Darwin's rhea: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Species of bird}} |
{{Short description|Species of bird}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date= |
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}} |
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{{Speciesbox |
{{Speciesbox |
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| name = Darwin's rhea |
| name = Darwin's rhea |
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| status = LC |
| status = LC |
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| image = Pterocnemia pennat (zoo Zurich).jpg |
| image = Pterocnemia pennat (zoo Zurich).jpg |
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| image_caption = At Zurich Zoo, [[Switzerland]] |
| image_caption = At [[Zurich Zoo]], [[Switzerland]] |
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| status_system = IUCN3.1 |
| status_system = IUCN3.1 |
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| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=BirdLife International |date=2018 |title=''Rhea pennata'' |volume=2018 |page=e.T22728199A132179491 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22728199A132179491.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref> |
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| status_ref = <ref name="BirdLife International" /> |
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| status2 = CITES_A1 |
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| status2_system = CITES |
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| status2_ref = <ref>{{Cite web|title=Appendices {{!}} CITES|url=https://cites.org/eng/app/appendices.php|access-date=2022-01-14|website=cites.org}}</ref>{{NoteTag|''Pterocnemia pennata pennata'' is included in Appendix II.}} |
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| genus = Rhea |
| genus = Rhea |
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| species = pennata |
| species = pennata |
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* ''R. p. garleppi'' <small>([[Charles Chubb (ornithologist)|Chubb]], 1913)</small><ref name ="SN"/> |
* ''R. p. garleppi'' <small>([[Charles Chubb (ornithologist)|Chubb]], 1913)</small><ref name ="SN"/> |
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* ''R. p. pennata'' <small>[[Alcide d'Orbigny|d'Orbigny]], 1834<ref name="SN" /></small> |
* ''R. p. pennata'' <small>[[Alcide d'Orbigny|d'Orbigny]], 1834<ref name="SN" /></small> |
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* ''R. p. tarapacensis'' <small>(Chubb, 1913)</small><ref name ="SN"/> |
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| synonyms = |
| synonyms = |
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* ''Pterocnemia pennata'' <small>(d'Orbigny 1834) Chubb 1913</small> |
* ''Pterocnemia pennata'' <small>(d'Orbigny 1834) Chubb 1913</small> |
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* ''Rhea darwinii'' <small>Gould 1837</small><ref name=Peters>Peters, James L. (1979)</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Gould |first1=J. |title=On a New Rhea (''Rhea Darwinii'') from Mr. Darwin's Collection |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |date=1837 |volume=5 |issue=51 |page=35 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30570920}}</ref> |
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* ''Rhea darwinii'' <small>Gould 1837</small><ref name=Peters/> |
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* ''Pterocnemia darwinii'' <small>(Gould 183)</small> |
* ''Pterocnemia darwinii'' <small>(Gould 183)</small> |
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* ''Struthio darwinii'' <small>(Gould 1837)</small> |
* ''Struthio darwinii'' <small>(Gould 1837)</small> |
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* ''Rhea nana'' <small>Lyddekker 1894</small> |
* ''Rhea nana'' <small>Lyddekker 1894</small> |
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* ''Pterocnemia tarapacensis'' <small>Chubb 1913</small> |
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* ''Pterocnemia tarapacensis garleppi'' <small>Chubb 1913</small><ref name=Peters>Peters, James L. (1979)</ref> |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Darwin's rhea''' |
'''Darwin's rhea''' or the '''lesser rhea''' ('''''Rhea pennata''''') is a large [[flightless bird]], the smaller of the two [[Extant taxon|extant]] species of [[rhea (bird)|rheas]]. It is found in the [[Altiplano]] and [[Patagonia]] in [[South America]]. |
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==Description== |
==Description== |
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[[File: |
[[File:Baby nandu.jpg|thumb|A family of ''Rhea pennata pennatas'' in the wild in Chile, 2006]] |
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[[File:Pterocnemia pennata head Edinburgh Zoo.jpg|thumb|Head of a Darwin's rhea at the [[Edinburgh Zoo]]]] |
[[File:Pterocnemia pennata head Edinburgh Zoo.jpg|thumb|Head of a Darwin's rhea at the [[Edinburgh Zoo]]]] |
