How Do Rheas Mate

How Do Rheas Mate

Rheas mate during the austral summer, between September and February, when they are in the austral autumn and winter. Females reach sexual maturity at 18 months of age and males at 24 months. All rheas are polygamous and a male usually mates with several females in a single season.

Prior to mating, the male mounts the female. He may also sit or stand beside her or peck at her to stimulate her to move forward. A male can have as many as 15 mates during the breeding season. The male will build his nest in areas with abundant vegetation, such as grasslands or pastures, where he can camouflage the eggs from potential predators. The nests are shallow depressions that measure about 1 meter (3 feet) wide and 0.6 meters (2 feet) deep. The female lays a clutch of about 8 to 15 white eggs in each nest over the course of about one week; she will then leave it up to the male to incubate them for approximately 40 days until they hatch.

I am not a zoologist, so please tell me if I am wrong.

I thought that the male rhea is polygamous, and copulates with as many females as he can. But I have recently seen a documentary where the narrator said that rheas don't mate, because they are not sexually attracted to each other.

What is the truth?

RHEAS DO MATE. Their mating system is called polyandry, in which females mate with more than one male. Rhea females mate with only two males on average (the males usually do not pair-bond with their mates), and eggs from several females may be found in one nest (which may contain up to 50 eggs).