Animalia Life
Pterocnemia pennata
TAXONOMY
Pterocnemia pennata d’Orbigny, 1834, Lower Rнo Negro, south
of Buenos Aires. Three subspecies.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
English: Darwin’s rhea; French: Nandou de Darwin; German:
Darwinstrauss; Spanish: Сandъ Overo.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
36–39 in (92–100 cm); 33–55 lb (15–25 kg). The plumage is
spotted brown and white. The upper part of the tarsus is partly
feathered, but the rear and lower part is bare, covered with
transverse scutes.
DISTRIBUTION
Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia. The nominate form,
Pterocnemia pennata pennata, lives in southern Chile and Argentina,
while P. p. tarapacensis lives in the Andes of Chile and
P. p. garleppi lives in the Andes of Peru, Bolivia and northwestern
Argentina.
HABITAT
Grassland, high Andes in the puna zone.
BEHAVIOR
Lives in flocks of 2–30 individuals at a mean density of 0.28
birds per mi2 (0.11 birds/km2). Males defend nest sites during
the breeding season. A male attracts groups of females to a
nest site and lay there, leaving the male to incubate the eggs
alone.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
Feeds on fruits and leaves of forbs, the items taken varying by
place and season. In some places grasses are prominent, in others
shrub foliage and fruits are mostly taken.
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Males incubate eggs laid by harem of females in a nest on the
ground. The greenish yellow eggs measure 4.9 by 3.4 in (12.6
by 8.7 cm) and are incubated for 30–44 days. Clutch size varies
from five to 55 eggs, depending on the region. The birds mature
in their third year.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Two isolated populations subject to severe hunting pressure.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
Hunted for meat and leather.
Photo Gallery of - Lesser rhea