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The lesser rhea stands at {{convert|90|to(-)|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} tall. Length is {{convert|92|to(-)|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} and weight is {{convert|15|to(-)|28.6|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Davies" /><ref>Elliott, Andrew (1992)</ref> Like most [[ratite]]s, it has a small head and a small [[Beak|bill]], the latter measuring {{convert|6.2|to|9.2|cm|in|abbr=on}}, but has long legs and a long neck. It has relatively larger wings than other [[ratite]]s, enabling it to run particularly well. It can reach speeds of 60 km/h (37 mph), enabling it to outrun predators. The sharp claws on the toes are effective weapons. Their feathers are similar to those of ostriches, in that they have no [[aftershaft]].<ref name=Perrins>Perrins, C. (1987)</ref> Their plumage is spotted brown and white, and the upper part of their [[Tarsus (skeleton)|tarsus]] is feathered.<ref name="Davies" /> The [[Tarsus (skeleton)|tarsus]] is {{convert|28|to|32|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and has 18 horizontal plates on the front.<ref name="Davies"/> |
The lesser rhea stands at {{convert|90|to(-)|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} tall. Length is {{convert|92|to(-)|100|cm|in|abbr=on}} and weight is {{convert|15|to(-)|28.6|kg|lb|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Davies" /><ref>Elliott, Andrew (1992)</ref> Like most [[ratite]]s, it has a small head and a small [[Beak|bill]], the latter measuring {{convert|6.2|to|9.2|cm|in|abbr=on}}, but has long legs and a long neck. It has relatively larger wings than other [[ratite]]s, enabling it to run particularly well. It can reach speeds of 60 km/h (37 mph), enabling it to outrun predators. The sharp claws on the toes are effective weapons. Their feathers are similar to those of ostriches, in that they have no [[Wiktionary:aftershaft|aftershaft]].<ref name=Perrins>Perrins, C. (1987)</ref> Their plumage is spotted brown and white, and the upper part of their [[Tarsus (skeleton)|tarsus]] is feathered.<ref name="Davies" /> The [[Tarsus (skeleton)|tarsus]] is {{convert|28|to|32|cm|in|abbr=on}} long and has 18 horizontal plates on the front.<ref name="Davies"/> |
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==Etymology== |
==Etymology== |
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It is known as ''ñandú petiso'', or ''ñandú del norte'', in Argentina, where the majority live. Other names are ''suri'' and ''choique''. The name ''ñandú'' comes from the [[greater rhea]]'s name in [[guarani language|Guaraní]], '' |
It is known as ''ñandú petiso'', or ''ñandú del norte'', in Argentina, where the majority live. Other names are ''suri'' and ''choique''. The name ''ñandú'' comes from the [[greater rhea]]'s name in [[guarani language|Guaraní]], ''ñandu guazu'', meaning big spider, possibly in relation to their habit of alternately opening and lowering their wings when they run. In English, Darwin's rhea gets its [[scientific name]] from [[Rhea (mythology)|Rhea]], a Greek goddess, and ''pennata'', meaning winged. The [[specific name (zoology)|specific name]] was bestowed in 1834 by [[Charles Darwin|Darwin]]'s contemporary and rival [[Alcide d'Orbigny]], who first described the bird to Europeans from a specimen from the lower [[Río Negro (Argentina)|Río Negro]] south of [[Buenos Aires Province|Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]].<ref name="Davies">Davies, S.J.J.F. (2003)</ref><ref>Krulwich, R. (2009)</ref> As late as 2008, it was classified in the [[monotypic]] genus ''Pterocnemia''. This word is formed from two Greek words ''pteron'', meaning feathers, and ''knēmē'', meaning the leg between the knee and the ankle, hence feather-legged, alluding to their feathers that cover the top part of the leg.<ref>Gotch, A.T. (1995)</ref> In 2008, the [[American Ornithologists' Union|SACC]] subsumed ''Pterocnemia'' into the genus ''[[Rhea (bird)|Rhea]]''.<ref>Nores, M. (2008)</ref> |
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==Taxonomy== |
==Taxonomy== |
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* ''R. p. garleppi'' is found in the [[Puna grassland|puna]] of southeastern [[Peru]], southwestern [[Bolivia]], and northwestern [[Argentina]].<ref name = "Clements, J (2007)">Clements, J (2007)</ref> |
* ''R. p. garleppi'' is found in the [[Puna grassland|puna]] of southeastern [[Peru]], southwestern [[Bolivia]], and northwestern [[Argentina]].<ref name = "Clements, J (2007)">Clements, J (2007)</ref> |
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* ''R. p. tarapacensis'' is found in the puna of northern [[Chile]] from the region of [[Arica and Parinacota Region|Arica and Parinacota]] to [[Antofagasta Region|Antofagasta]].<ref name = Chile>Jaramillo ''et al.'' (2003)</ref> |
* ''R. p. tarapacensis'' is found in the puna of northern [[Chile]] from the region of [[Arica and Parinacota Region|Arica and Parinacota]] to [[Antofagasta Region|Antofagasta]].<ref name = Chile>Jaramillo ''et al.'' (2003)</ref> |
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* ''R. p. pennata'' is found in the [[Patagonian]] [[steppes]] of Argentina and Chile.<ref name=" |
* ''R. p. pennata'' is found in the [[Patagonian]] [[steppes]] of Argentina and Chile.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /><ref name = "Clements, J (2007)"/> |
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The IUCN considers the former two northern [[taxa]] ''R. p. tarapacensis'' and ''R. p. garleppi'' as a separate species, the puna rhea (''R. tarapacensis'').<ref name="BirdLife International tarapacensis" /><ref name= |
The IUCN considers the former two northern [[taxa]] ''R. p. tarapacensis'' and ''R. p. garleppi'' as a separate species, the puna rhea (''R. tarapacensis'').<ref name="BirdLife International tarapacensis" /><ref name=Chile/> Both ''garleppi'' and ''tarapacensis'' were described by [[Charles Chubb (ornithologist)|Charles Chubb]] in 1913.<ref name ="SN">Brands, S. (2008)</ref> It is possible ''garleppi'' should be considered a [[junior synonym]] of ''tarapacensis''. |
