish I could get a photo of it, but every time I get near her with the phone/camera, she'll think I just want to play with her. She holds the handle with one foot and scratches her head. She's no idiot!)
I don't find their volume excessive at all. They make happy squawks when I come home, but it's not as though my ears are ringing. I'm writing this in my office--Henry's on the windowsill making little chattering noises, and Eliza's in the great room making a series of what I am sure are terribly important announcements. However, all the windows in the house are open, and I guarantee nobody outside can hear them. Plus, I actually enjoy the chattering and I just chatter right back at them.
In closing, what I've found they need more than anything else is interaction. And I don't mean directly interacting with them--much of the time they just want to be near me, but not necessarily ON me, if that makes any sense. They're both in the office now, playing with each other, and running over my feet. I talk to them occasionally; they're completely happy. It's utterly entertaining.
They take a lot of work (as all birds do, I suppose); but if you're willing to put the time in, the payoff is that I have the most wonderful companion birds, and (as I've written before) I cannot even imagine what my house was like before Eliza and Henry took it over.
Best of luck with your decision; please keep us posted!
Derek
PS One other note: They do have one huge fear that affects them and myself very deeply. The fear that I might possibly be having more fun than they are. Even when I'm doing something that I've tried to put off for months (like filing), as far as they're concerned, the possibility exists that I might actually be enjoying myself. Thus, their primal fear of missing out on something is far too powerful for them to overcome. It explains why my filing system is a lot more random than it used to be...
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