American Dipper

American Dipper, Mono Lake Basin, CA, June

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1. Description
2. Sound
3. Conservation Status
4. Other Names
5. Cool Facts
6. Full detailed species account

A chunky bird of western streams, the American Dipper is North America's only truly aquatic songbird. It catches all of its food underwater in swiftly flowing streams by swimming and walking on the stream bottom.

Description

• Stocky, medium-sized bird.
• Gray all over.
• Large head; short neck.
• Long legs.
• Short tail.
• Thin, dark bill.
• White eyelids obvious when it blinks.
• Constantly bobs body up and down.

• Size: 14-20 cm (6-8 in)
• Weight: 43-67 g (1.52-2.37 ounces)

Sex Differences

Sexes look alike, but male is larger.

Sound

Song clear and ringing, with repeated notes. Call a sharp "zeet."

Conservation Status

Populations not well censused. Bridges provide nesting sites, but stream pollution can destroy food supplies.

Other Names

Cincle d'Amerique, Cincle Americain (French)
Tordo acuático, Cinclo norteamericano (Spanish)

Cool Facts

• The American Dipper chooses a nest site, invariably along a stream, that provides security from floods and predators. Availability of suitable nest sites appears to limit its populations.
• To be able to survive in cold waters during the winter, the American Dipper has a low metabolic rate, extra oxygen-carrying capacity in its blood, and a thick coat of feathers.

• Unlike most other songbirds, but similarly to ducks, the American Dipper molts its wing and tail feathers all at once in the late summer. The bird is flightless during this time.

Sources used to construct this page:

Kingery, H. E. 1996. American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus). In The Birds of North America, No. 229 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia, PA, and The American Ornithologists' Union, Washington, D.C.