Little nandu

The Nandu is the largest of all South American bird species and due to its high weight, it cannot fly.

The nandu uses its wings to turn sharply from side to side as it runs away in flight, to attract mating partners and to incubate eggs.

It is a distinctly gregarious animal that can gather in herds of over 100 animals during the non-breeding season. During the breeding season, however, the rhea forms smaller groups consisting of a dominant male and 2-12 females.

After mating, the male builds a communal nest that is used by the females. The male is responsible for incubation and brood care until the chicks can fend for themselves after about 6 months

When rheas are 1-1.5 years old, you can tell the difference between the sexes. Males will be slightly larger than females, and males will also be darker on the neck and upper back compared to females.

The rhea, like many other birds, swallows smaller stones that help grind food in a muscular stomach called the gizzard. Since pandas are attracted to shiny things, they sometimes end up swallowing objects like glass and metal instead.

• Distribution: South American pampas in Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina
• Population: Not threatened. However, the rhea is vulnerable due to egg collection and hunting for meat, and the utilisation of the pampas for cattle farming has reduced the rhea's habitat.
• Weight: 20-25kg
• Height: Approximately 160 centimetres
• Incubation period: 29-43 days
• Number of eggs: Each female in a harem lays 5-10 eggs in a communal nest that typically contains 50-60 eggs.
• Food: Herbs, grasses, seeds and roots, but also insects, lizards, snakes and frogs
• Zoo menu: Ostrich pills, fruit, vegetables, vitamin and calcium supplements
• Lifespan: Usually 10-15 years in the wild. Up to 30 years in the zoo
• Latin name: Rhea pennata