Already known in livestock farming, the rhea ostrich comes from South America. It is a flightless bird whose weight increases rapidly with skillful breeding. Their natural habitat is not Africa, as many people think, but Chile, America, Brazil, South America and even Bolivia. The rhea differs from its African relative by being slightly lighter in weight. He also only has two toes instead of three.
There is no definitive answer as to whether the African and American rheas are closely related. Their identity has not yet been established. IN Russian farms Rhea, which lives in South America, is used for breeding. It adapts better to cold and changeable climates.
Visually, the two types of rhea are extremely difficult to distinguish. You should pay attention only to the number of fingers. As you know, a native of South America has only two of them. This type is suitable for Russian farms. Everyone knows another species - the Darwin ostrich, which is even smaller than the rhea. It is rarely used in domestic livestock farming, as it has even smaller sizes.
The main differences between rhea and ostrich
Are there any differences between the common ostriches and rheas? There are very few external differences. But there are important indicators that will definitely be useful for breeders:
The last difference between the rhea and its possible relative is its running speed. The bird is much slower than a regular ostrich, but can accelerate to as much as 60 km/h. In nature, she can not only run fast, but also swim. It is known that rheas in South America even swim across local rivers with ease. He attacks the local farmers' fields with lightning speed. He is compared to locusts.
American ostrich rhea: description of the species
Before you start breeding poultry, even if it’s not local, you should familiarize yourself with its basic indicators and description. For rhea they are:
One flock usually contains no more than three dozen individuals. In its natural environment, this species is on the verge of extinction. Local farmers often contribute to this. Their lands are attacked by ostriches, so the latter are destroyed. Nevertheless, they are now artificially bred in many European countries, in Russia.
The character and behavior of ostriches in life
It is no coincidence that there are less than 50 rheas in one flock. The fact is that the ostrich is one of those individuals that needs space. They are freedom-loving and do not tolerate the presence of several males in a pack at once. Usually their number does not exceed two individuals in a flock.
Interesting to know! Despite this nature of rheas, they can easily get along with other species of birds and domesticated animals. The reason lies in instincts. This species is several hundred years old. By teaming up with others, they were able to survive and protect themselves from predators.
For this reason, rheas are often housed on farms with artiodactyl animals. They get along well with them, no worries arise. And the birds themselves cannot be called hostile. They will even prefer to run away from the enemy than to fight him. This species loves solitude, living in a small flock, and having free space. The rhea also shows incredible care for its offspring. This applies not only to females, but also to males.
Benefits of breeding Nandu
Rheas have been domesticated for a long time. The reason lies in the fact that they easily adapt to almost any conditions. They can be found even in Germany. For example, this is where there are many farms where this bird is bred. In livestock farming it is valued due to:
Therefore, rhea breeding is a profitable business. There are quite a few such farms in Russia. There is virtually no competition. The popularity of the case is gaining momentum, as the bird has heavy weight, and is also unpretentious to living conditions. Its mortality at the growing stage is minimal.
Offspring
IN farms In one flock there are from 5 to 30 individuals. This amount is typical in natural conditions. Leaving more birds in a flock can lead to constant conflicts between them. The optimal number of males is one or two. Don't worry that it's too little.
One rhea male can fertilize 5-7 females. The calculations should be based on these figures. Important Features:
When does the female start laying eggs? This happens in spring or autumn, and late. This is typical for any climate. Rheas are monitored for their offspring, but farmers themselves should pay attention to the clutch. To do this you need:
The diet and lifestyle of young animals is significantly different from adults. Little ostrich chicks need the following conditions:
- In the first week, you need to equip the rooms with eggs with proper lighting. It is advisable to save it until the chicks are born.
- The air should be moist, not dry (up to 65-70%).
- There is no need to use straw or grass as bedding until the young animals are at least 1 month old.
Important. The rhea ostrich is still not whimsical in breeding. During the season you can get several dozen new individuals at once.
Nutrition for the ostrich rhea
Rheas are not carnivores, so their diet is exclusively herbivorous. There is information that they can hunt small vertebrates, such as frogs.
