My name is Jessica Graham and I’m an Assistant Professor of Biology at Black Hills State University. As part of my research, I study American dippers (Cinclus mexicanus) along Spearfish and Whitewood Creeks in the Black Hills. Dippers are a species of greatest conservation need in South Dakota, with low reproductive rates and little to no movement between the Black Hills population and their nearest neighboring population in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming.
I began my research in 2024, noticing at times that our population behaved differently than what I had expected after reading their profile on Bird of the World. I began joking about starting a blog to share the ‘dipper drama’, but as I’ve continued studying these curious birds, it became more apparent that maybe, I really should pursue this.
So here it is, the dipper diaries – where I share observations and updates from the field in this unique group of birds!
Black Hills Dipper Diaries 