Rheas are often called the American Ostrich as they closely resemble the ostrich, but are native to the grassy plains of South America. They belong to the Ratite family which includes Ostrich, Rhea, Cassowary, and Kiwi. The name Ratite means ‘keel less" which comes from the fact that this family of birds does not have the strip of cartilage that normally resides on top of the breast bone of most birds. This cartilage is where the breast muscle attaches to. Therefore Ratites have no ‘breast meat'.

There are 2 species of rhea, the Darwin's rhea which are considered an endangered species primarily live in the mountain ranges at around 12,000 feet. It is a much smaller bird, only reaching heights of 3.5 - 4 feet and lays a pale green egg. The Common (or Greater) Rhea is the more well known of the two. They reach heights over 5 feet and may weigh in excess of 70 lbs. Common rheas lay a ‘golden' color egg that often turns pale when left in direct sunlight.

Females often start laying eggs at the age of 2 and will often lay an egg every other day during the late spring and summer months. Eggs average about 500-700 grams (1.1 to 1.5 lbs). Rheas have been known to lay in excess of 60 eggs per year. When fertile, it takes a little longer than a month to hatch a rhea egg.

Males do the majority of the hatching and rearing of the chicks. Males are often very aggressive, especially during breeding season, and will fiercely defend their eggs and their territory. A male is most often kept with several hens as is common with ostriches and other birds raised domestically.

Rheas in the United States are raised for their many products. Rhea meat is a very lean red meat and is prized by many people who are health conscious. Rhea leather has similar appearance to that of ostrich leather but without the large quill holes. Rhea eggs, because of their large size and natural color are highly prized by crafters, known as ‘eggers' who decorate eggs. Some of these artisans prefer the rhea egg since it is considered easy to carve and normally has a much smoother natural finish than either emu or ostrich eggs.