It is the largest bird in the Americas and, like the ostrich, it cannot fly. But the rhea has a trick: when it zigzags to escape, it spreads its wings and uses them as a rudder to change direction in an instant. It lives on the pampas and open plains of South America, and the way it raises its young is very special. It is the male who builds the nest and receives the eggs of several females: he can end up collecting dozens. Then he incubates them on his own for weeks and looks after the chicks, fiercely defending them from anyone who comes near. An exemplary father who is now near threatened because the pampas are being turned into farmland. Protecting him means protecting the great open spaces of South America.