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 Rocky Mountain National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Rocky Mountain National Park
Mountain Chickadee
Poecile gambeli
American Robin
Turdus migratorius
Black-billed Magpie
Pica hudsonia
American Crow
Corvus brachyrhynchos
Pygmy Nuthatch
Sitta pygmaea
Dark-eyed Junco
Junco hyemalis
Steller's Jay
Cyanocitta stelleri
Common Raven
Corvus corax
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Setophaga coronata
Violet-green Swallow
Tachycineta thalassina
Pine Siskin
Spinus pinus
White-breasted Nuthatch
Sitta carolinensis
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 Rocky Mountain National Park?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a American Dipper sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park, based on 1,409 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see American Dipper in Rocky Mountain National Park?
October has the highest sighting rate for American Dipper in Rocky Mountain National Park in our monthly data.