There is a rumor in South America that birds can even catch frogs with their beaks. Of course, when breeding you need a completely different diet. It must be balanced. The following is a table of suitable foods for rheas.
Table 1. Diet for rhea ostriches
| Type of food for rhea | List of products and explanation |
|---|---|
| Foods of plant origin containing fiber and carbohydrates | Cereals, corn. This is an essential part of the diet. |
| Vitamins and minerals | Potatoes, beets, carrots. During the winter season, the flock and young animals cannot do without these products. They need to add them to their food every day. |
| Fiber | The food in the rhea's stomach is well digested, but sometimes difficulties arise. Therefore, you should add meadow grass to your diet from time to time. It also contains the moisture necessary for the ostrich. |
| Squirrels | In order for the bird’s weight to increase, you need to give it fish, cottage cheese and even eggs. The ostrich readily accepts fermented milk products as food. These foods are included in the daily diet. Of course, they increase the farmer’s expenses, but the weight of the individuals will increase significantly. |
| Water | Daily consumption. |
| Supplements | If required, according to indications. |
You should not switch your flock to only one type of food. Their diet should be balanced. Only then will the ostriches reach the required weight.
Nutrition is also the key to the health of young animals. Individuals do not feed from the ground or floor feeders. They only need hanging ones. Up to 4 kg of feed should be poured into one such feeder at a time. The amount of food should be calculated based on the number of individuals, young animals in the flock, and their weight. Also, one should not forget about pure Veda. It should be changed twice a day. A floor feeder is also suitable for water. It is important to create conditions to which rheas are accustomed in natural conditions. This is why feeders with food are hung. This is necessary so that the individual gets it as if plucking it from a bush or tree.
Rhea is an unpretentious bird, but it still requires compliance with the rules of keeping. It is important to walk her, and not just keep her indoors. In winter, this may be difficult. In cold weather, rhea can be walked at temperatures that do not drop below 4 degrees below zero. If it decreases, then the flock needs to be moved indoors.
Content Features:
- In the summer, the flock can be outside behind a fence. For winter it requires a separate warm room. The ostrich does not tolerate drafts, so attention should be paid to thermal insulation.
- Dry straw, less often grass, is used as bedding.
- An enclosure should be made in an open space for the flock. It can be fenced, for example, with a net.
- Small artificial pond. It is necessary to place there large number river sand.
Important. Since the bird loves space, both the aviary and the room must have sufficient area. The ceiling height is at least 2.5-3 meters.
Is it worth raising ostriches in Russia?
In general, the rhea ostrich adapts to any climate, even if it natural environment are subtropical. In Russia and Europe, these birds easily get used to a different diet and temperature regime. Favorable conditions should be created for them, and then breeding will become a profitable business. If you neglect simple recommendations, then the young animals in the flock are unlikely to be healthy.
The advantage of such a business is that there are not so many farms in Russia where ostriches are raised. Therefore, you can easily find customers. Among the clients there will be not only those who need rhea meat, but also feathers and fat. All of them are highly valued all over the world, including in Russia.
Ostriches can be raised not only on separate farms, but also together with artiodactyls. Farms are often converted to breed such birds. She can live side by side with cows and goats. In order for the flock to feel favorable, it is necessary to provide all the conditions, temperature conditions and premises in winter that are listed above.
Video - Breeding ostriches
Many people classify the rhea as a member of the ostrich family. Due to some factors, zoologists believe that this statement is not entirely correct. Let's figure out who the rhea really is.
Origin
According to the biological classification, ostriches are representatives of the order Ostrichidae, and rheas are members of the rhea-like order. The latter are very similar in appearance to ostriches, but are much smaller in size. Scientists differ on whether rheas and ostriches are related. Some believe that ostriches descended from rheas and somehow moved to Africa from South America. The appearance of rheas dates back to the Paleocene period; they definitely lived in the Eocene and are one of the most ancient birds on the planet. Other zoological scientists claim that these similar birds evolved differently.
