Greater Rhea

The Greater Rhea, Rhea americana, is a flightless bird found in eastern South America. One of two species in the genus Rhea, in the family Rheidae, the Greater Rhea is endemic to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

Other names
"Ostrich of South America". Other names for the Greater Rhea include the Grey, Common, American Rhea, ñandú (Guaraní) or ema (Portuguese).

Description
Greater Rhea is huge, and hefty ratite that's 1.70 m tall, with pale irides, base of neck and sides are blackish, grey to brown and white in colour, which helps it to camouflage it. Huge wings with long floppy feathers covering body.

Like other ratites (large flightless birds), there is little difference between the sexes, except the male has a dark collar in the breeding season. The juvenile has more grey in its plumage and is marked with dark stripes that disappear about six months after hatching.

Similar species
The Lesser Rhea is shorter.