Lesser Rhea - BirdForum Opus

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Alternative name: Darwin's Rhea; includes Puna Rhea

Rhea pennata

Photo by Peter Bono
Location: Near Punta Arenas, Chile

Identification

90cm. Plumage greyish-brown flecked with white.

Distribution

Peru, Bolivia, northern Chile and north-western Argentina, and well separated from the above, in southern Chile and Argentina.

Taxonomy

Subspecies¹

• R. p. garleppi - Desert puna of se Peru, sw Bolivia and nw Argentina
• R. p. tarapacensis - Puna of n Chile (Arica to Atacama)
• R. p. pennata - Patagonian steppes of s Argentina and Magellanic Chile

The Lesser Rhea has been proposed split into two species: Puna Rhea (Rhea tarapacensis) with subspecies garleppi, and Darwin's Rhea (Rhea pennata).

Pterocnemia vs. Rhea

Some authorities (Howard & Moore, 2003) place Lesser Rhea (R. pennata) in the monotypic genus Pterocnemia. However, Sibley & Monroe (1996), Clements (2007) and SACC since July 2008 place pennata within Rhea and the Opus follows the majority.

Habitat

Upland scrubland.

References

1. Clements, James F. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. ISBN 9780801445019

External Links

Search for photos of Lesser Rhea in the gallery