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==Behavior== |
==Behavior== |
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⚫ | The lesser rhea is mainly a herbivore, with the odd small animal (lizards, beetles, grasshoppers) eaten on occasion. It predominately eats [[saltbush]] and fruits from cacti, as well as grasses, roots, seeds, and leaves.<ref name="Davies"/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Pterocnemia_pennata/ | title=Pterocnemia pennata (Lesser rhea) | website=[[Animal Diversity Web]] }}</ref> They tend to be quiet birds, except as chicks when they whistle mournfully, and as males looking for a female, when they emit a booming call.<ref name="Davies"/> |
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⚫ | The lesser rhea is mainly a herbivore, with the odd small animal (lizards, beetles, grasshoppers) eaten on occasion. It predominately eats [[saltbush]] and fruits from cacti, as well as grasses.<ref name="Davies"/> They tend to be quiet birds, except as chicks when they whistle mournfully, and as males looking for a female, when they emit a booming call.<ref name="Davies"/> |
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The males of this species become aggressive once they are incubating eggs, even towards females. The females thus lay the later eggs near the nest, rather than in it. Most of the eggs are moved into the nest by the male, but some remain outside, where they rot and attract flies. The male, and later the chicks, eat these flies. The incubation period is 30–44 days, and the clutch size is from 5–55 eggs. The eggs are {{convert|87|to(-)|126|mm|in|abbr=on}} and are greenish yellow.<ref name="Davies" /> Chicks mature by three years of age. Outside the breeding season, Darwin's rhea is quite sociable: it lives in groups of from 5 to 30 birds, of both sexes and a variety of ages.<ref name="Davies" /> |
The males of this species become aggressive once they are incubating eggs, even towards females. The females thus lay the later eggs near the nest, rather than in it. Most of the eggs are moved into the nest by the male, but some remain outside, where they rot and attract flies. The male, and later the chicks, eat these flies. The incubation period is 30–44 days, and the clutch size is from 5–55 eggs. The eggs are {{convert|87|to(-)|126|mm|in|abbr=on}} and are greenish yellow.<ref name="Davies" /> Chicks mature by three years of age. Outside the breeding season, Darwin's rhea is quite sociable: it lives in groups of from 5 to 30 birds, of both sexes and a variety of ages.<ref name="Davies" /> |
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==Distribution and habitat== |
==Distribution and habitat== |
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Darwin's rhea lives in areas of open scrub in the grasslands of Patagonia and on the [[Andes|Andean]] plateau (the [[Altiplano]]), through the countries of [[Argentina]], [[Bolivia]], [[Chile]], and [[Peru]].<ref name=" |
Darwin's rhea lives in areas of open scrub in the grasslands of Patagonia and on the [[Andes|Andean]] plateau (the [[Altiplano]]), through the countries of [[Argentina]], [[Bolivia]], [[Chile]], and [[Peru]].<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> All subspecies prefer grasslands, brushlands and marshland. However, the [[nominate subspecies]] prefers elevations less than {{convert|1500|m|ft|abbr=on}},<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> where the other subspecies typically range from {{convert|3000|to(-)|4500|m|ft|abbr=on}}, but locally down to {{convert|1220|m|ft|abbr=on}} in the south.<ref name="BirdLife International tarapacensis">Birdlife International (2016)</ref> |
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==History of the discovery of the genus ''Rhea''== |
==History of the discovery of the genus ''Rhea''== |
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[[File:Image-Rhea Darwinii1.jpg|upright|thumb|right|Illustration of Darwin's rhea, published in 1841 in [[John Gould]]'s description of birds collected on the voyage of [[HMS Beagle|HMS ''Beagle'']]]] |
[[File:Image-Rhea Darwinii1.jpg|upright=1.1|thumb|right|Illustration of Darwin's rhea, published in 1841 in [[John Gould]]'s description of birds collected on the second voyage of [[HMS Beagle|HMS ''Beagle'']]]] |
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During the [[second voyage of HMS Beagle#Gauchos, rheas, fossils and geology|second voyage of HMS ''Beagle'']], the young naturalist [[Charles Darwin]] made many trips on land, and around August 1833 heard from [[gaucho]]s in the [[Río Negro (Argentina)|Río Negro]] area of Northern Patagonia about the existence of a smaller rhea, "a very rare bird which they called the Avestruz Petise". He continued searching fruitlessly for this bird, and the ''Beagle'' sailed south, putting in at [[Puerto Deseado|Port Desire]] in southern Patagonia on 23 December. On the following day, Darwin shot a [[guanaco]] which provided them with a Christmas meal, and in the first days of January, the artist [[Conrad Martens]] shot a rhea which they enjoyed eating before Darwin realised that this was the elusive smaller rhea rather than a juvenile, and preserved the head, neck, legs, one wing, and many of the larger feathers. As with his other collections, these were sent to [[John Stevens Henslow]] in Cambridge. On 26 January |
