Dipper Bird Information

A chubby songbird that walks along the bottom of mountain brooks and streams looking for something to eat sounds fantastic, but that describes the American dipper, the only aquatic songbird species in North America.

  1. Identification

    • The dipper is a plump bird that is all gray with a short squat neck and a big head. It has a short tail, a dark thin bill and eyelids that a person can see are white when the dipper blinks.

    Geography

    • The geographic range of the American dipper runs from all of Alaska down the Pacific Coast, through much of the Rocky Mountains and south into western portions of Mexico.

    Behavior

    • Feeding on insects, clams, snails, small crustaceans, fish and other aquatic life, the dipper wades into, dives into and walks into and under water in search of food.

    Function

    • The dipper possesses an extra eyelid that lets the bird see while under the water, as well as scales that cover the nostrils when beneath the water's surface.

    Considerations

    • A slow metabolism and blood capable of carrying large volumes of oxygen enable the dipper to withstand cold water during the winter as it hunts for food.

    Fun Fact

    • Appropriately enough, ornithologists call a flock of dippers a "ladle."