The American dipper is a songbird that prefers water to the skies! Learn what the bird looks like and where you're likely to spot one.
American Dipper Identification
The American dipper is unique among songbirds; it has more similarities to a common loon or a diving duck like a hooded merganser than a chickadee. This water lover is, however, still classified as a songbird, and its build — approximately the size of an American robin — fits that label.
Appearance-wise, these birds aren’t the flashiest. Brown-gray plumage covers the body, and the legs are pinkish. A short tail is typically held up as it perches along the water. Take a closer look, and you might spot spot barring on the breast and a white eye-ring.
Range and Habitat
The American dipper’s range includes most of the western United States and Alaska. This bird prefers mountain habitats, where it can easily locate and stay near a fast-flowing, cold stream. Rocks or other debris are necessary for the bird to perch. In winter, it visits rivers, ponds, or lakes.
Diet: What Do American Dippers Eat?
While the bird’s plumage might be described as “drab,” the way it finds food is anything but. The American dipper relies on streams and running water to sustain itself as it dives beneath the water (some might say it dips) and “flies” with wings outstretched to counterbalance the current. It can stay underwater for 15 seconds at a time.
Alternatively, it also hunts by plunging its head into the water. In either case, this enables the bird to catch aquatic insects such as beetles, mosquitoes, mayflies, and the larvae of these bugs.
Nesting Habits
American dippers are cliff nesters. Male and female both construct their ball-shaped nest near a boulder, cliff edge, or log. Nests typically face the water; some birds will build their nests behind a waterfall.
A female lays a clutch of four to five eggs, and may have up to two broods per season. Eggs take approximately three weeks to hatch, and after about four weeks, young leave the nest.
American Dipper Calls and Sounds
The American dipper’s song, sung by both male and female birds, is a buzzy, bubbling babble. Its volume makes it easily heard over running water. Listen to the American dipper’s song, courtesy of Cornell’s Macaulay Library.
Bird sounds courtesy of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Sources
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “American Dipper: Life History“
- National Audubon Society, “Field Guide: American Dipper“