During the [[second voyage of HMS Beagle#Gauchos, rheas, fossils and geology|second voyage of HMS ''Beagle'']], the young naturalist [[Charles Darwin]] made many trips on land, and around August 1833 heard from [[gaucho]]s in the [[Río Negro (Argentina)|Río Negro]] area of Northern Patagonia about the existence of a smaller rhea, "a very rare bird which they called the Avestruz Petise". He continued searching fruitlessly for this bird, and the ''Beagle'' sailed south, putting in at [[Puerto Deseado|Port Desire]] in southern Patagonia on 23 December. On the following day, Darwin shot a [[guanaco]] (similar to a [[llama]]) which provided them with a Christmas meal, and in the first days of January, the artist [[Conrad Martens]] shot a rhea which they enjoyed eating before Darwin realised that this was the elusive smaller rhea rather than a juvenile, and preserved the head, neck, legs, one wing, and many of the larger feathers. As with his other collections, these were sent to [[John Stevens Henslow]] in Cambridge. On 26 January the ''Beagle'' entered the [[Straits of Magellan]], and at St Gregory's Bay Darwin met Patagonians he described as "excellent practical naturalists". A half Indian, who had been born in the Northern Provinces, told him that the smaller rheas were the only species this far south, while the larger rheas kept to the north. On an expedition up the [[Santa Cruz River (Argentina)|Santa Cruz River]], they saw several of the smaller rheas, which were too wary to be approached closely or caught.<ref name=B63-271>{{harvnb|Barlow|1963|pp=[http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?viewtype=text&itemID=F1577&pageseq=73 271–5].}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Keynes|2001|pp=[http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?pageseq=244&itemID=F1925&viewtype=text 212], [http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?pageseq=249&itemID=F1925&viewtype=text 217–218]}}</ref> |
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In 1837, Darwin's rhea was described as ''Rhea darwinii'' (later [[Synonym (taxonomy)| |
In 1837, Darwin's rhea was described as ''Rhea darwinii'' (later [[Synonym (taxonomy)|synonymized]] with ''R. pennata'') by the ornithologist [[John Gould]] in a presentation to the [[Zoological Society of London]], in which he was followed by Darwin reading a paper on the eggs and distribution of the two species of rheas.<ref name = "Darwin, C (1837)">Darwin, C (1837)</ref> |
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When Gould classified Darwin's rhea and the [[greater rhea]] as separate species, he confirmed a serious problem for Darwin. These birds mainly live in different parts of Patagonia, but there is also an overlapping zone where the two species coexist. As every living being had been created in a fixed form, as accepted by the science of his time, they could only change their appearance by a perfect adaptation to their way of life, but would still be the same species. But now he had to deal with two different species. This started to form his idea that species were not fixed at all, but that another mechanism might be at work.<ref>Herbert, S (1980)</ref> |
When Gould classified Darwin's rhea and the [[greater rhea]] as separate species, he confirmed a serious problem for Darwin. These birds mainly live in different parts of Patagonia, but there is also an overlapping zone where the two species coexist. As every living being had been created in a fixed form, as accepted by the science of his time, they could only change their appearance by a perfect adaptation to their way of life, but would still be the same species. But now he had to deal with two different species. This started to form his idea that species were not fixed at all, but that another mechanism might be at work.<ref>Herbert, S (1980)</ref> |
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==Conservation== |
==Conservation== |
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⚫ | Darwin's rhea is categorized as [[least concern]] by the [[IUCN]].<ref name=" |
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⚫ | Darwin's rhea is categorized as [[least concern]] by the [[IUCN]].<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> The former southern nominate subspecies remains relatively widespread and locally fairly common. Its range is estimated at {{convert|859000|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" /> The situation for the two former northern subspecies is more worrying, with their combined population estimated as being possibly as low as in the hundreds.<ref name="BirdLife International tarapacensis" /> However, they are classified as ''Rhea tarapacensis'' by the IUCN, which regards it as being [[near threatened]], with the primary threats being hunting, egg-collecting, and fragmentation of its habitat due to conversion to farmland or pastures for cattle-grazing.<ref name="BirdLife International tarapacensis" /><ref name="Davies" /> |
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[[Patagonia National Park (Chile)|Patagonia National Park]] in Chile's [[Aysén Region]] hosts the Centro de Reproducción para la Conservación del Ñandú ('Reproduction Centre for Darwin's rhea Conservation').<ref name=Conaf2020>{{Cite web|url=https://www.conaf.cl/recuperando-al-nandu-en-la-region-de-aysen/|title=Recuperando al ñandú en la región de Aysén|date=2021-05-11|access-date=2022-01-08|website=[[Conaf]]|language=Spanish}}</ref><ref name=coop7jul>{{Cite news|title=Incendio en Parque Nacional Patagonia fue causado por "colapso" de estufa producto de fuertes vientos|url=https://www.cooperativa.cl/noticias/pais/region-de-aysen/incendio-en-parque-nacional-patagonia-fue-causado-por-colapso-de/2021-07-07/014127.html|date=July 7, 2021|access-date=January 12, 2022|work=[[Radio Cooperativa]]|language=Spanish}}</ref> The centre is run by Tompkins Conservation with the support of the [[National Forest Corporation (Chile)|National Forest Corporation]].<ref name=Conaf2020/> |
