Rheiformes

Rheiformes
Temporal range: EoceneHolocene,[1]
Greater rhea (Rhea americana)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Infraclass: Palaeognathae
Clade: Notopalaeognathae
Order: Rheiformes
Forbes, 1884
Subgroups[2]

Rheiformes is an order that contains the family Rheidae (rheas).[3] It is in the infraclass Paleognathae, which contains all ratites. Extant members are found in South America. While the IOC World Bird List and the Clements Checklist categorise Rheiformes as its own order,[3][4] the BirdLife Data Zone includes rheas, along with ostriches, tinamous, cassowaries, emu, and kiwis, in the order Struthioniformes.[5] Of the two extant species of rheas recognized by the IUCN Red List, as of 2022, Rhea americana is listed as near threatened,[6] while Rhea pennata is listed as least concern.[7] From 2014 to 2022, the IUCN recognised Rhea tarapacensis as a separate species, and listed it as near threatened in its last assessment in 2020;[8] in 2022, it was again recognised as a subspecies of R. pennata.[7]: Taxonomy

Today, the order is represented by the sole living genus Rhea, though it contains 4-5 genera in total depending on the affiliation of the extinct genus Diogenornis. The taxonomy of the order is as follows:[9]

Order Rheiformes (Forbes, 1884) Furbringer, 1888 [Rheimorphae Bonaparte, 1849; Rheae Forbes 1884][10][11][12][13][14]

  • Family Rheidae (Bonaparte 1849) Bonaparte, 1853


Extant species summary

The IOC World Bird List (version 15.1) recognizes 2 species of Rheiformes.[15] As of January 2026, IUCN/BirdLife International have assessed both species within the order, but neither have a global population estimate.

Common name Binomial name Population Status Trend Notes Image
Greater rhea Rhea americana unknown[6] NT[6] [6]
Lesser rhea

(Darwin's rhea)

Rhea pennata unknown[7] LC[7] [7] The populations of subspecies R. p. tarapacensis and R. p. garleppi are estimated to total 1,000-2,499 mature individuals. The population of the nominate subspecies, R. p. pennata, is expected to be much larger but has not been quantified.[7]

References

  1. ^ Kirwan, Guy M.; Korthals, Arne; Hodes, Carly E. (2 April 2021). "Greater Rhea (Rhea americana), version 2.0". In Keeney, B. K. (ed.). Birds of the World. Ithaca, New York, United States: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. doi:10.2173/bow.grerhe1.02.
  2. ^ a b Tambussi, Claudia; Dregange, Federico; de Mendoza, Ricardo (2023). ""The present state of knowledge of the Cenozoic birds of Argentina" by Tonni 1980: four decades after". Publicación Electrónica de la Asociación Paleontológica Argentina. doi:10.5710/peapa.13.08.2022.418. ISSN 2469-0228.
  3. ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (11 August 2022). "Ratites: Ostriches to tinamous". IOC World Bird List (version 12.2 ed.). Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  4. ^ Clements, James F.; Schulenberg, Thomas S.; Iliff, Marshall J.; Fredericks, Thomas A.; Gerbracht, Jeff A.; LePage, Denis; Billerman, Shawn M.; Sullivan, Brian L.; Wood, Christopher L. (25 October 2022). "The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World" (v2022 ed.). Ithaca, New York, United States: Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  5. ^ "HBW and BirdLife Taxonomic Checklist". BirdLife Data Zone (version 6.0b ed.). BirdLife International. July 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d BirdLife International. (2022). "Rhea americana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022 e.T22678073A219615764. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T22678073A219615764.en. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f BirdLife International. (2022). "Rhea pennata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022 e.T22678081A217016710. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-2.RLTS.T22678081A217016710.en. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  8. ^ BirdLife International. (2020). "Rhea tarapacensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020 e.T22728206A177987446. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22728206A177987446.en. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  9. ^ a b Picasso, Mariana B.J.; Hospitaleche, Carolina Acosta; Mosto, María C. (2022). "An overview and update of South American and Antarctic fossil rheidae and putative ratitae (Aves, Palaeognathae)". Journal of South American Earth Sciences. 115 103731. doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2022.103731. ISSN 0895-9811.
  10. ^ Haaramo, Mikko (2007). "Paleognathia - paleognathous modern birds". Mikko's Phylogeny Archive. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Taxonomic lists - Aves". Paleofile.com (net, info). Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  12. ^ "Part 7 - Vertebrates". Collection of genus-group names in a systematic arrangement. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  13. ^ Çınar, Ümüt (November 2015). "01 → Pᴀʟᴇᴏɢɴᴀᴛʜᴀᴇ: Sᴛʀᴜᴛʜɪᴏɴɪfᴏʀᴍᴇs, Rʜᴇɪfᴏʀᴍᴇs, Cᴀsᴜᴀʀɪɪfᴏʀᴍᴇs, Aᴘᴛᴇʀʏɢɪfᴏʀᴍᴇs, Aᴇᴘʏᴏʀɴɪᴛʜɪfᴏʀᴍᴇs, Dɪɴᴏʀɴɪᴛʜɪfᴏʀᴍᴇs, Lɪᴛʜᴏʀɴɪᴛʜɪfᴏʀᴍᴇs, Tɪɴᴀᴍɪfᴏʀᴍᴇs & Rᴇfᴇʀᴇɴᴄᴇs". English Names of Birds. Archived from the original on 3 November 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  14. ^ Brodkob, Pierce (1963). "1- Archaeopterygiformes through Ardeiformes". Biological sciences. Catalogue of fossil birds. 7 (4). Bulletin of the Florida State Museum: 180–293. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  15. ^ "Ratites: Ostriches to tinamous – IOC World Bird List". www.worldbirdnames.org. Retrieved 7 January 2026.