American Dipper

The American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), also known as a water ouzel, is a stocky dark grey bird with a head sometimes tinged with brown, and white feathers on the eyelids that cause the eyes to flash white as the bird blinks. The American dipper stays there most of the time but may occasionally migrate a little south or to lower elevations in search of food or unfrozen water. This indicator species indicates good water quality while it is present, but it has disappeared from some areas due to pollution or an increase in the amount of silt in streams.

It feeds on aquatic insects and their larvae, including dragonfly nymphs, small crayfish, and caddisfly larvae. It may also take tiny fish or tadpoles. Its habit of diving underwater in search of food can infrequently make it the prey of large salmonids like a bull or Dolly Varden trout. Their nest is a globe-shaped structure with a side entrance, close to water, on a rock ledge, river bank, behind a waterfall, or under a bridge. The normal clutch is 2–4 white eggs, incubated solely by the female, which hatch after about 15–17 days, with another 20–25 days to fledging. The male helps to feed the young.