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==Footnotes== |
==Footnotes== |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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==Notes== |
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{{NoteFoot}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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* {{cite journal |last=Barlow |first=Nora |title=Darwin's ornithological notes |url=http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/frameset?itemID=F1577&viewtype=text&pageseq=1 |date=1963 |journal=Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Historical Series |volume=2 |issue=7 |pages=201–278|doi=10.5962/p.310422 |doi-access=free }} |
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* {{cite iucn | author = BirdLife International | author-link = BirdLife International | title = ''Rhea pennata'' | page = e.T22728199A132179491 | year = 2018 | access-date= 15 February 2020}} |
* {{cite iucn | author = BirdLife International | author-link = BirdLife International | title = ''Rhea pennata'' | page = e.T22728199A132179491 | year = 2018 | access-date= 15 February 2020}} |
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* {{cite iucn | author = BirdLife International | author-link = BirdLife International | title = ''Rhea tarapacensis'' | page = e.T22728206A94974751 |year = 2016 | access-date= 15 February 2020}} |
* {{cite iucn | author = BirdLife International | author-link = BirdLife International | title = ''Rhea tarapacensis'' | page = e.T22728206A94974751 |year = 2016 | access-date= 15 February 2020}} |
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* {{cite web| url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3&m=0 | title=Lesser Rhea - BirdLife Species Factsheet | access-date=6 February 2009 | author= |
* {{cite web | url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3&m=0 | title=Lesser Rhea - BirdLife Species Factsheet | access-date=6 February 2009 | author=BirdLife International | author-link=BirdLife International | year=2008b | work=Data Zone | archive-date=4 January 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090104234840/http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/species/index.html?action=SpcHTMDetails.asp&sid=3&m=0 | url-status=dead }} |
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* {{cite web |url=http://www.taxonomy.nl/Main/Classification/99286.htm |title=Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification, Rhea pennata |access-date=4 February 2009 |last=Brands |first=Sheila |date=14 August 2008 |work=Project: The Taxonomicon |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100313074639/http://www.taxonomy.nl/Main/Classification/99286.htm |archive-date=13 March 2010 |
* {{cite web |url=http://www.taxonomy.nl/Main/Classification/99286.htm |title=Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification, Rhea pennata |access-date=4 February 2009 |last=Brands |first=Sheila |date=14 August 2008 |work=Project: The Taxonomicon |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100313074639/http://www.taxonomy.nl/Main/Classification/99286.htm |archive-date=13 March 2010 }} |
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* {{cite book |last1=Clements |first1=James |title=The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World |edition=6th |year=2007 |publisher= Cornell University Press|location=Ithaca, NY |isbn=978-0-8014-4501-9 }} |
* {{cite book |last1=Clements |first1=James |title=The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World |edition=6th |year=2007 |publisher= Cornell University Press|location=Ithaca, NY |isbn=978-0-8014-4501-9 }} |
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* {{cite journal |last1=Darwin|first1= Charles |year=1837 |title=Notes on Rhea americana and Rhea darwinii |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |volume=5 |issue=51 |pages=35–36 |url=http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/contentblock?hitpage=1&viewtype=text&basepage=1&itemID=F1643#1 }} |
* {{cite journal |last1=Darwin|first1= Charles |year=1837 |title=Notes on Rhea americana and Rhea darwinii |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |volume=5 |issue=51 |pages=35–36 |url=http://darwin-online.org.uk/content/contentblock?hitpage=1&viewtype=text&basepage=1&itemID=F1643#1 |id={{BHL page|30570920}} |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1837.tb06823.x }} |
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* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Davies |first=S.J.J.F.|editor=Hutchins, Michael |encyclopedia=Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia |title=Rheas |edition=2nd |year=2003 |publisher=Gale Group |volume=8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins |location=Farmington Hills, MI|isbn=0-7876-5784-0 |pages=69–74}} |
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Davies |first=S.J.J.F.|editor=Hutchins, Michael |encyclopedia=Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia |title=Rheas |edition=2nd |year=2003 |publisher=Gale Group |volume=8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins |location=Farmington Hills, MI|isbn=0-7876-5784-0 |pages=69–74}} |
