The American Dipper, sometimes referred to as a Water Ouzel, is a songbird found in the mountains in western North America. It’s unique in that it finds almost all of its food underwater! While the dipper is nondescript in appearance with sooty-gray plumage, it has a robust song that is quite distinct. If you spend any time near clear streams and rivers in their territory, you have probably heard them as they zip up and down the water looking for their next meal. You know it’s a dipper when it lands on a rock and bounces up and down as if to shake off the cold water, then plunges straight into the frigid stream.
Often described as a stocky bird with a short tail and short powerful wings, the dipper is well suited for an aquatic life. Dippers have dense feathers to insulate against the chilly waters and a special preening oil that helps waterproof their feathers. Nasal flaps keep water out of their nostrils when they dive. These traits are necessary for survival, allowing the dipper to duck, swim, and dive under water in search of food.
Many who have observed the dipper in action have described a bird walking along the bottom of a stream or river. While many would laugh in disbelief at such a wild claim, this is, in fact, just what they do! They can be underwater for fifteen to twenty seconds. Using their wings as a foil in the current to push them down, they walk along the bottom of rivers and streams in search of aquatic insects, making them truly unique among songbirds.
While dippers live in an area year-round, the best time to find one is during the spring. With warmer weather and increased abundance of food, spring brings nesting season. The female dipper looks for an ideal nest location along a section of stream or river she deems rich in food. Then she and her mate build a ball-like nest of moss, leaves, and grass. The nest is typically found in a crevice on a cliff or large boulder. The nest is often under an overhang and almost always over the water. While such locations are dry and guard the chicks from attacks from below, they make for a challenging first flight for the young.
Before the chicks are ready to take their first flight, which is a leap of faith, they will need lots of food. Dipper parents make trip after trip delivering meals to these cute, but goofy-looking, chicks. The call of the dipper can be heard loud and clear as dipper parents gather and deliver food to the hungry chicks. Once they leave the nest, these young fledglings do not wander far at first. Their parents continue to feed them every four to five minutes.
As spring days pass quickly, the fledglings grow stronger and begin to explore farther from the nesting area in search of their own spaces. When the cold bite of winter grips the land, dippers go to a lower elevation in search of open waters.
Wildlife Watching Tip: Your ears can be a powerful tool when locating wildlife. When I spent several months taking pictures of the dippers, I would listen for their call, which I almost always heard before I spotted the birds. This gave me time to set up and sit still in anticipation of the perfect shot.