The diversity of birds on the planet ranges from tiny to large species, which in some cases remind us that they are related to the extinct dinosaurs. These animals have varied characteristics, some with colorful plumage, others more monochromatic, also those that emit beautiful songs or those that barely vocalize. In addition, we generally associate them with animals that fly, but there are some that are not capable of doing so.
In this article on our site we present a bird with some of the aforementioned traits, which is known as the rhea. Keep reading and learn some of the characteristics of the rhea, as well as where it lives, what it eats and other curiosities.
Characteristics of the rhea
The rhea is a bird characterized by the following features:
- It is an animal of large size. Depending on the species, the height ranges between 0.90 and 1,70 meters, while the weight ranges from 15 to 36 kg.
- Their body shape is ovular.
- Depending on the species, the rhea can have a black coloration with a gray-brown head and neck, but with pale feathers towards the lower extremities. Others are more like brown or grayish with white spots that vary in size depending on the species.
- The neck and legs are long and they have well developed thighs. All of these body parts have feathers, although not as abundant.
- It is a flightless bird, which has soft feathers and on each wing it has a claw that it uses to defend itself.
- They run at high speeds and do not do it straight, but in a zigzag, and can reach up to 60 km/h Do you want to know if the rhea is among the fastest animals? Do not miss this other article about the fastest animals in the world.
Types of rhea
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognizes three species of rhea, which are:
- Rhea americana (Greater Rhea): measures between 1.34 and 1.70 meters and weighs between 26 and 36 kg, being males larger than females. The upper part of the body is brownish gray, while the upper and dorsal parts are black and the ventral part is clear or white.
- Rhea pennata (Lesser Rhea): its size ranges between 0.90 and 1 meter, with a weight of 15 to 25 kg. In general, it is brown with white spots on the sides and the ventral area is pale.
- Rhea tarapacensis: its size, weight and color coincide with the lesser rhea, however, it is grayer than the previous one and with minor white spots.
Where does the rhea live?
The rhea is a bird native to South America, which has a distribution in various countries of this region, generally associated with open grasslands. Thus, the species commonly known as the greater rhea is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, while the lesser rhea is found in Argentina and Chile. For its part, R. tarapacensis is distributed in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru.
The type of habitat of the rhea can have certain variations. The first species is found in savannahs, bushes, prairies and fields with crops, while the other two in steppes, bushes and wetlands.
What does the rhea eat?
The diet of the rhea is mainly based on plants, but because it also consumes certain animals to a lesser degree, it is considered an omnivorous animalThis bird generally eats plants and seeds In times of abundance it preferably opts for legumes, however, when they become scarce, it includes grasses and cereals.
As for the animals that the rhea eats, we can mention fish, other birds, smaller vertebrates and insects It eventually consumes feces of other rheas and also small rocks, which help to process the food. These animals usually obtain the water they require from the vegetation they consume.
How does the rhea reproduce?
This is a gregarious bird that forms groups of up to 30 individuals. However, when the reproductive season arrives, the males become territorial and reduce the group exclusively to a maximum number of about 12 females. The leading male will mate with all the females and will dig a shallow nest in the ground which he will fill with leaves. After copulating, the females are taken to the nest by the male to lay eggs. Sometimes they may return in a few days to lay a few more eggs.
Once the collective clutch is formed, the male becomes very aggressive and territorial with anything that comes near the nest, even with females that want to lay more eggs, so they lay successively at a reasonable distance from it. The male then approaches and moves these eggs with the rest. Some rot because they are not hatched, which attracts certain insects on which the male will feed and will also give birth to chicks.
Incubation lasts between 35 and 40 days and, finally, between 13 and 30 eggs end up being viable. When the first rhea is born, it begins to make calls that serve as a stimulus for the rest to hatch, so that the birth is almost synchronized and lasts approximately 24 to 28 hours.
Male rheas are very protective, keeping the young close for up to six months, although there are cases in which they even stay together longer. These animals have developed a parental instinct to the point that, if they find a lost chick, they adopt it for their group.
Conservation status of the rhea
IUCN has established that the greater rhea and R. tarapacensisare in the category of near threatened , while the lesser rhea is considered least concern.
In the case of R. americana (greater rhea), the causes that threaten the species have had to do with mass hunting for the marketing of rhea meat and skin, but also the transformation of the habitat for livestock and agriculture is another reason for its impact. As for the species R. tarapacensis, it has been hunted for meat consumption and for uses in traditional medicine, on the other hand, the massive consumption of eggs has influenced this situation, as well as the alteration of the habitat.
Although the lesser rhea falls into the indicated category, its population trend is declining, so that, like the greater rhea, it has been included in appendix II of the Trade Convention International on Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, which establishes certain legal control mechanisms for endangered species; while r.tarapacensis is located in appendix I, which prohibits the capture in their natural habitats of the animals included therein.
