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Greater Rhea

Chris Packham presents the greater rhea roaming the South American pampas.

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Chris Packham presents the greater rhea roaming the South American pampas. Greater rheas are the largest birds in South America and look like small brown ostriches. They're flightless, but can avoid danger by sprinting away on sturdy legs reaching speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour. Gauchos, the horsemen of the pampas, used to hunt them on horseback using a bolas; a well-aimed bolas would wrap around the rhea's legs or neck and bring it down in a tangle of feathers and limbs. In the breeding season males call loudly to proclaim territories, and to woo potential mates the male runs around erratically, spreading his wings and booming. He mates with several females who lay their eggs in the same nest. Then the females depart to mate with another male leaving the first male to incubate the clutch and rear the huge brood of chicks on his own.

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1 minute

Last on

Mon 11 Oct 2021 05:58

Greater Rhea (Rhea americana)

Webpage image courtesy of Luiz Claudio Marigo / naturepl.com.

漏 Luiz Claudio Marigo / naturepl.com

Broadcasts

  • Tue 2 Dec 2014 05:58
  • Mon 4 Jan 2016 05:58
  • Sun 10 Jan 2016 08:58
  • Thu 6 Feb 2020 05:58
  • Mon 11 Oct 2021 05:58

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