American Dipper
Conservation status
Least Concern
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Order: Passeriformes Family: Cinclidae Genus: Cinclus Species: C. mexicanus
Binomial name
Cinclus mexicanus Swainson, 1827

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 cause the eyes to flash white as the bird blinks. It is 16.5 cm long and weighs on average 46 g. It has long legs, and bobs its whole body up and down during pauses as it feeds on the bottom of fast-moving, rocky streams. It inhabits the mountainous regions of Central America and western North America from Panama to Alaska. American dipper File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Image File history File links Status_iucn3. ... Least Concern (LC) is an IUCN category assigned to species or lower taxa which do not qualify for any other category. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... Animalia redirects here. ... {{{subdivision_ranks}}} See below Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes the vertebrates, together with several closely related invertebrates. ... Aves redirects here. ... Families Many, see text A passerine is a bird of the giant order Passeriformes. ... For the article on the constellations, see Big Dipper and Little Dipper Species Cinclus cinclus Cinclus leucocephalus Cinclus mexicanus Cinclus pallasii Cinclus schulzi Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the family Cinclidae. ... For the article on the constellations, see Big Dipper and Little Dipper Species Cinclus cinclus Cinclus leucocephalus Cinclus mexicanus Cinclus pallasii Cinclus schulzi Dippers are members of the genus Cinclus in the family Cinclidae. ... In biology, binomial nomenclature is the formal method of naming species. ... William Swainson William Swainson (October 8, 1789 - December 6, 1855), was an English ornithologist and artist. ... Naval Battle of Navarino by Carneray 1827 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Aves redirects here. ... Map of Central America Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ...

This species, like other dippers, is equipped with an extra eyelid called a "nictitating membrane" that allows it to see underwater, and scales that close its nostrils when submerged. Dippers also produce more oil than most birds, which may help keep them warmer when seeking food underwater. Many species of land animals have a nictitating membrane, which can move across the eyeball to give the sensitive eye structures additional protection in particular circumstances. ...

In most of its habits, it closely resembles its European counterpart, the White-throated Dipper, Cinclus cinclus, which is also sometimes known as a Water Ouzel. It feeds on aquatic insects and their larvae, including dragonfly nymphs and caddisfly larvae. It may also take tiny fish. World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Binomial name Cinclus cinclus (Linnaeus, 1758) The White-throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) is an aquatic passerine bird found in Europe and the Middle East, also known as the European Dipper or just Dipper. ... Orders See taxonomy Insects are invertebrates that are taxonomically referred to as the class Insecta. ... Families Aeshnidae Austropetaliidae Cordulegastridae Corduliidae Gomphidae Libellulidae Macromiidae Neopetaliidae Petaluridae Wing structure of a dragonfly A dragonfly is any insect belonging to the order Odonata, the suborder Epiprocta or, in the strict sense, the infraorder Anisoptera. ... Trichoptera, or caddis fly as they are more commonly known, can be divided into two groups, those which live in standing water (such as pond and lakes) and those which live in flowing water (rivers and streams). ...

The song consists of high whistles or trills peee peee pijur pijur repeated a few times. Both sexes of this bird sing year round. It defends a linear territory along streams

Its habit of diving and walking along the bottom of streams in search of food sometimes makes it the occasional prey of large salmon or other anadromous fish. Illustration of a male Coho Salmon The Chinook or King Salmon is the largest salmon in North America and can grow to 1. ... Many types of fish undertake migrations on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annual, and with distances ranging from a few meters to thousands of kilometers. ...

The American Dipper's 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.

it is usually a permanent resident, moving slightly south or to lower elevations if necessary to find food or unfrozen water. The presence of this indicator species shows good water quality; it has vanished from some locations due to pollution or increased silt load in streams. Flock of Barnacle Geese during autumn migration Many species of birds undertake seasonal journeys of various lengths, a phenomenon known as Bird migration. ... Indicator species are unique environmental indicators as they offer a signal of the biological condition in a watershed or ecosystem, and are a warning system that pollution has entered the food web. ... Pollution is the release of environmental contaminants. ...

References

• BirdLife International (2004). Cinclus mexicanus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
• Erlich et al The Birder's Handbook
• Stiles and Skutch, A guide to the birds of Costa Rica ISBN 0-8014-9600-4

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (also known as the IUCN Red List and Red Data List), created in 1963, is the worlds most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species. ... The World Conservation Union or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. ...

External links

• The Dipper - Plain, yes, but not so ordinary
• American Dipper - Cinclus mexicanus - USGS Patuxent Bird Identification InfoCenter
• American Dipper Species Account - Cornell Lab of Ornithology
• American Dipper Information - South Dakota Birds and Birding