Snowy Sheathbill

Most polar birds you'll photograph are on the wing or riding the swell, which is part of why the snowy sheathbill stands out. It is usually found on the ground, shuffling around landing sites rather than soaring overhead, and it holds the distinction of being the only land bird native to the Antarctic continent itself — a fact worth remembering when you're stepping off the zodiac and one walks past your boots.

On our itineraries it turns up wherever there is solid ground to walk on: along the Antarctic Peninsula, around the South Shetland Islands, and on the beaches of South Georgia, usually in the company of penguin colonies during the austral summer sailing season. It is one of only two sheathbill species in existence, so what looks like an unremarkable white bird underfoot is, in fact, a fairly exclusive sighting.