The greater rhea (Rhea americana) is a species of flightless bird native to eastern South America. Other names for the greater rhea include the grey, common, or American rhea; ema (Portuguese); or ñandú (Guaraní and Spanish). One of two species in the genus Rhea, in the family Rheidae, the greater rhea is native to Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay. It inhabits a variety of open areas, such as grasslands, savanna or grassy wetlands. Weighing , the greater rhea is the largest bird in South America and the largest native, extant bird anywhere in the Americas. In the wild, the greater rhea has a life expectancy of 10.5 years. It is also notable for its reproductive habits, and for the fact that a population has established itself in Northern Germany in recent years. The species is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN. Taxonomy and systematics The greater rhea derives its scientific name from Rhea, a Greek goddess, and the Latinized form of America. It was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his 18th-century work, Systema Naturae under the name Struthio camelus americanus. He identified specimens from Sergipe, and Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, in 1758. They are from the family Rheidae, and the order Rheiformes. They are closely related to other ratites such as emus, ostriches, cassowaries, and kiwi, along with the extinct forms: moa and elephant birds. Subspecies There are five subspecies of the greater rhea; their ranges meet around the Tropic of Capricorn: R. a. americana campos of northern and eastern Brazil R. a. intermedia Uruguay and extreme southeastern Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul state) R. a. nobilis eastern Paraguay, east of Rio Paraguay R. a. araneipes chaco of Paraguay and Bolivia and the Mato Grosso state of Brazil R. a. albescens plains of Argentina south to the Rio Negro province Main subspecific differences are the extent of the black coloring of the throat and the height. However, subspecies of the greater rhea differ so little across their range that, without knowledge of the place of origin, it is essentially impossible to identify captive birds by subspecies. Description The adults have an average weight of and often measure long from beak to tail; they usually stand about tall, with a typical range of , to the top of the head. The males are generally bigger than the females. Despite the delineation of this species as the "greater