Characteristics of rhea
Rheas get their name from the cry they make. It resembles the growl of an animal and is heard literally as “nan-doo.” Most often males scream this way during the breeding season. Birds are divided into two taxa - Darwinian and common.
Description of appearance
In the bird family, rheas are representatives of large flightless species. They are half the size of ostriches. Unlike ostriches, they have three-fingered limbs rather than two-fingered ones.
Did you know? The rhea's step can be two meters.
At the end of the rhea's wings there is a claw-shaped outgrowth. According to zoologists, males use it to intimidate rivals during the mating season. Otherwise, the birds are very similar in appearance and are the only representatives in their family.
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The characteristics of rheas can be complemented by their ability to hiss and the fact that they are excellent swimmers.
Habitats
The place where the rhea lives is the entire South American continent. He lives in Bolivia, Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay. Rheas choose flat savannas to live in. Species of rheas differ from each other depending on what part of the continent they live on. Darwin's rhea is found at an altitude of 4.5 thousand meters above sea level and in the southern part of Peru, so it is small in size and very hardy. The common species lives in low areas where the climate is warmer, as a result of which it is larger in size than Darwin. 
Productive qualities
Increasingly, rheas are bred on farms due to their high productive qualities. Poultry meat is healthy due to its low cholesterol content. Its slaughter yield is equal to half of the total weight. On average, a female can lay about 60 eggs per season, the maximum egg production is 80. There are exceptions when she refuses to lay eggs. Ostrich leather is highly valued in the production of bags, clothing, and shoes. Because of its strength, eggshells are also highly valued. Jewelry and miniature paintings are made from it.
Character and lifestyle
Rheas have a calm, balanced character. Fights occur only between males during the mating season. Birds live in herds, which number from 5 to 30 individuals. Females, males and juveniles are found together. Rheas are active and feed during daylight hours. When the heat is intense, they can stay awake at night. They do not tolerate heat well.
Rheas are polygamous birds. During the breeding season, they form groups of one male and 5–7 females. After fertilization, the latter lay eggs in one nest. The offspring are incubated exclusively by the male. He is with the young animals in the first months of life. 
Nunduformes eat absolutely everything. The main list of what they eat includes plants, fruits, vegetables, insects, and small vertebrates. They claim that they can even eat poisonous snakes, but there is no documented evidence of this. To digest rough food, birds swallow small stones or minerals. Water is obtained mainly from food and can survive without it for quite a long time.
Important! A family of six ostriches should have at least 150 square meters. m area.
Breeding Features
Every year there are more and more farms where rheas are grown. Their meat, which tastes like beef, has a delicate structure and excellent dietary qualities. The eggs of these birds are also dietary. 
Livestock care
Rheas do not require high comfort conditions and are unpretentious in maintenance. It is enough to ensure that they live in warm homes in the winter and avoid drafts. The bird requires daily walking; in winter, it can be released into an aviary at a temperature not lower than -4 ° C.
Feeding
Nandas rarely get sick. This mainly occurs from poor nutrition or from hypothermia. Birds clean their plumage on their own; they do not need human help for this. Of course, you need to monitor the skin of your birds and, if you are concerned about their condition, seek help from a veterinarian.
Rheas can eat anything. However, it is better not to give them parsley, rye, or potatoes. These foods can cause digestive problems for them. Feeding should not be monotonous. The diet of birds includes grains, fresh grass, clover, alfalfa, corn silage, vegetables, and beans. It is good to feed birds with compound feed. In winter, vitamins and minerals must be added to food.
Adults
An adult rhea needs 1.5 kg of food per day. Food should be given in equal portions twice a day. In summer, it can consist of clover, alfalfa with the addition of grains and vegetables. Birds eat beets, cabbage, and carrots well. During the egg-laying period, it is not recommended to add corn to the diet.
Did you know? One rhea egg weighs more than ten chicken eggs.
Experienced farmers recommend composing a pet's diet as follows: 70% should be plant food, and the rest should be compound feed and vitamin and mineral supplements. 
