The White-bellied Parrot (Pionites leucogaster), in aviculture

Aviculture

Aviculture is the practice of keeping and breeding birds and the culture that forms around it. Aviculture is generally focused on not only the raising and breeding of birds, but also on preserving avian habitat, and public awareness campaigns....

 often referred to as the White-bellied Caique, is one of the two species in the genus Pionites of the Psittacidae family; the other species being the allopatric

Allopatric speciation

Allopatric speciation or geographic speciation is speciation that occurs when biological populations of the same species become isolated due to geographical changes such as mountain building or social changes such as emigration...

 Black-headed Parrot

Black-headed Parrot

The Black-headed Parrot , also known as the Black-headed Caique, Black-capped Parrot or Pallid Parrot The Black-headed Parrot (Pionites melanocephalus; sometimes incorrectly Pionites melanocephala), also known as the Black-headed Caique, Black-capped Parrot or Pallid Parrot The Black-headed Parrot...

. Both species are popular as pets.

It is found in humid forest and nearby wooded habitats in the Amazon

Amazon Basin

The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries that drains an area of about , or roughly 40 percent of South America. The basin is located in the countries of Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela...

 south of the Amazon River

Amazon River

The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...

 in Bolivia

Bolivia

Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...

, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

, and Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

. It is generally fairly common throughout its range and is easily seen in a wide range of protected areas, such as the Manú National Park

Manú National Park

Manú National Park is a biosphere reserve located in Madre de Dios and Paucartambo, Cusco. Before becoming an area protected by the Peruvian government, the Manú National Park was conserved thanks to its inaccessibility. The park remains fairly inaccessible by road to this day. In 1977, UNESCO...

 and Tambopata-Candamo

Tambopata-Candamo

Tambopata-Candamo is a nature reserve in the Peruvian Amazon Basin south of the Madre de Dios River in Tambopata Province's Inambari and Tambopata districts...

 in Peru, Cristalino State Park (near Alta Floresta

Alta Floresta

Alta Floresta is a city in Mato Grosso, Brazil. It is located at around .The city is served by Dep. Benedito Santiago Airport.-External links:*...

), Xingu National Park

Xingu National Park

The Parque Nacional Xingu is located in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil and was created on April 14, 1961, signed by President Jânio Quadros. The area of the park is 2,642,003 ha., and it is contained in the municipalities of Mato Grosso; Canarana, Paranatinga, São Félix do Araguaia, São José do...

 and Amazônia National Park

Amazônia National Park

The Amazônia National Park is located in Itaituba municipality, Pará state, in the north of Brazil.-See also:* List of national parks of Brazil...

 in Brazil, and Madidi National Park in Bolivia.

Description

The White-bellied Parrot has an orange-yellow head and vent, a white belly, green wings and back, bluish primary feathers, a pinkish-horn beak, and pinkish legs and feet. Juvenile

Juvenile (organism)

A juvenile is an individual organism that has not yet reached its adult form, sexual maturity or size. Juveniles sometimes look very different from the adult form, particularly in terms of their colour...

s have brownish or black feathers on the head and nape, yellow feathers on the white belly, and greyish legs. Generally, the off-colored feathers will be lost and replaced by orange or white feathers respectively as the bird matures. Young birds also have dark brown irises

Iris (anatomy)

The iris is a thin, circular structure in the eye, responsible for controlling the diameter and size of the pupils and thus the amount of light reaching the retina. "Eye color" is the color of the iris, which can be green, blue, or brown. In some cases it can be hazel , grey, violet, or even pink...

, which will change to a rust or orange with age.

Subspecies

• Green-thighed Parrot/Caique (Pionites leucogaster leucogaster). Found in the eastern part of its range. It has green thighs and upper tail.
• Yellow-thighed Parrot/Caique (P. l. xanthomerius). Found in western part of its range. It has yellow thighs and green upper tail.
• Yellow-tailed Parrot/Caique (P. l. xanthurus). Found in the central part of its range. It has yellow thighs and upper tail.

The Yellow-thighed is the subspecies most commonly kept as a pet in the United States. The Green-thighed is somewhat rare in captivity, and Yellow-tailed is very rare in captivity.