Rheiformes
Temporal range: Eocene – Holocene,[1] 40–0 Ma
Greater rhea (Rhea americana)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Infraclass: Palaeognathae
Clade: Notopalaeognathae
Order: Rheiformes
Forbes, 1884
Families[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 

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. ^ "Rheiformes". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  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. ^ BirdLife International (12 August 2022). "Rhea americana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T22678073A219615764. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  7. ^ a b BirdLife International (1 August 2022). "Rhea pennata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T22678081A217016710. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  8. ^ BirdLife International (24 June 2020). "Rhea tarapacensis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22728206A177987446. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22728206A177987446.en. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
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