For food in winter, hay is prepared, which forms the basis of the winter diet. In addition to this, at this time of year, rheas eat root vegetables and grains. Adding vitamins and minerals during this period is mandatory. Near the feeder there should always be a drinking bowl with clean water. It needs to be changed once a day. In the room where the pets are, there should be a pile of small stones and pebbles. Birds peck at it as needed. This helps digest food.
Young animals
The young may not eat for two to six days after hatching. This is because they have a yolk sac in their umbilical cord, which provides them with nutrition during this period. Young rheas should have food in the feeder at all times and consist of clover or alfalfa leaves, chopped to 1 cm, and vegetables. 
Chicks love beets, carrots, and apples. You need to add eggshells, shell rock, and small limestone pebbles to their diet. This helps to form the skeleton of the little rhea.
Important! Until four months old, baby rheas should not be given food containing a large amount of fiber.
Reproduction
The mating season for rheas occurs in the spring. Sexual maturity in birds occurs at two to three years of age. In the natural habitat, males fight for females, the strongest gets the harem, and the defeated one leaves. 
The male shows off in front of the females and fluffs up his plumage. It fertilizes 5 to 7 females, which lay eggs in one nest. The male incubates the chicks. They hatch in about 6 weeks. At first, the male is with them. On farms, the mating season for rheas can begin in March and end in October. The eggs are placed in incubators. The temperature there is maintained at +35 °C.
To successfully breed rhea you need the following:
- large storage area;
- properly formulated feeding diet;
- sufficient space for walking;
- availability of clean water;
- spacious home with no drafts;
- daily cleaning of the habitat;
- prevention of possible diseases.
The American ostrich is a flightless bird species. South America became the habitat of ostriches, and birds similar to them live in Africa. This visual identity creates a sense of their relationship, which has not yet been proven.
Rhea - ostrich from South America
Characteristics of the species
The rhea ostrich lives in the subtropical climate zone. According to historical monuments and known sources, American ostriches have been known since the sixteenth century. These birds lived in large numbers among the Indians.
The differences between African ostriches and rhea ostriches include:
- Body length. The rhea is twice as large as the African ostrich. The growth of the rhea reaches only one and a half meters in height.
- The rhea is covered with feathers, and the ostrich's neck is devoid of feathers.
- The rhea has three fingers on each paw, while the African has only two.
- They run slower than their African counterparts.
Rheas cannot fly. When running, they use their wings as a means of maintaining balance and a method of defense (thanks to the sharp claw on them). They are capable of accelerating up to sixty kilometers per hour. Nature has given them the ability to swim well and cross waters with strong currents.
What makes them different from other birds is their call. The sound of an ostrich is very similar to the voice of cats. The bird's voice is used during the breeding season. The name comes from the characteristic sound that is consonant with their name. Birds also use hissing to intimidate the enemy, or to alert their fellow birds about a possible threat.
Rhea ostriches run fast and can swim
The habitat became savannas or mountainous areas. It all depends on the subspecies.
They are also common in the states of Germany. Their population there does not exceed one hundred heads; they were formed there artificially and easily adapted to the local conditions.
The life activity of the rhea is carried out mainly during the day. In extremely hot climates, birds shift their activity to the evening.
Flocks of birds include thirty individuals or less. This species extremely values its personal space and does not tolerate its relatives from another flock being close to them. In one flock there is mainly one male, or two. This is directly related to the size of the flock. One male can fertilize seven females. Main feature is that the males independently hatch the eggs and walk the young ostriches. A clutch can contain up to forty eggs, which hatch for up to two months.
Birds live in the same flock with other species of animals, thus they protect themselves and their neighbors from attacks by predators.
The male rhea takes care of the offspring
Peculiarities
The diet of the species includes both plant and grain foods, as well as insects and small creeping creatures. Ostriches compensate for their need for water with food. Their natural feature is the ability to exist for a long time without water.
There is no exact information about the predisposition of rheas to any type of bird. They are classified as ostriches, but this predisposition is questioned by other specialists who study them.
