At least three species of rhea are found in southern South America: the greater or American rhea, the small puna rhea, and this species, named for Charles Darwin.   When we visited Patagonia during a windy week in January 2009, Darwin's rheas were common all the way from Punta Arenas on the Straits of Magellan to Parque Nacional Torres del Paine in south Chile.   Males with small striped young were frequently seen; among rheas, emus, and cassowaries, males provide all the parental care and are highly protective of chicks.

• Canon 1D3, 500 mm f4 IS lens, most using 1.4X or 2X converter (2009)
• 'portrait': Nikon F3, Nikon 400 mm EDIF lens, Kodachrome 64 (1988)