New baby White capped

[Fommy]

Hi everyone, it's been a long time since I've posted. I have recently started payments on a Baby white cap pionus. She/He is probably at about 10 weeks old. I have been going to see this baby two times a week for about 3 weeks now. But this baby does not seem to like me. Almost like the more I go see it the more shy it becomes. Absolutely does not want me to hold her snuggle it but is very happy to just sit and listen to me talk and sing. I am not involved in the feedings but I was wondering if the stand off don't touch me nature is common in this breed. I have also been visiting a white belly caique who seems to love me. I'm also considering purchasing it as well. Do any of you have both a ciaque and pionus. I also have a 12 year mellow, TAG.

 

[Kiwi & Co.]

@tka

Based off of what I've read, Pionus are more of a hand-off bird and mostly like to just spend time in the same room as you.

i would tag some caquie owners, but I can't remember their usernames.

 

[jh81]

@saroj12 has them, if memory serves..

i have two pionusses, both rescue’s. I find them to be very handsoff.. they just like to be with you, not perse on you.. they are perfect for people who cant spend loads of time with them. If you want a nice, sweet little bird that goes its own way while stil enjoying your company, get a Pionus. If you like something to hold and cuddle, get a bird in the poicephalus group, like a sengal, or a meyers. Ofcourse each parrot has its own personality so there’s never gonna be any guarantees

 

[tka]

Pionus tend to be rather reserved, especially at first. They are careful and observant - they will watch you very closely, working out for themselves whether they can trust you and whether they want you in their flock. They like being given the time to make up their own minds; you can't rush them or force them into something they aren't sure about. It took my girl a month to decide whether she trusted me, during which time I was entirely hands-off. I'm happy to say that she decided that I was acceptable, and our friendship is a beautiful, special thing.

Pionus love headscratches, and a pi that has decided to be friends with you will bow their head for scratches. Leia loves having her eyelids and around her beak gently rubbed, and she preens me in return. They tend not to be a cuddly bird. They prefer to be in the same room as you, but are usually happy doing their own thing. They do thrive on ambient attention so you still need to give them time with you. I'll tag in @Dartman, @finchly and @Eloy who have had Pionus for years, and @Lincee who is still making friends with his.

Pionus are sensitive to the bird dust produced by your Grey. Ideally you should keep them in separate rooms with a HEPA air filter.

@finchly also has caiques. They two species could not be more different. Caiques are much more in-your-face, high energy and bolshy, they do tend to like physical contact like wrestling with your fingers, and can have a tendency to aggression. @Laurie and @Irishj9 are both experienced caique keepers.

 

[jh81]

I think the key to a Pionus’s heart is gentleness... let them come to you. Ive only had my Pionusses for maybe three months and one is allready stepping up and on my shoulders i think im adicted..

 

[Dartman]

Every Pionus I've ever had once they trust you LOVES having their eyelids gently rubbed, and their beaks too. One other thing many may not have noticed with them is they do love a good finger fight/wrestle and will beak and grab your fingers while you try to touch them. Nerd loved doing it and I'd try to tap a wing and he'd whirl his head around growling and biting to try and stop me but if I went OUCH! he'd stop and look mortified that he'd hurt me.
Many times they are happy to just hang out near you and watch, snooze, request a scritch. Dobby has chosen my sister so she gets all the scritching and finger wrestling duty.

 

[tka]

@Lincee I agree, they've very sensitive birds. Gentleness, patience, respect, and letting them have the time and space to make up their minds are key. They do have a cheeky, playful side too, and Leia amazes me with her confidence.

@Dartman yes, we have a nightly bout of finger wrestling but it's very gentle and low-key Nothing compared to caiques wrestling!

 

[Dartman]

Nerd would scream like he was going to kill me and bury me in the backyard, but he never hurt me. Somebody watching probably would have thought he was very mad and about to tear off some fingers. I think somewhere I have a old low res capture of him when we were playing...

 

[saroj12]

My male caique attacks my grey. My female caique is fine with him

 

[Dartman]

Pionus sometimes will go nuts over smaller birds flying around faster and better then they can so something to be aware of as well. I had a Injured baby house finch we rescued and she grew up with us and eventually Nerd made it his mission to chop her down one part at a time and she lost a few toes and got a broken foot before we figured out they wouldn't play well together. At first he didn't care but then she started flying and taking my time from him.