Accurate information is known that rheas originated hundreds of years ago. And it is likely that ostriches are the ancestors of all existing birds.
It is a known fact that the American ostrich was used as food by the Indians. The rhea ostrich is also in demand due to its feathers and skin.
Young rhea
Birds today are domesticated, and there is a threat of extinction of the species. Since the bird is often killed by farmers whose lands suffer from the actions of the rhea. Overhunting of the species poses a threat to the population.
Distinctive features of the species and their mysterious story makes the species interesting both for amateurs and for scientists studying the species.
Ostriches are the largest birds in the world, their height can reach 270 cm and weight 175 kg. In private farming, Nandas are usually grown for their eggs, feathers and meat, which is considered dietary.
The ostrich Nandu is a flightless bird of the order Rhea-shaped, living mainly in South America. Their appearance hints at a relationship with the African ostrich, but scientists do not yet have accurate information on this matter.
African ostriches and rheas have quite a lot of differences. The South American bird usually does not reach more than 1.4 meters in height and looks twice as small, and weighs only about 40 kg.
Unlike its African counterpart, Nandu's neck is covered with feathers, and there are three toes, while the bird from Africa has only two. All flightless birds use their wings to maintain balance when running: they can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h.
Habitat
These ostriches like habitats such as savannas, which is why they are found in the Patagonian lowlands and in the Andean mountain plateaus. Their main habitat: Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Brazil.
In places below, where there is a warm climate, Nandu, and Darwin's Nandu has settled down at altitudes up to 4500 above sea level.
In 1990, in north-eastern Germany, a number of winged birds of this species escaped from an ostrich farm in Lubeck. The South American ostrich was able to adapt well to the climate and develop its population. Now their number includes about one hundred individuals.
Ostrich breeders in Russia most often breed the African ostrich, but keeping the Nandu is almost no different. Their cultivation is in no way inferior in complexity to raising any poultry.
- availability of land, taking into account the size of the bird;
- availability of territory suitable for pasture;
- nest sites and enclosures;
- availability of water supply;
- young birds.
To raise poultry on your own farm in winter, you will need to build a warm room, and in summer, Nanda can be kept in open pens. It is advisable to build a poultry house in well-lit areas.
The premises for ostriches should be as spacious, lighted and clean as possible, but special attention should be paid to the climate in Nandu’s housing. Ostriches are very hardy and strong birds, but exposure to the cold can kill them.
Producing young poultry can be done in several ways:
- The parents are kept in warm houses or open pens, depending on the season. Eggs are constantly removed from the nest for incubation, which stimulates egg laying. The chicks are raised without parents. In this way, up to 40 eggs are obtained from each female.
- Parents are kept in closed poultry houses with extensive walking all year round. The female is left to incubate the eggs. In this case, human concern is limited to protecting the young from wild animals. Despite the advantages of saving on egg incubation, there is a big disadvantage - the female will be able to hatch no more than 15-20 eggs.
- Mixed method. In this option, a certain number of eggs are left to be incubated by the parents, while the rest are hatched by incubation.
Diet
Ostrich from South America for normal life requires the most varied diet. The main food for ostriches is plant foods.
Animals and mineral feed added to the diet, but in smaller doses:
- Plant-based food is the main source of carbohydrates and fiber. For feeding you can use: corn, wheat, barley and oats.
- Juicy feed. They contain a lot of water and are easily digested. It is useful to include vitamin hay from clover and other meadow grasses in your diet.
- Root tubers are a source of vitamins and minerals for winter and spring feeding. Ostriches can be given: raw or boiled potato tubers, beets and carrots.
- Animal feed. They are used to feed ostrich chicks as they contain large amounts of protein. You cannot use milk, but you can give yogurt or cottage cheese. There is a lot of protein in fish and eggs.
Ostriches are given fresh water every morning, changing it as it gets dirty.
Productive Features
Sexual maturity in male Nandus occurs at 3.5 years, and in females at 2-3 years. In more early age females may begin to lay “empty” eggs. For one male Nanda there should be 3-5 females.
