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Lesser Rhea

Rhea pennata

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernOmnivoreGrasslandScrapeHuge · 23.9 kg
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), photo 1
Photo: Nicolas Olejnik · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), photo 2
Photo: Tomás Tamagno · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), photo 3
Photo: Nicolas Olejnik · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), photo 4
Photo: Sergio Garrido Villa · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), photo 5
Photo: Nicolas Olejnik · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), photo 6
Photo: Tomás Tamagno · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), photo 7
Photo: Nicolas Olejnik · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), photo 8
Photo: Jeremy Vandel · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), photo 9
Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Rhea (Rhea pennata), photo 10
Photo: Christoph Moning · CC BY 4.0

ID tip

The lesser rhea stands at 90 to 100 cm (35–39 in) tall. Length is 92 to 100 cm (36–39 in) and weight is 15 to 28.6 kg (33–63 lb). Like most ratites, it has a small head and a small bill, the latter measuring 6.2 to 9.2 cm (2.4 to 3.6 in), but has long legs and a long neck. It has relatively larger wings than other ratites, enabling it to run particularly well. It can reach speeds of 60 km/h (37 mph), enabling it to outrun predators. The sharp claws on the toes are effective weapons. Their feathers are similar to those of ostriches, in that they have no aftershaft.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Lesser Rhea

One bar for each month. Filled bars are the 9 months with records; pale bars are months with none. The wide bar is November, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Lesser Rhea

Regular range

The map shades 4 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

Argentina Chile Bolivia Peru

About the Lesser Rhea

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.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) Greater RheaRhea americanaThe adults have an average weight of 20–27 kg (44–60 lb) and often measure 127 to 140 cm (50 to 55 in) long from beak to tail; they usually stand about 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) tall, with a typical range of 1.4 to 1.7 m (4 ft 7 in to 5 ft 7 in), to the top of the head.

Side by side: Greater Rhea vs Lesser Rhea

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