Dipper
(Cinclus cinclus)
The charismatic white-throated dipper is a plump, short-tailed songbird which lives beside rivers.
It has dark brown upper parts, an eye-catching white throat and breast above a chestnut band, and a darker belly.
It bobs up and down constantly while perched (hence its name) and flies low over the water on whirring wings while delivering a sharp, metallic call.
Dippers are commonly found along our rivers and streams, most notably the Endrick. They prefer faster-flowing rivers in the breeding season.
Fascinating fact:
The dipper is a highly unusual songbird in that it uses its wings to swim underwater looking for prey. It can also swim on the surface and walk on the riverbed.
Dippers are here all year round but are perhaps more noticeable in winter, especially when the rivers freeze and they sit on the edge of ice patches.
They eat water invertebrates, such as caddis fly and mayfly larvae, and build large domed nests out of moss and grasses in riverbank rock faces, under bridges or behind waterfalls.
The population of the species seems to be stable. The main threat dippers face is from human pollution making their rivers more acidic, which can reduce their food supply and lead to them producing fewer eggs.
Did you know
Dippers often sing early in the year when few other birds do, so listen out for their rather scratchy warbling notes in suitable habitats in January and February.