When forming families, it is very convenient to keep ostriches of the first year separately from the second and third years of laying. This is done to make it easier to select the best individuals for breeding in the fall. In the case of keeping birds together, you have to mark each individual by entering information in a special journal.
Video about how a little ostrich is helped to hatch from an egg.
For breeding, select healthy, fully feathered individuals without defects. When pairing, it is better for the male to be older than the females entrusted to him. Two days before transferring to the fallow room, the birds are given food with a high content of vitamins.
Nandu eggs
In early spring, signs of ostrich courtship can already be seen in the poultry house. The male in every possible way pursues the females, who begin to lay eggs. When birds are moved to open pens, egg laying becomes intensified.
The Nandu's nest is a hole covered with grass, which is guarded by the male. A freshly laid egg is always sterile, but as it cools down, it loses this property and through the pores in the shell can become infected with harmful bacteria. That's why special attention pay attention to keeping the oviposition clean.
It is better to collect eggs at least twice a day - this stimulates egg production. Sometimes the collected egg may turn out to be dirty, but under no circumstances should you wash it, as there is a high chance of infection getting into the pores of the shell.
The average weight of an egg laid by a female Nandu ostrich is 620 grams; the yolk in it is located in the center and consists of alternating dark and light layers enclosed in one shell. The intense color of the egg yolk indicates high content vitamin A in the poultry diet.
The character and behavior of ostriches in life
Rheas lead an active lifestyle mainly during the day, and go to bed in the evening. They usually live in small groups of 5-30 individuals, including males, females and young animals. When mating season arrives, the group breaks up and each male settles into his own habitat.
Rheas always guard their personal space and, if a group member gets too close, they will crane their necks and scream in warning.
In the Pampas steppes, Nandus often form groups with guanacos, deer and vicuñas, and sometimes even cows and sheep. This mixing is mutually beneficial and helps to survive in nature.
This is not an ostrich - it's NANDU December 29th, 2013
One of the largest and most remarkable animals inhabiting the steppe expanses of South America is the rhea. This bird, which externally resembles an African ostrich, nevertheless belongs to a separate order of Rheaformes, which includes the only Rhea family (Rheidae) and the genus Rhea. The birds got their name from their calling cry during the breeding season - “nan-doo”.
Some evidence obtained during excavations suggests that rheas were the very first among flightless birds, and ostriches in this case are descended from rheas. The basis for such assumptions is the extreme antiquity of the rhea. Judging by the research of zoologists, rheas existed in the Eocene, and finds made by archaeologists suggest that they arose back in the Paleocene. Thus, rhea is one of the oldest families of birds on earth. Similarities with African ostriches and emu American rhea obtained during the so-called convergent evolution, when unrelated species develop similar characteristics under the influence of the same environmental conditions. All of these large, flightless birds belong to the same subclass of ratites, but their degree of relationship is about the same as that of the penguin and swallow.
True, the question of the family relationship between ostriches and rheas has not yet been resolved. Some researchers suggest that maybe they are not related at all, evolution took place separately, and the similarity is purely coincidental.
There are two known species of rhea. The first - the most common - is called the northern or common rhea (Rhea americana), it inhabits the steppes of Brazil and Argentina. The second species is named after the famous Darwin (Rhea pennata), or sometimes it is also called the long-billed rhea. Darwin's rhea lives in Patagonia, in the mountain steppes of the Andes. It is somewhat smaller than its northern relative, its color is more faded and inconspicuous, which allows it to successfully hide in the grass in case of danger.
Darwin's rhea has to hide from enemies much more often than run away from them - this species has a very weak legs and quickly runs out of steam long distances. But Darwin’s rhea is decorated with a longer beak than the northern one, as a result of which it received its second name. True, in matters of survival, the long beak does not help him much.
The northern rhea is more interesting. This is a fairly large bird, the height of an adult is over one and a half meters, and the weight can reach 50 kg. Rheas have huge eyes, decorated with amazingly lush eyelashes, the envy of all movie stars. Like a professional runner, the rhea has well-developed legs, but the wings, which, oddly enough, are quite large for a flightless bird, are very soft and weak and easily bend in different directions, like thin twigs. The bird's feathers are long, reminiscent of fern leaves, and are in quite high demand as decoration. The legs end in powerful, calloused feet, on which four toes grow.
