American Rhea
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| American Rhea | ||||||||||||||
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| Rhea americana (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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The flightless American Rhea (Rhea americana), also known as the Gray, Common, or Greater Rhea is not only the largest species of the genus Rhea but also the largest American bird.
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[edit] Characteristics
The adults have an average weight of 27 kilograms (60 lbs) and are 129 cm (51 inches) long. The males are generally bigger than the females. Rheas have a fluffy, tattered looking plumage. The legs are long and strong, and have three toes.
The plumage is gray or brown, with high individual diversity. In general, the males are darker than the females, but albinos do occur.
[edit] Habitat and geographical extension
Male rheas are very territorial during the breeding season. The infant chicks are highly intolerant of toxins[citation needed], having high mortality in typical confinement farming situations. Under optimum conditions chicks will grow to four feet tall by their fifth month. Farmers sometimes consider them pests, because they will eat broad-leaved 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 usually eat most cereals or other monocots, but they relish cabbage, chard and bok choi, although if very hungry, soybean leaves will do. Rheas disdain grasses unless there are no other options. The habitual burning of crops in South America has contributed to their decline.
The American Rhea lives in grassland, savanna, scrub forest, chaparral, and even desert, but prefers areas with at least some tall vegetation. During the 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.
A small population of the American Rhea has become established in Germany[2]. Three pairs escaped from a farm in Groß Groenau in August 2000. These birds survived the winter and succeeded in breeding in habitat similar to that of their South American one. They later crossed the Wakenitz river and founded a colony in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the area between Schattin, Utrecht and Rieps. Rheas have also been sighted in nearby areas, and some estimate the population to be around 200 birds. As a wild-living bird, they are legally protected in Germany in a similar way to native species.
[edit] Rhea farming
Rhea are farmed in North America and Europe (as are the Emu and the Ostrich). While the main products are meat and eggs, rhea oil is also used for cosmetics and soaps.
[edit] Subspecies
There are five subspecies of the American Rhea [3], which are difficult to distinguish. One main distinguishing trait is the black coloring of the throat and the height.
- Rhea americana americana, centre and northeastern Brazil
- Rhea americana intermedia, Uruguay and extrem south of Brazil
- Rhea americana nobilis, eastern Paraguay
- Rhea americana araneipes, western Paraguay, eastern Bolivia, Brazilian Mato Grosso region.
- Rhea americana albescens, plains of Argentina (northern and eastern parts of the country).
[edit] Conservation status
The American Rhea is a threatened species listed in CITES, although only near-threatened according to the IUCN.[1]
[edit] References
- ^ a b BirdLife International (2004). 'Rhea americana'. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
- ^ Die Zeit story about Rheas living wild in Germany (in German) (Google translation)
- ^ World Twitcher
[edit] Further reading
- Josep del Hoyo et al.: Handbook of the Birds of the World, Band 1 (Ostrich to Ducks). Lynx Edicions, 1992, ISBN 84-87334-10-5
