American Dipper
Cinclus mexicanus
Silhouette: Beth Reinke · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyCinclidae (Dippers)
- GenusCinclus (Dippers)
- SpeciesCinclus mexicanus (American Dipper)
About the American Dipper
The American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), also known as a water ouzel, is a semiaquatic bird species native from North America. The American dipper is a stocky, 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. On average, it measures 16.5 cm (6.5 in) in length, has a wingspan of 23 cm (9.1 in), and weighs 46 g (1.6 oz).
The American dipper was described by English zoologist William Swainson in 1827 based on a specimen that had been collected in Mexico by English naturalist William Bullock. Swainson placed the new species with the dippers in the genus Cinclus and coined the current binomial name Cinclus mexicanus. The type locality is Temascaltepec de González in Mexico.
The five subspecies are: C. m. mexicanus Swainson, 1827 – north and central Mexico C. m. anthonyi Griscom, 1930 – southeast Mexico, southwest Guatemala, east Honduras and northwest Nicaragua C. m. ardesiacus Salvin, 1867 – Costa Rica and west Panama
C. m. dickermani Phillips, AR, 1966 – south Mexico C. m. unicolor Bonaparte, 1827 – Alaska, west Canada and west USA Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of American Dipper in Chirripó National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Chirripó National Park
Scarlet-rumped Tanager
Ramphocelus passerinii
Silver-throated Tanager
Tangara icterocephala
Golden-hooded Tanager
Stilpnia larvata
Blue-gray Tanager
Thraupis episcopus
Clay-colored Thrush
Turdus grayi
Palm Tanager
Thraupis palmarum
Buff-throated Saltator
Saltator maximus
Great Kiskadee
Pitangus sulphuratus
Speckled Tanager
Ixothraupis guttata
Bananaquit
Coereba flaveola
Southern House Wren
Troglodytes musculus
Brown Jay
Psilorhinus morio
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Quetzales National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 2 | Yosemite National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Volcán Barú National Park | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 4 | Chirripó National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | La Amistad International Park (Panama) | 🇵🇦 Panama | |
| 7 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 8 | Wrangell-St. Elias National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Kenai Fjords National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 10 | Denali National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 11 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 12 | Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 13 | El Triunfo | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 14 | Katmai National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 15 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 16 | Poás Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a American Dipper in Chirripó National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a American Dipper sighting in Chirripó National Park, based on 103 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see American Dipper in Chirripó National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for American Dipper in Chirripó National Park in our monthly data.