White-Throated Dipper
Cinclus cinclus
Also known as: Dipper
Habitat
Aquatic
Diet
Invertebrate
Active Time
Diurnal
Size
61 g
About This Species
Watch fast, clear rivers and streams for a stocky, dark bird bobbing and curtsying on a midstream rock before it walks or dives straight into the current to hunt invertebrates underwater. It sings year-round, so a burst of song from a boulder in midwinter is a good clue even when the water is running high. Territories are held on the same stretch of river all year, so a known perch is worth revisiting in any season.
Ethical Viewing Guidelines
- Watch from the bank rather than wading into the stream itself, since disturbance can flush birds from favoured feeding rocks and, in the breeding season, from nests tucked behind waterfalls or under bridges.
- General wild bird protections apply through its European range, with specifics varying by country, so avoid approaching an active nest site closely and never handle young.
LCAvesPasseriformesCinclidae
Seasonal Activity
520,392 sightings · 2000–2026
Citizen science records via GBIF
All monthsThis month
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cinclidae
Traits
- Diet
- Invertebrate
- Foraging
- Aquatic
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Body mass
- 61 g
Photo
(c) Dina Nesterkova, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Dina Nesterkova
CC-BY-NC-4.0
Occurrence data from GBIF.