Photo and caption by Shazeeda Ameerally

In early 2011, as part of a research team investigating the ecology of grassland birds, I visited Esteros del Iberá, a rapidly disappearing wetland ecosystem endemic to northern Argentina. I stayed at Rincon del Socorro, a wildlife refuge where, because of the ban on hunting, close encounters with the local wildlife are not as rare as elsewhere in the region. I captured this unexpected image of a Greater Rhea (Rhea americana) running through the pampas while surveying the birds at the site. It was only within range for a couple of seconds before disappearing into the tall grass.

Location: Esteros del Iberá, Corrientes, Argentina