Order: Struthioniformes | Family: Rheidae | IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Puno
Age: Juveniles | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Puno
Age: Adults | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Tacna
Age: Adult | Sex: Unknown | Loc. Tacna
Identification & Behavior: ~96.3 cm (38 in). The Lesser Rhea is tall and has a long and thin neck and long legs. It is flightless. Adults are gray with white spots on the sides. Juveniles are uniformly gray attaining adult plumage and sexual maturity by the age of three years. Gather in flocks during the non-breeding season.
Status: The Lesser Rhea is rare to uncommon and apparently declining due to hunting and egg collection. It favors high Andean open shrublands at elevations above 4000 m. It also occurs in Bo and Ch.
Name in Spanish: Suri o Ñandu Petiso.
Sub-species: Lesser Rhea (pennata tarapacensis) C. Chubb, 1913.
Meaning of Name: Rhea: Gr. Daughter or Uranus and mother of Zeus. pennata: L. ref. feathered upper tibia of Rheas.
See more of the Family Rheidae 
Distribution Map
Voice
VoiceReferences:
- Species range based on: Schulenberg, T. S., D. F. Stotz, and L. Rico. 2006. Distribution maps of the birds of Peru, version 1.0. Environment, Culture & Conservation (ECCo), The Field Museum. http://fm2.fieldmuseum.org/uw_test/birdsofperu on 7/09/2014.
- Sitewide References.