I learned about an interesting bird this morning, the American Dipper, a freshwater diving bird. I didn’t know they existed.
It was particularly fascinating to me because the narrator looks so much like my late brother, when he was younger. Also, he has a pleasantly casual narrative style — I’d recommend him to replace David Attenborough, in part because he sounds nothing like him.
Fun fact: it’s European cousin, the White-throated Dipper is the national bird of Norway.
Whoa, PZ! So many bird posts recently. Are you transitioning from spiders to birds as a primary focus? Does Mary have a hand in this?
I’ve often seen the European species when sampling aquatic invertebrates in mountain streams.
Wikipedia
There’s no species called the “Big Dipper”?
That informative video could have been 93% shorter. Bleh.
Also, I am surprised PZ had no familiarity with the American dipper, as it dips around many of the rivers in his home state, Warshington.
As long as he doesn’t start sucking up to squirrels, I think PZ’s okay.
Wikipedia says Cinclus pallasii is the biggest dipper.
If they are diving down in swift rivers then they are less likely to eat arachnids? The water spiders I have seen like it calm.
Apparently neither the Los Angeles, Coyote, Los Gatos, Pajaro, or San Gabriel rivers are suitable even though lots of areas around them in California seem to be en-dipppered.
Could be people, could be chip solvents.
#5 @ rabbitbrush I think that’s also what PZ was referring to about Attenborough. I find I have to speed Attenborough up on YouTube to make him tolerable.
I wondered why a bird that dips in freezing rivers was called “mexicanus”. According to Wikipedia Its habitat stretches all the way from Alaska to Nicaragua. Quite a versatile bird!
Iris! Bloody lovely to see you around the place again.