Difference between revisions of "Greater Rhea" - BirdForum Opus

Latest revision as of 22:00, 12 February 2024

Alternative Names: Gray Rhea, Common Rhea, American Rhea.

Photo by jocateme
Eldorado, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, July 2007

Rhea americana

Identification

Length: 129 cm (51 in). Weight: Wt. 25 kg (55 lbs)
The Greater Rhea is not only the largest species of Rhea but the largest American bird.

Similar Species

The Greater Rhea has many similarities to the Ostrich but it is about half the height at 1.5 metres and it has a feathered rather than a bare neck.

Since the Rhea is found only in South America, there will be no confusion with the African Ostrich.

Photo by jocateme
Eldorado, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, October 2007

Distribution

South America: found in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Five subspecies are recognized^[1]:

R. a. araneipes - western Brazil (southern Rondônia and Mato Grosso), eastern Bolivia, and western Paraguay (chaco region)
R. a. americana - central and northeastern Brazil (to Rio Grande do Norte) to southern Brazil (south to São Paulo and Paraná)
R. a. nobilis - Eastern Paraguay (east of the Río Paraguay)
R. a. albescens - Plains of Argentina south to Río Negro
R. a. intermedia - extreme southern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul) and Uruguay

Habitat

Displaying male
Photo by Daniesser
Bonito-MS, Brazil, September 2009

Grassland, savanna, scrub forest, chaparral, and even desert, but prefers areas with at least some tall vegetation.

Behaviour

Due to their remarkable immune system injured birds heal swiftly with little intervention.

Diet

They are omnivorous but their main diet is plant based, including seeds, roots, leaves and fruit, supplemented with insects.

Breeding

During breeding season (which ranges from August to January in South America, April to August in North America), it stays near water. Males are highly territorial.

Status

Classified as Near Threatened, rheas are hunted for food and are regarded as a pest by some farmers. They are also killed for their feathers which are used in feather dusters sold mainly in Japan and the USA.

References

Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Avibase
Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2014)
Statemaster

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Greater Rhea. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 9 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Greater_Rhea

External Links

Search for photos of Greater Rhea in the gallery

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-;Rhea americana
+'''Alternative Names: Gray Rhea, Common Rhea, American Rhea.'''
-[[Image:Rhea americana.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by jocateme<br>Locality: Eldorado, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil]]
+[[Image:Greater_Rheajocateme.jpg|thumb|550px|right|Photo by {{user|jocateme|jocateme}}<br />Eldorado, Mato Grosso do Sul, [[Brazil]], July 2007]]
-==Description==
+;[[:Category:Rhea|Rhea]] americana
+==Identification==
+Length: 129 cm (51 in).  Weight: Wt. 25 kg (55 lbs)<br />
+The Greater Rhea is not only the largest species of Rhea but the largest American bird.<br />
-The American Rhea (Rhea americana), also known as the Gray, Common, or Greater Rhea is not only the largest species of rhea but the largest American bird, with adults averaging 25 kilograms (55 lbs) and 129 cm (51 inches) long.
+====Similar Species====
+The Greater Rhea has many similarities to the [[Ostrich]] but it is about half the height at 1.5 metres and it has a feathered rather than a bare neck.
-Farmers sometimes consider them pests, because they will eat some crop plants. Because of this habit, farmers sometimes kill the birds. This, along with egg gathering and habitat loss, has led to a sharp population decline; the species is listed as being of "special concern." They do not eat most crop plants, but they will eat brassicas (cabbage, and baby chard and bok choi) if very hungry soybean leaves. Rheas disdain grasses.
+Since the Rhea is found only in [[South America]], there will be no confusion with the African Ostrich.
+[[Image:Greater_Rhea.jpg|thumb|350px|right|Photo by {{user|jocateme|jocateme}}<br />Eldorado, Mato Grosso do Sul, [[Brazil]], October 2007]]
+==Distribution==
+[[South America]]: found in [[Bolivia]], [[Brazil]], [[Paraguay]], [[Uruguay]], [[Argentina]]
-The American Rhea lives in grassland, savanna, scrub forest, chaparral, and even desert, but prefers areas with at least some tall vegetation. During breeding season (which ranges from August to January in South America, April to August in North America), it stays near water. It is endemic to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.[1]
+==Taxonomy==
+====Subspecies====
+Five subspecies are recognized<sup>[[#References|[1]]]</sup>:
+* ''R. a. araneipes'' - western [[Brazil]] (southern Rondônia and Mato Grosso), eastern [[Bolivia]], and western [[Paraguay]] (chaco region)
+* ''R. a. americana'' - central and northeastern [[Brazil]] (to Rio Grande do Norte) to southern [[Brazil]] (south to São Paulo and Paraná)
+* ''R. a. nobilis'' - Eastern [[Paraguay]] (east of the Río Paraguay)
+* ''R. a. albescens'' - Plains of [[Argentina]] south to Río Negro
+* ''R. a. intermedia'' - extreme southern [[Brazil]] (Rio Grande do Sul) and [[Uruguay]]
+==Habitat==
+[[Image:29815.JPG|thumb|350px|right|Displaying male<br />Photo by {{user|Daniesser|Daniesser}}<br />Bonito-MS, [[Brazil]], September 2009]]
+Grassland, savanna, scrub forest, chaparral, and even desert, but prefers areas with at least some tall vegetation.
+==Behaviour==
+Due to their remarkable immune system injured birds heal swiftly with little intervention.
+====Diet====
+They are [[Dictionary_M-O#O|omnivorous]] but their main diet is plant based, including seeds, roots, leaves and fruit, supplemented with insects.
+====Breeding====
+During breeding season (which ranges from August to January in South America, April to August in North America), it stays near water. Males are highly territorial.
+====Status====
+Classified as Near Threatened, rheas are hunted for food and are regarded as a pest by some farmers.  They are also killed for their feathers which are used in feather dusters sold mainly in Japan and the USA.
+==References==
+#{{Ref-Clements6thAug18}}#Avibase
+#Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2014)
+#Statemaster
+{{ref}}
-Male rheas are very territorial during breeding season. The infant chicks are highly intolerant of toxins, having high mortality in typical farming situations. Baby chicks under optimum conditions will grow to four feet tall by their fifth month.
+==External Links==
+{{GSearch|"Rhea americana" {{!}} "Greater Rhea"}}
+{{GS-checked}}1
+<br />
+<br />
-Rheas have an incredible immune system that allows injured birds to heal rapidly with little intervention. This is reflected in the commercial uses of the animal. The fat of the birds is used as an anti-inflammatory salve. Use of the meat as an energy supplement is patented in the U.S. and Canada by an American woman who has spent 12 years working to reduce chick mortality and provide a commercial basis for the species, trying to ensure its long-term survival.
+[[Category:Birds]] [[Category:Rhea]]
-The Greater Rhea has many similarities to the Ostrich but it is about half the height at 1.5 metres and it has a feathered rather than a bare neck.
-It is classified as Near Threatened. They are hunted for food and are regarded as a pest by some farmers.
-They are also killed for their feathers which are used in feather dusters sold mainly in Japan and the USA.
-==Identification==
-Photo taken: Barra do Quara�, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
-==External Links==
-{{GSearch|Rhea+americana}}
-[[Category:Birds]]