<div dir="ltr"><div>According to the Birds of the World entry, they copulate while floating:<br><br></div><div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">Copulation<br><br>Occurs 2–4 wk after pair formation, usually on rocks in stream but
sometimes as birds float downstream (S. Bouricius and G. Evans, personal
communication). Continues for about 15 s; repeated 3–4 times within 2
min (<span class="gmail-ToggleUp"><a href="https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/amedip/cur/references#REF2403" aria-controls="ART694454-REF2403-1">3</a></span>). Copulation accompanied by singing and loud <em>jik</em> Call Series (<span class="gmail-ToggleUp"><a href="https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/amedip/cur/references#REF2410" aria-controls="ART694454-REF2410-0">10</a></span>; see <a href="https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/amedip/sounds#vocal">Sounds and Vocal Behavior</a><a href="https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/amedip/sounds#vocal">: Vocalizations</a>).
Two reports of midair copulation: following neck-stretching ritual,
female took off in slow flight; aerial copulation ensued 5 m over water,
then birds fell together in free drop to water, continued copulation
for 6–7 s while floating downstream through riffles, then separated and
preened (<span class="gmail-ToggleUp"><a href="https://birdsoftheworld.org/bow/species/amedip/cur/references#REF2403" aria-controls="ART694454-REF2403-2">3</a></span>; S. Bouricius, personal communication).<br></blockquote><div><br></div><div>The "3" reference in the text is "Bakus, G. J. (1959a). Observations of the life history of the dipper in Montana. Auk 76:190-207."</div><div><br></div><div>HTH!<br></div>
</div><div><div><br></div><div><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div>Preston Mui<div><a href="mailto:prestonmui@gmail.com" target="_blank">prestonmui@gmail.com</a></div><div><a href="http://prestonmui.github.io/" target="_blank">http://prestonmui.github.io/</a><br></div><div><div>(425) 223-8450</div></div></div></div></div></div><br></div></div></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">On Sat, Jun 15, 2024 at 12:10 PM Trileigh Tucker via Tweeters <<a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>> wrote:<br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div class="msg8801810189493283054">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Hi Norm,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">This is a fascinating observation! If folks reply to you directly (without copy to Tweeters), I’d love to hear any insights you gain.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Thanks much,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Trileigh<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:rgb(31,78,121)">Trileigh Tucker, PhD<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:rgb(31,78,121)">Professor Emerita, Environmental Studies, Seattle University<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:rgb(31,78,121)">Pelly Valley, West Seattle <u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:rgb(31,78,121)">Writer, Photographer, Fine Artist<u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:rgb(31,78,121)"><a href="http://naturalpresencearts.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:rgb(3,49,96)">NaturalPresenceArts.com</span></a><u></u><u></u></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:11pt;font-family:"Lucida Bright",serif;color:rgb(31,78,121)"><u></u> <u></u></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12pt"><b><span style="color:black">From:
</span></b><span style="color:black">normandlaura donelson via Tweeters <<a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" target="_blank">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>><br>
<b>Date: </b>Friday, June 14, 2024 at 5:48</span><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black"> </span><span style="color:black">PM<br>
<b>To: </b><a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" target="_blank">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a> <<a href="mailto:tweeters@u.washington.edu" target="_blank">tweeters@u.washington.edu</a>><br>
<b>Subject: </b>[Tweeters] Dipper Behavior Surprise<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Yesterday I birded the Oxbow Loop Trail, off Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Road east of North Bend. New trail for me, and I highly recommend it!<br>
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I took the spur trail down to the riverside, and soon spotted a pair of Dippers. They landed on a large rock at midstream, then on a smaller nearby rock. There was some fluttering, then I saw the pair of them floating downstream, one atop the other! There
was still much fluttering from the upper bird, as it tried to hold its position. This only lasted for a few seconds. <u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">I can only think they were copulating. Have any of you seen this behavior, or heard of it before? The closest I got in a quick online search of the literature was a mention of
an observation in which copulation occurred while the female was standing submerged in the water. If this floating copulation behavior has been seen before (and realistically, I have to suppose it has), I couldn't find evidence of it.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><br>
I should also note the alternative possibility that it could have been two males in Dipper combat, though nothing about the incident struck me that way.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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Interested in any observations you may have,<br>
<br>
Norm Donelson<u></u><u></u></span></p>
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