1. Lorena Rivas Factors affecting the distribution of the Darwins rhea in the Auca Mahuida Reserve in Argentine Patagonia

2. STUDY AREA

3. Darwin´s Rhea Rhea pennata pennata

4. 1.10 m Adapted to run Flightless

5. Diet: Omnivorous Social Structure: Gregarious

6. Reproduction: Territorial males Harems of 4-5 females

7. 10-50 eggs per nest Eggs incubated by the male

8. Almost simultaneous hatching

9. Habitat: Darwin's Rhea lives in areas of open shrub in the grasslands of Patagonia

10. Status: Near threatened (IUCN) Hunting More predation due to changes in trophic communities

11. Habitat degradation due to livestock overgrazing Egg collection

12. Landholdings

14. Livestock

15. Oil industry

16. Oil trails

20. (Sheep Units/km2)

22. p= 0.88

23. p= 0.14

25. What we are going to record… Rhea density in Payunia and Auca Mahuida reserve and intermediate lands Oil trail density Livestock density Habitat quality Relative abundance of predators

26. To i To all of you To WCS To all the people who works with me in Argentina Contact: lrivas@wcs.org / rivas_lorena@yahoo.com.ar