Dippers on the Dodder river in Ireland today. (1 Viewer)

[keps]

I'm just wondering if there is any way to know their sex..

In the first photo the Dipper on the left is madly fluttering its wings and singing so loudly I could hear the song over the sound of the rushing water- while the other Dipper to the right, seems quite uninterested. It flies away shortly afterwards chased by the singing Dipper! This is close a nest area used most years by a mating pair. I would guess the displaying/singing bird is a male- but that's all it is -a guess.

 

[Andrew Whitehouse]

It could be a territorial dispute, if one is chasing the other. There are no plumage differences between male and female. I think females can also sing sometimes, but a male is probably more likely to sing.

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

As far as I know male and female dippers sing and defend territories throughout most of the year, but there could be differences between sexes during certain time periods ...