Greater Rhea

• It is the largest bird in the Americas.
• It breeds under a reversed polyandrous system: several females lay in one nest, which the male alone incubates.
• A communal nest may hold as many as 80 eggs from several females.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - non-pneumatised bony skeleton, flightless bird (ratite)

Habitat and environment

Open grassland, savannah, scrub and wetland of eastern and central South America

Birth weight

No precise weight reported (it comes to 60-70% of the egg's weight); the chick has dark lengthwise stripes

Size at birth

Precocial, with grey down and dark lengthwise stripes, able to move almost at once

Sexual maturity

14 months (though effective breeding usually starts at around 2 years)

Gestation / incubation

29-43 days, incubated by the male alone

Litter / clutch size

5 to 10 eggs per female; communal nests may hold as many as 80 from several females

Life expectancy in captivity

Documented record of up to 40 years in captivity

Sources consulted: BioDB · Study.com · Idaho Falls Zoo · Animalia.bio · Ark Encounter · Animal Diversity Web · A-Z Animals · New World Encyclopedia · PMC (seasonal hormone study)

The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.