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* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Elliott |first=Andrew |editor=Hoyo, Joseph del |encyclopedia=Handbook of the Birds of the World |title=Lesser Rhea |url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0001unse |year=1992 |publisher=Lynx Edicions |volume=1 (Ostrich to Ducks) |isbn=978-8487334108 |url-access=registration }} |
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Elliott |first=Andrew |editor=Hoyo, Joseph del |encyclopedia=Handbook of the Birds of the World |title=Lesser Rhea |url=https://archive.org/details/handbookofbirdso0001unse |year=1992 |publisher=Lynx Edicions |volume=1 (Ostrich to Ducks) |isbn=978-8487334108 |url-access=registration }} |
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* {{cite web| url= https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101090483 | title=Darwin's Very Bad Day: 'Oops, We Just Ate It!' | access-date= 6 June 2009 |last=Krulwich | first= Robert | date= 24 February 2009 | publisher= |
* {{cite web| url= https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101090483 | title=Darwin's Very Bad Day: 'Oops, We Just Ate It!' | access-date= 6 June 2009 |last=Krulwich | first= Robert | date= 24 February 2009 | publisher=NPR }} |
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* {{cite web|url=http://lacaledoniasur.com.ar/english/choique.html |title=The revered bird of native people. |author=La Caledonia Sur |access-date=9 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426041532/http://lacaledoniasur.com.ar/english/choique.html |archive-date=26 April 2012 |
* {{cite web|url=http://lacaledoniasur.com.ar/english/choique.html |title=The revered bird of native people. |author=La Caledonia Sur |access-date=9 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426041532/http://lacaledoniasur.com.ar/english/choique.html |archive-date=26 April 2012 }} |
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* {{cite web | url= http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCprop348.html | title= Incluir Pterocnemia dentro de Rhea | access-date= 4 February 2009 | last= Nores | first= Manuel | date= 7 August 2008 | work= South American Classification Committee | publisher= [[American Ornithologists' Union]] | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080920120305/http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCprop348.html | archive-date= 20 September 2008 |
* {{cite web | url= http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCprop348.html | title= Incluir Pterocnemia dentro de Rhea | access-date= 4 February 2009 | last= Nores | first= Manuel | date= 7 August 2008 | work= South American Classification Committee | publisher= [[American Ornithologists' Union]] | url-status= dead | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080920120305/http://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCprop348.html | archive-date= 20 September 2008 }} |
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* {{cite book |last=Perrins |first=Christopher |editor1-last=Harrison |editor1-first=C.J.O. |title=Birds: Their Lifes, Their Ways, Their World |url=https://archive.org/details/birdstheirlifeth00came/page/168 |orig-year=1979 |year=1987 |publisher=Reader's Digest Association, Inc. |location=Pleasantville, NY, US |isbn=0895770652 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/birdstheirlifeth00came/page/168 168–170] |url-access=registration }} |
* {{cite book |last=Perrins |first=Christopher |editor1-last=Harrison |editor1-first=C.J.O. |title=Birds: Their Lifes, Their Ways, Their World |url=https://archive.org/details/birdstheirlifeth00came/page/168 |orig-year=1979 |year=1987 |publisher=Reader's Digest Association, Inc. |location=Pleasantville, NY, US |isbn=0895770652 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/birdstheirlifeth00came/page/168 168–170] |url-access=registration }} |
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* {{cite book |last1=Peters|first1=James Lee |author-link1=James Lee Peters |title=Checklist of Birds of the World |url=https://archive.org/download/checklistofbirds12pete/checklistofbirds12pete.pdf |edition=2nd |volume=1 |year=1979|publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology |location=Cambridge, MA |pages=6–7 }} |
* {{cite book |last1=Peters|first1=James Lee |author-link1=James Lee Peters |title=Checklist of Birds of the World |url=https://archive.org/download/checklistofbirds12pete/checklistofbirds12pete.pdf |edition=2nd |volume=1 |year=1979|publisher=Museum of Comparative Zoology |location=Cambridge, MA |pages=6–7 }} |
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[[Category:Rheidae]] |
[[Category:Rheidae]] |
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[[Category:Ratites]] |
[[Category:Ratites]] |
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[[Category:Domesticated birds]] |
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[[Category:Flightless birds]] |
[[Category:Flightless birds]] |
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[[Category:Birds of the Altiplano]] |
[[Category:Birds of the Altiplano]] |
Latest revision as of 15:05, 16 September 2024
Darwin's rhea | |
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At Zurich Zoo, Switzerland | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Infraclass: | Palaeognathae |
Order: | Rheiformes |
Family: | Rheidae |
Genus: | Rhea |
Species: | R. pennata
|
Binomial name | |
Rhea pennata d'Orbigny, 1837
| |
Subspecies | |
Synonyms | |
Darwin's rhea or the lesser rhea (Rhea pennata) is a large flightless bird, the smaller of the two extant species of rheas. It is found in the Altiplano and Patagonia in South America.
