Caiques are extremely playful birds that love to interact with people. When well-socialized, these highly intelligent creatures will happily go to anyone. Nurturing dominance cannot be emphasized enough, however, because if left to their own devices, caiques can become pushy, dominant and aggressive. They need plenty of chewable toys to keep their strong beaks busy.

Caiques are extremely playful birds that love to interact with people. When well-socialized, these highly intelligent creatures will happily go to anyone. Nurturing dominance cannot be emphasized enough, however, because if left to their own devices, caiques can become pushy, dominant and aggressive. They need plenty of chewable toys to keep their strong beaks busy.

As a pet, one aviculturist (Howard Voren) likens their personality to a caique, and many tend to agree. They are extremely affectionate, and rambunctious. Hawk-heads seem to have a knack of entertaining them selves, so you are not at their beck and call. I know of many who are at liberty on their cage, or play area most of the day without them getting down to find their owners. In this regard they don't need an overly large cage. They are very intelligent and seem easy to train and mesh into what you expect of them. They really seem to like routine, and can be very satisfied with time out to play and time with you, a lot of them even put themselves to bed at the appropriate time.

The Ringneck Parakeet, or as they are often called, the Indian Ringneck, is green, with black collar, beak band and stripe between nostrils and eyes. Red shine behind collar. Yellowish-green belly and undertail coverts, bluish-green tail feathers with yellow tips. Eyes yellow-orange, beak red, legs black. Immatures resemble adult hen, but have greenish irises and paler bills.

These parrots can talk well and do well as a pet. They can be snippy at times if left alone for awhile with out interaction.

There are two types of budgerigars. The American budgerigar is generally called a parakeet. The English budgerigar is generally called a budgie. They belong to the broad-tailed tribe of the parrot family.

An English budgie has fuller feathering around the face and is larger than the American parakeet and is often used in shows and exhibitions. Most pet stores carry the smaller American parakeet.

While budgies are quieter than most parrots, they can be noisy and they are extremely friendly, active and playful. Budgies can be taught to talk although they are not always easy to understand because they have such tiny voices. In fact, the world’s record for the number of words learned by a bird has been held by a budgie.