Greater Rhea

The beautiful Greater Rhea arrived at the park in September 2016, looking for a new life-long home from Drayton Manor Park. They are very interesting birds with very similar features to an Emu. They are flightless birds and the largest in their native country of South America. Rhea like to inhabit large open grasslands & savannahs in the wild and will live happily amongst other species such as our Reindeer; which are their neighbours as you start your journey onto our Nature Reserve.

The park’s young male has typically grey to brown plumage and stands approximately 5ft tall from head to foot; but some males can grow up to 6ft tall! They are a silent bird and will often be seen roaming their territory using their long wing feathers to balance when running and when making tight turnings.

See if you can hear the loud booming noise they make, as the sound travels around the park!