Rheas are large flightless birds, related to the ostrich. They live in South America, in grassland areas called pampas.

There are two species of rhea: the Greater Rhea and the Lesser Rhea. The Greater Rhea is much bigger than the Lesser Rhea. The Greater Rhea can grow up to 1.3 metres tall (4 ft 3 in), and weigh up to 40 kg (88 lbs).

Rheas eat plants such as leaves and fruit, but mostly they eat insects and small animals.

Rheas do not build nests. Instead, they lay their eggs on the ground, where they are incubated by the male bird.

Newly hatched rheas are able to run around within a few hours of hatching. However, they need to be looked after by their father for several months before they become independent.

When I was a kid, my parents had a pair of rheas, a species of large and flightless South American bird. I have a dim memory of the first time we tried to feed them. My father got out a bucketful of cow brains and tossed some at the rheas, saying "Here you are!"

The birds backed away in alarm. Then one of them ran over and started pecking at the brains. The other soon joined it. They didn't know what it was, but they knew it was food, and that was all that mattered.

Rheas are hardy animals, and ours lived for many years. But they were very temperamental. They got along with each other well enough, but they hated people. If you came into their pen when they were loose in it (which you weren't supposed to do), they would run toward you threateningly. Once when I opened the pen by mistake while they were inside, they ran after me as I hurriedly closed it again and chased me half way around the house before giving up.