DIPPERS 



FAMILY CINCLID/E: DIPPERS 



Dipper (Water ouzel), C Indus mexi- 

 701 ' ' ^. , ^ 



canus unicolor. 7.75 



Distribution : Mountains of western North 

 America from near tree limit in northwestern 

 Alaska, northeastern British Columbia, and 

 west central Alberta south to northern Lower 

 California and southern New Mexico; acci- 

 dental in the Black Hills, South Dakota and 

 in western Nebraska. Resident wherever 

 found. 



The dipper, or water ouzel, belongs to one 

 of the most unique as well as one of the 

 smallest families of birds in the world. The 

 family has been traced back to its probable 

 home in the high Himalaya Mountains of 

 northern India from whence it spread over the 

 mountainous districts of the w^orld. Five 

 species are found in the western hemisphere, 

 one in North and four in South America. It 

 is found only in the vicinity of rushing moun- 

 tain streams in which it lives and finds its 

 food supply. 



Its plumage is a soft lusterless gray, very 

 compact and practically waterproof. The 

 body has also a secondary coat of oily down 

 like that on typical water birds, and this 

 marks it as unique among strictly land birds. 

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