Space use by wild Greater Rheas (Rhea americana) in a relict grassland of central Argentina during the non-breeding season

JUAN E.E.; BAZZANO G,; NAVARRO, J.L.; MARTELLA, M.B.

El Hornero

Asociación Ornitológica del Plata

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2013 vol. 28 p. 1 - 6

0073-3407

To determine movement patterns and home range of wild Greater Rhea (Rhea americana), two subadult males were radio-tracked during the non-breeding season in a relict grassland of San Luis. The average home range was 452.8 ± 86.3 ha, the average daily distance travelled was 1.08 ± 0.076 km/day, and the maximum distance from the capture/release site was 13.66 km. Greater Rheas showed differences in habitat types used throughout the day. Grasslands were more frequently used early in the morning and late in the afternoon, whereas cultivated pastures (Medicago sativa) were used at noon. Although the data is considered preliminary due to the small sample size, the importance of this study is here emphasized because it provides the first records of spatial ecology of wild Greater Rheas.