 

[Fommy]

My male caique attacks my grey. My female caique is fine with him View attachment 334981 View attachment 334982

Did you have the caiqus first or the Grey? I had a Sun conure that would go after my Grey years ago. Unfortunately it did not end well. I definitely can not go through that again.

 

[Fommy]

Pionus tend to be rather reserved, especially at first. They are careful and observant - they will watch you very closely, working out for themselves whether they can trust you and whether they want you in their flock. They like being given the time to make up their own minds; you can't rush them or force them into something they aren't sure about. It took my girl a month to decide whether she trusted me, during which time I was entirely hands-off. I'm happy to say that she decided that I was acceptable, and our friendship is a beautiful, special thing.

Pionus love headscratches, and a pi that has decided to be friends with you will bow their head for scratches. Leia loves having her eyelids and around her beak gently rubbed, and she preens me in return. They tend not to be a cuddly bird. They prefer to be in the same room as you, but are usually happy doing their own thing. They do thrive on ambient attention so you still need to give them time with you. I'll tag in @Dartman, @finchly and @Eloy who have had Pionus for years, and @Lincee who is still making friends with his.

Pionus are sensitive to the bird dust produced by your Grey. Ideally you should keep them in separate rooms with a HEPA air filter.

@finchly also has caiques. They two species could not be more different. Caiques are much more in-your-face, high energy and bolshy, they do tend to like physical contact like wrestling with your fingers, and can have a tendency to aggression. @Laurie and @Irishj9 are both experienced caique keepers.

I will not be able to keep them in seperate rooms but it is big room and it has a large filter.

 

[saroj12]

Did you have the caiqus first or the Grey? I had a Sun conure that would go after my Grey years ago. Unfortunately it did not end well. I definitely can not go through that again.

Caiques first. My advice if you can’t separate them... don’t get a caique

 

[Fommy]

From what I hear the Pionus. Cotton is what I have been calling em, will be a good match to my home. When I am home my birds are out with me most of the time. I dont always have time to be constantly playful. Jack my TAG hangs out with me but does his own thing and it will be great if Cotton does this to. In the evenings my other half and I have lots of time to give rubbins and scritches before night night time.
I may have to just keep playing with the caique at the store but it doesn't sound like it would be the best choice if they like to dominate.

 

[Fommy]

Caiques first. My advice if you can’t separate them... don’t get a caique

Thank you

 

[jh81]

Sometimes, what we want and what we should are not the same it takes a responsible person to choose whats better for the bird. You have my respect for that

 

[Irishj9]

Caiques will suddenly turn and kill other birds, as I know to my cost.

If you need cuddles, you need a puppy. Caiques quickly stop being babies and will remove your finger if you attempt cuddles

 

[BirdsLove9]

Can you get DNA done on the pionus? and the caique? From my experience of having both species and sex, the females are more cuddly than the males, who tend to be more stand-off-ish and aggressive. I guess that is true in most species.

Caiques will be be more cuddly and funny, in general. I have a 16 years old caique who is deadly afraid of the 7 years old caique. They are both males and they sleep together but the 7 years old will often pick on the older one. I had a female caique who was so much less hi strung and so cuddly.

But of course with female birds, you have "female" problems such as nesting and laying eggs. I have lost 2 pi's that way. Also, with males you have hormonal aggressiveness. My caique would go on the attack whenever he sees my sister or would hunt her down.

My older caique will tolerate the pi's but the younger caique would attack them. Some pi's have wings so would fly away others would scurry away. The caiques have to be locked up if I cannot oversee them.

Although my younger pi would go "beak to beak" with the younger caique and it's a 50/50 battle. The pi has wings so he can fly off. The caiques will also attack my CAG but they're separated with the CAG is by herself on her perch

DNA can also help you later on in predicting health issues. I had a 18 years old quaker who I thought was a male but ended up dying from ovarian cancer! She had never laid any eggs.

I am writing this as my pi is screaming in my ears! LOL! They are NOT quiet! And are you ready for a highly active little orange bundle??

But each bird has his/her personality so you never know, especially when you get them as babies together...My older caique was housed with an umbrella cockatoo by the breeder when he was a baby! But they do change when they grow up! My older caique is still cuddly, especially when he's running away from his brother or after a bath and he's using me as his towel. My older pi is more quiet and likes to spend time by himself, eventhough I handfed him. I have to be cautious giving him scritches as I have learned to interpret his body language: oh yeahhh, right there....or no, don't touch. He flies down for meals and then fly away from all the hustle and bustle to hang out in another room.

I hope I have helped you. But if you're like me, if you can't decide on something, you get BOTH!