Photo Essay: Darwin's (Lesser) Rhea

Darwin's (Lesser) Rhea

Darwin's (Lesser) Rhea (Rhea pennata) is a flightless bird of southern South America, ranging from southern Peru southwards to the very tip of the continent. There are three subspecies:

Rhea pennata garleppi: the puna of south-east Peru, south-west Bolivia & north-western Argentina.

Rhea pennata tarapacensis: puna of northern Chile.

Rhea pennata pennata: the Patagonian steppes of Argentina & Chile.

The first two races are found in the high altiplano & together are often regarded as  Puna Rhea.

Rheas belong to a group of birds called ratites, which lack the keel of the breastbone where flight muscles are attached. They have many similarities with other flightless birds such as the Ostrich. Males mate with several females. Males make a scrape in the earth, where females lay their eggs. However some males become aggressive & therefore later females who arrive cannot get to the scrape & so lay their eggs close by, where they often rot. These rotten eggs crack & attract flies which the male uses to feed the chicks when they first hatch.

Young bird.

This young bird is just getting the spots of 
adult plumage.

Male with a young bird.

This male kept trying to drive these chicks away.

The three chicks were well grown & 
wanted to stay with Daddy!

They don't reach maturity until their third year.

Here on the Patagonian steppes this species is quite common & in protected areas it can become fearless. However, in farming areas it is shy & quickly runs away from the observer.