WHITE-BELLIED PARROT

The 'White-bellied Parrot' ('''Pionites leucogaster''') or 'White-bellied Caique' is one of the two species of parrot in the genus Caique (''Pionites'') of the Psittacidae family, the other species being the Black-headed Parrot.
It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical swamps.
The White-bellied Caique has an orange-yellow head, a white belly, green wings and back, bluish primary feathers, a horn-colored beak, and pink or grey feet.
Juvenile white bellies often have brownish or black feathers on the head and back of the neck, as well as yellow feathers on the white belly, as shown in the photo on the left. Generally these off-colored feathers will be lost and replaced by orange or white feathers respectively. Young birds will also have dark brown irises, which will change to a rust or orange color as the bird matures.

Contents

Subspecies

Aviculture

References

Subspecies

★ Green Thighed (''Pionites leucogaster leucogaster'')

★ Yellow Thighed (''P. l. xanthomeria'')

★ Yellow Tailed (''P. l. xanthrus'')
The Yellow Thighed is the type most commonly kept as a pet in the United States. The Green Thighed is somewhat rare in captivity, and the Yellow Tailed has been documented in the wild but is very rare in captivity.

Aviculture

White-bellied Parrots are popular in Aviculture.

References

★ BirdLife International 2004. Pionites leucogaster. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 24 July 2007.