Erin Martinez, age 13, of Denton, Texas, for her question:

DOES THE RHEA LAY MANY EGGS?

Rhea is a large South American bird that cannot fly. It looks like a small ostrich and is often called the South American ostrich. However, it has three toes on each foot while the ostrich has only two. Each rhea hen lays only one egg but as many as 30 often end up in a single nest.

Rheas definitely have unusual nesting habits. The male scrapes a shallow hole in the ground and lines it with dry grass. Then he leads several hens to the nest, and each lays an egg. This process is repeated many times.

The male then sits on the many eggs that are in the nest. He stays there until the eggs hatch and then he also takes care of the young birds.

The rhea has larger wings and more feathers on its neck and head than the ostrich. The bird stands about five feet tall and weighs about 50 pounds.

You'll find rheas living in the plains of southern Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina. They usually live in flocks of from 20 to 30 birds, generally in brush covered and near water where they can bathe and swim.

The big birds eat leaves, roots and insects.