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The Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) is a flightless bird found in eastern South America. Other names for the Greater Rhea include the Grey, Common, American Rhea, ñandú (Guaraní) or Ema (Portuguese). The Greater Rhea is one of two species in the genus Rhea, and closely resembles the Emu and Ostrich, easily causing confusion among them.
Rio 2[]
"Faster, faster, faster!" Tiago riding a Rhea.
During Blu and his family's journey to the Amazon, they enlist some Rhea to carry them for a short distance. Tiago calls for his steed to go faster, but Blu calls for his to go slower, accidentally covering her eyes, which makes her laugh.
Later in the movie, a Rhea dances in the auditions for Nico and Pedro's show, but accidentally tangles herself up in her long neck.
"You gotta go low, low, low, low..." A Rhea accidentally tangling itself during it's audition for Amazon Untamed.
Distribution[]
An adult Rhea has an average weight of 20–27 kg (44–60 lb.) and often measures 127 to 140 cm (50 to 55 in) long from beak to tail; they usually stand about 1.5 m (4.9 ft.) tall. Large males can weigh up to 40 kg (88 lb.), stand nearly 1.83 m (6.0 ft.) tall and measure over 150 cm (59 in) long, although this is rare. Males are generally larger than the females.
A close-up view of a Greater Rhea.
The head and bill are fairly small, the latter measuring 8–10.4 cm (3.1–4.1 in) in length.
Individual and Flock Behavior[]
The Greater Rhea is a silent bird except during mating season, when they make low booming noises, and as chicks, when they give a mournful whistle. During the non-breeding season they will form flocks of between 10 and 100 birds. When in flocks, they tend to be less vigilant, but the males can get aggressive towards other males. When chased they will flee in a zig-zag pattern, alternately raising one wing then the other. These flocks break up in the winter in time for breeding season.
A Rhea in Argentina.
Feeding and Diet[]
The rhea's diet mainly consists of broad-leaved foliage, particularly seeds and fruit
Status and Conservation[]
The Greater Rhea is considered a near threatened species according to the IUCN, and they have a decreasing range of about 6,540,000 square kilometers (2,530,000 sq mi).
Image Gallery[]
