Magellanic Plover

Those who know me know that shorebirds are my favorite subjects, so it's not surprising that this little bird was one of my top targets on this month-long Chile trip. The cryptic bird -- the only species in its family, Pluviallidae -- occupies isolated pockets in Southern Chile and Southern Argentina with a particular stronghold on Tierra del Fuego. That's where I intersected this individual, the shy bird perfectly camouflaged on the windswept shoreline. I'm not usually a fan shooting drab birds in flat light, but I really like how the pink eye and legs crack in the grayscale surrounds.

Tierra del Fuego, Magallanes, Chile 1/1/22
Canon 600mm f/4 IS II + 1.4x III on EOS R5
1/2000 at f/5.6, ISO 1600