Home › Aves › Rheidae › Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata)
SPECIES PROFILE
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata)
Rhea
IUCN STATUS
Near Threatened
CONSERVATION STATUS
Near Threatened
CLASS
Aves
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Patagonia and the high Andes
DIET
Omnivorous
HABITAT
Patagonian steppe and altiplano
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Aves
ORDER
Rheiformes
FAMILY
Rheidae
GENUS
Rhea
📋 Description
SIZE
Up to 1 m tall; 15-25 kg
COLORATION
Brownish-grey with white spotting
ADAPTATIONS
Flightless but very fast runner; males incubate the eggs
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Patagonian steppe and altiplano
DIET
Omnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Patagonia and the high Andes
REPRODUCTION
Male incubates eggs from several females
DIET DETAILS
Plants, seeds and insects
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Egg collection, hunting, fencing
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Also called Darwin's rhea, this flightless bird sprints across the steppe at up to 60 km/h.
2
Males do all the incubating and raise the striped chicks alone.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Torres del Paine steppe
Península Valdés
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
October-March
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Scan open Patagonian steppe from the road at dawn; flocks run in the distance and males guard chicks.
