Darwin's rhea or the lesser rhea is a large flightless bird, the smaller of the two extant species of rheas. It is found in the Altiplano and Patagonia in South America.
Region
Southern Andes and Patagonian steppe
Typical Environment
Occurs across the Patagonian grasslands and shrub-steppe of southern Argentina and Chile, and in puna and Altiplano habitats of Bolivia, Peru, and northern Chile. Prefers open, arid to semi-arid plains with low shrubs and bunchgrasses, often near scattered wetlands. In the high Andes it occupies puna grasslands, bofedales edges, and salt-flats margins. Human-altered pastures and ranchlands are also used if disturbance and hunting pressure are low.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 4500 m
Climate Zone
Arid
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Darwin's rhea, also called the lesser rhea, is a large flightless bird of the Patagonian steppe and the Andean Altiplano. Males are polygynous and incubate communal clutches, then rear the chicks alone. They are powerful runners, using their wings for balance, and can exceed highway speeds of many vehicles on rough ground. As mixed feeders, they help disperse seeds across arid landscapes.
A family of Rhea pennata pennata in the wild in Chile, 2006
Head of a Darwin's rhea at the Edinburgh Zoo
Illustration of Darwin's rhea, published in 1841 in John Gould's description of birds collected on the second voyage of HMS Beagle
Rhea's egg, in the Museum Wiesbaden, Germany
Temperament
wary and alert
Flight Pattern
flightless; runs with powerful strides and uses wings for balance
Social Behavior
Outside breeding, forms loose groups that graze and move together across open country. During breeding, several females lay in a single nest that the male builds; the male incubates the large clutch and guards and leads the chicks for weeks. Displays include wing spreading, booming calls, and chases.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Generally quiet, but males produce low, booming hoots during courtship that carry over long distances. Both sexes may hiss or grunt when alarmed or defending young.
