Water ouzel is the older name for what is better known today as the American dipper. Dippers are some of the most boring looking birds you may ever see. But their habits and habitat make them one of the more fascinating birds. As you can see they are an extremely drab, gray bird slightly smaller than a robin. But they have evolved to fill a most unusual niche. They only live near clear, highly oxygenated, cold, clean mountain streams and rivers. They are Passerines, that is they are in the same order as crows, warblers, robins, bluebirds and bunches of other smallish birds. But they don’t act like any of them. They eat mostly aquatic insects. To do that they dive into water, or just stick their head in the water if it is shallow, and walk along the bottom picking up mayfly, caddis fly and stonefly nymphs.
They build their nests of moss near their streams, sometimes behind waterfalls.
Their calls and songs are of the right frequency to be heard very clearly even near loud rushing water and waterfalls. They have a nictitating membrane, a “third” eyelid, which is transparent and protects their eyes when they are underwater.
In Yellowstone the most reliable place to find them is La Hardy Rapids on the Yellowstone River but we have also seen them on Lava Creek, Pebble Creek, the Gardner River, and around Rustic Falls. I am sure you could find them at some of the other smaller waterfalls too, we just haven’t looked.
The above photo is from a film clip I got at La Hardy Rapids. It took me at least 10 trips to the rapids and hours and hours to get it. I know it doesn’t look like much but the former Yellowstone Park ornithologist said dippers don’t eat fish. I thought they did and now I have the movie clip to prove they do. I actually have 2 more as well. I did feel bad for the fish. The dipper beat it on a few rocks before it swallowed it.
I can’t swear the following is true but supposedly a number of years ago a woman saw a dipper dive into the water in the Gardner River. She went running up to a ranger and said “Ranger, ranger there is a bird in the river that is trying to commit suicide!” No word on what the ranger’s response was.
I think what makes dippers special is they only live where there is clear, clean, cold water and those places are always pristine and beautiful.
I have never seen or heard of this bird before. Thank you for teaching me a bit about it. You’ve got beautiful pictures of them.
Remarkable picture of the dipper dipping!! Learned something new. Thanks Judy
Fantastic! You found a nest and proved the ranger wrong about the fish. What a great catch! And, I love the bit about the bird committing suicide.
I didn’t prove a ranger wrong, I proved the park ornithologist, with a Ph.D. in ornithology, was wrong! Much more fun. Beautiful horses Deby. I guess I am going to have to get out there one of these days.
Love this story!
I don’t know much about birds so I really appreciate your teaching.
Thank you!
Ilse