Anatomy: The common rhea can grow up to 5 feet (1.5 m). The plumage is drab gray-brown in both sexes. There are no tail feathers. The legs and bill are light brown; it has three toes. The wings are large but useless. The base of the male's neck is black.

Eggs: The female rhea lays 12-30 yellow-cream eggs in a clutch. The male digs the nest (a simple scrape in the ground), incubates the eggs (for 6 weeks), and raises the chicks. Rheas are mature at 2 years of age.

Diet: Rheas eat mostly plants, fruits, seeds, and nuts, but also will also eat insects and other small animals (like lizards).