Description
[edit]The lesser rhea stands at 90 to 100 cm (35–39 in) tall. Length is 92 to 100 cm (36–39 in) and weight is 15 to 28.6 kg (33–63 lb).[6][7] Like most ratites, it has a small head and a small bill, the latter measuring 6.2 to 9.2 cm (2.4 to 3.6 in), but has long legs and a long neck. It has relatively larger wings than other ratites, enabling it to run particularly well. It can reach speeds of 60 km/h (37 mph), enabling it to outrun predators. The sharp claws on the toes are effective weapons. Their feathers are similar to those of ostriches, in that they have no aftershaft.[8] Their plumage is spotted brown and white, and the upper part of their tarsus is feathered.[6] The tarsus is 28 to 32 cm (11 to 13 in) long and has 18 horizontal plates on the front.[6]
Etymology
[edit]It is known as ñandú petiso, or ñandú del norte, in Argentina, where the majority live. Other names are suri and choique. The name ñandú comes from the greater rhea's name in Guaraní, ñandu guazu, meaning big spider, possibly in relation to their habit of alternately opening and lowering their wings when they run. In English, Darwin's rhea gets its scientific name from Rhea, a Greek goddess, and pennata, meaning winged. The specific name was bestowed in 1834 by Darwin's contemporary and rival Alcide d'Orbigny, who first described the bird to Europeans from a specimen from the lower Río Negro south of Buenos Aires, Argentina.[6][9] As late as 2008, it was classified in the monotypic genus Pterocnemia. This word is formed from two Greek words pteron, meaning feathers, and knēmē, meaning the leg between the knee and the ankle, hence feather-legged, alluding to their feathers that cover the top part of the leg.[10] In 2008, the SACC subsumed Pterocnemia into the genus Rhea.[11]
Taxonomy
[edit]Three subspecies have traditionally been recognized:
- R. p. garleppi is found in the puna of southeastern Peru, southwestern Bolivia, and northwestern Argentina.[12]
- R. p. tarapacensis is found in the puna of northern Chile from the region of Arica and Parinacota to Antofagasta.[13]
- R. p. pennata is found in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina and Chile.[1][12]
The IUCN considers the former two northern taxa R. p. tarapacensis and R. p. garleppi as a separate species, the puna rhea (R. tarapacensis).[14][13] Both garleppi and tarapacensis were described by Charles Chubb in 1913.[3] It is possible garleppi should be considered a junior synonym of tarapacensis.
Behavior
[edit]The lesser rhea is mainly a herbivore, with the odd small animal (lizards, beetles, grasshoppers) eaten on occasion. It predominately eats saltbush and fruits from cacti, as well as grasses, roots, seeds, and leaves.[6][15] They tend to be quiet birds, except as chicks when they whistle mournfully, and as males looking for a female, when they emit a booming call.[6]
The males of this species become aggressive once they are incubating eggs, even towards females. The females thus lay the later eggs near the nest, rather than in it. Most of the eggs are moved into the nest by the male, but some remain outside, where they rot and attract flies. The male, and later the chicks, eat these flies. The incubation period is 30–44 days, and the clutch size is from 5–55 eggs. The eggs are 87 to 126 mm (3.4–5.0 in) and are greenish yellow.[6] Chicks mature by three years of age. Outside the breeding season, Darwin's rhea is quite sociable: it lives in groups of from 5 to 30 birds, of both sexes and a variety of ages.[6]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Darwin's rhea lives in areas of open scrub in the grasslands of Patagonia and on the Andean plateau (the Altiplano), through the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.[1] All subspecies prefer grasslands, brushlands and marshland. However, the nominate subspecies prefers elevations less than 1,500 m (4,900 ft),[1] where the other subspecies typically range from 3,000 to 4,500 m (9,800–14,800 ft), but locally down to 1,220 m (4,000 ft) in the south.[14]
History of the discovery of the genus Rhea
[edit]During the second voyage of HMS Beagle, the young naturalist Charles Darwin made many trips on land, and around August 1833 heard from gauchos in the Río Negro area of Northern Patagonia about the existence of a smaller rhea, "a very rare bird which they called the Avestruz Petise". He continued searching fruitlessly for this bird, and the Beagle sailed south, putting in at Port Desire in southern Patagonia on 23 December. On the following day, Darwin shot a guanaco (similar to a llama) which provided them with a Christmas meal, and in the first days of January, the artist Conrad Martens shot a rhea which they enjoyed eating before Darwin realised that this was the elusive smaller rhea rather than a juvenile, and preserved the head, neck, legs, one wing, and many of the larger feathers. As with his other collections, these were sent to John Stevens Henslow in Cambridge. On 26 January the Beagle entered the Straits of Magellan, and at St Gregory's Bay Darwin met Patagonians he described as "excellent practical naturalists". A half Indian, who had been born in the Northern Provinces, told him that the smaller rheas were the only species this far south, while the larger rheas kept to the north. On an expedition up the Santa Cruz River, they saw several of the smaller rheas, which were too wary to be approached closely or caught.[16][17]
In 1837, Darwin's rhea was described as Rhea darwinii (later synonymized with R. pennata) by the ornithologist John Gould in a presentation to the Zoological Society of London, in which he was followed by Darwin reading a paper on the eggs and distribution of the two species of rheas.[18]