The middle finger, the longest, is armed with a hard and very sharp claw. If the rhea suddenly changes its mind about fleeing from the enemy and decides to defend itself, then the claw will play a role terrible weapon: No matter whether the ostrich kicks forward or backward, this claw, like a sharp knife, will cut into the enemy's body, tearing and tearing it apart.
But such horrors, of course, can only happen as a last resort. Rheas are more than peace-loving birds and will always prefer flight to fight.
In general, these two types are not particularly different from each other. Both have long legs and neck, a flat beak and large eyes on a relatively small head, as well as surprisingly soft plumage covering the entire body, neck and thighs. Rheas are the only ratite birds without a gall bladder. They are painted rather modestly and inconspicuously. However, among grayish-brown birds you can often see an albino rhea with light plumage and blue eyes.
Developing a running speed comparable to the speed of a car (up to 50-60 km/h), rheas help themselves with their wings, spreading them for balance. During mating games and fights, birds frighten the enemy with sharp claws, one on each wing.
The rhea's diet is extremely varied. Birds eat fruits, leaves, rhizomes of plants, as well as large insects, lizards, scorpions, spiders, small rodents and birds. These omnivorous birds will not refuse fish washed ashore. Nanda can long time do without water, satisfying the need for it through food.
Rheas live in groups of up to 30 individuals. They can often be found near grazing herds of llamas, cows, and pampas deer. Such unexpected alliances with ungulates benefit everyone. Birds have excellent vision, and mammals have a good sense of smell, making it easy to spot a predator.
During the breeding season, groups break up and males disperse into areas. The male builds a nest on his territory, carefully framing the earthen hole with twigs and dry leaves. Females move from one site to another, mating with the host and laying eggs. Thus, a large number of eggs from several females can accumulate in the nest, sometimes their number can reach 80 pieces. The father takes care of the eggs and chicks. After about a month of incubation (from 23 to 43 days), babies emerge from the eggs. Surprisingly, all chicks are born within 36 hours, although the time of laying eggs by females can vary up to 2 weeks.
Rheas have few natural enemies: puma, jaguar and feral dogs. Rhea eggs and chicks are the most vulnerable. But the most dangerous enemy for these birds is man. Farmers consider them harmful animals and often shoot birds if they enter their lands. Rhea meat and eggs have always been valued, but now the birds are specially bred for these purposes. Some birds are then released into wildlife, not only in the native places of residence of the rhea, but also in Germany. In 2009, the wild rhea population in Germany was around 100 individuals.
In case of danger, the entire yellow-striped community quickly runs to its parent and hides under its wide wings. If such actions do not help in any way, then the whole family breaks into an orderly flight: the father rushes ahead, constantly changing course, making, like a hare, sharp turns and leaps to the sides, striped children try to keep up with him.
“I never imagined that ground-dwelling birds could move as quickly and easily as birds in flight,” wrote Gerald Durrell in his book “Under the Canopy of the Drunken Forest,” “but that morning I could see it for myself.” . Eight rheas, forming a wedge, ran with all their might. Their legs moved with such speed that they merged into unclear, blurry spots; they could only be distinguished at the moment when they touched the ground, giving the bird a push forward.”
The chicks grow very quickly, after two weeks they reach sixty centimeters in height. After six months, small rheas are no longer small at all - they are as tall as their parents, and after two or three years they begin to change their baby plumage to adult plumage - uniformly gray and approximately the same in both males and females. By this time, the chicks are finally mature enough to start a family on their own.
Local farmers often hunt rheas with dogs, guns and boleadoras - metal balls tied together with rope. Farmers blame rheas for eating too much grass suitable for sheep. The only thing that saves these birds from complete extermination is that they are quite easily tamed and live quite freely on many farms, enjoying all the “rights” of livestock.