When Gould classified Darwin's rhea and the greater rhea as separate species, he confirmed a serious problem for Darwin. These birds mainly live in different parts of Patagonia, but there is also an overlapping zone where the two species coexist. As every living being had been created in a fixed form, as accepted by the science of his time, they could only change their appearance by a perfect adaptation to their way of life, but would still be the same species. But now he had to deal with two different species. This started to form his idea that species were not fixed at all, but that another mechanism might be at work.[19]
Conservation
[edit]Darwin's rhea is categorized as least concern by the IUCN.[1] The former southern nominate subspecies remains relatively widespread and locally fairly common. Its range is estimated at 859,000 km2 (332,000 sq mi).[1] The situation for the two former northern subspecies is more worrying, with their combined population estimated as being possibly as low as in the hundreds.[14] However, they are classified as Rhea tarapacensis by the IUCN, which regards it as being near threatened, with the primary threats being hunting, egg-collecting, and fragmentation of its habitat due to conversion to farmland or pastures for cattle-grazing.[14][6]
Patagonia National Park in Chile's Aysén Region hosts the Centro de Reproducción para la Conservación del Ñandú ('Reproduction Centre for Darwin's rhea Conservation').[20][21] The centre is run by Tompkins Conservation with the support of the National Forest Corporation.[20]
Footnotes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f BirdLife International (2018). "Rhea pennata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22728199A132179491. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22728199A132179491.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
- ^ a b c Brands, S. (2008)
- ^ Peters, James L. (1979)
- ^ Gould, J. (1837). "On a New Rhea (Rhea Darwinii) from Mr. Darwin's Collection". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 5 (51): 35.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Davies, S.J.J.F. (2003)
- ^ Elliott, Andrew (1992)
- ^ Perrins, C. (1987)
- ^ Krulwich, R. (2009)
- ^ Gotch, A.T. (1995)
- ^ Nores, M. (2008)
- ^ a b Clements, J (2007)
- ^ a b Jaramillo et al. (2003)
- ^ a b c d Birdlife International (2016)
- ^ "Pterocnemia pennata (Lesser rhea)". Animal Diversity Web.
- ^ Barlow 1963, pp. 271–5.
- ^ Keynes 2001, pp. 212, 217–218
- ^ Darwin, C (1837)
- ^ Herbert, S (1980)
- ^ a b "Recuperando al ñandú en la región de Aysén". Conaf (in Spanish). 11 May 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2022.
- ^ "Incendio en Parque Nacional Patagonia fue causado por "colapso" de estufa producto de fuertes vientos". Radio Cooperativa (in Spanish). 7 July 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
Notes
[edit]- ^ Pterocnemia pennata pennata is included in Appendix II.
References
[edit]- Barlow, Nora (1963). "Darwin's ornithological notes". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Historical Series. 2 (7): 201–278. doi:10.5962/p.310422.
- BirdLife International (2018). "Rhea pennata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T22728199A132179491. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- BirdLife International (2016). "Rhea tarapacensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22728206A94974751. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
- BirdLife International (2008b). "Lesser Rhea - BirdLife Species Factsheet". Data Zone. Archived from the original on 4 January 2009. Retrieved 6 February 2009.
- Brands, Sheila (14 August 2008). "Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification, Rhea pennata". Project: The Taxonomicon. Archived from the original on 13 March 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
- Clements, James (2007). The Clements Checklist of the Birds of the World (6th ed.). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-4501-9.
- Darwin, Charles (1837). "Notes on Rhea americana and Rhea darwinii". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 5 (51): 35–36. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1837.tb06823.x. BHL page 30570920.
- Davies, S.J.J.F. (2003). "Rheas". In Hutchins, Michael (ed.). Grzimek's Animal Life Encyclopedia. Vol. 8 Birds I Tinamous and Ratites to Hoatzins (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group. pp. 69–74. ISBN 0-7876-5784-0.
- Elliott, Andrew (1992). "Lesser Rhea". In Hoyo, Joseph del (ed.). Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (Ostrich to Ducks). Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8487334108.
- Gotch, A.F. (1995) [1979]. "15". Latin Names Explained. A Guide to the Scientific Classifications of Reptiles, Birds & Mammals. London: Facts on File. p. 176. ISBN 0-8160-3377-3.
- Herbert, Sandra (1980). "The Red Notebook of Charles Darwin". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). 7: 1–164.
- Jaramillo, Alvaro; Burke, Peter; Beadle, David (2003). Birds of Chile. London: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7136-4688-8.
- Keynes, Richard (2001), Charles Darwin's Beagle Diary, Cambridge University Press, retrieved 1 August 2019
- Krulwich, Robert (24 February 2009). "Darwin's Very Bad Day: 'Oops, We Just Ate It!'". NPR. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
- La Caledonia Sur. "The revered bird of native people". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 9 December 2011.
- Nores, Manuel (7 August 2008). "Incluir Pterocnemia dentro de Rhea". South American Classification Committee. American Ornithologists' Union. Archived from the original on 20 September 2008. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
- Perrins, Christopher (1987) [1979]. Harrison, C.J.O. (ed.). Birds: Their Lifes, Their Ways, Their World. Pleasantville, NY, US: Reader's Digest Association, Inc. pp. 168–170. ISBN 0895770652.
- Peters, James Lee (1979). Checklist of Birds of the World (PDF). Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: Museum of Comparative Zoology. pp. 6–7.