Bird 🐦
🐦
Cinclus cinclus
| Size | 18 cm Similar to a large wren but rounder |
|---|---|
| Weight | 55–75 g About the weight of a small apple |
| Lifespan | 3 years |
| Rarity | Uncommon |
| M vs F | Sexes look identical — both stocky and dark brown with a brilliant white bib and chestnut belly |
| Habitat | Fast-flowing, clean upland rivers and streams — a strict indicator of water quality |
| Best time | Year-round; song heard February–July |
| Conservation | UK: Green LC |
Did you know?
The Dipper is the only songbird in the world that routinely walks underwater on the riverbed, using water pressure and wing movements to stay submerged while picking invertebrates from the gravel
The Dipper is the only songbird in the world that routinely walks underwater on the riverbed, using water pressure and wing movements to stay submerged while picking invertebrates from the gravel
More for experts
They have extra-dense feathers, a very low metabolic rate, and haemoglobin adapted for oxygen storage — a suite of physiological adaptations convergent with diving birds like ducks
Often confused with
Kingfisher (much smaller, bright orange and blue), Grey Wagtail (yellow-green, wagging tail, does not submerge)
Kingfisher (much smaller, bright orange and blue), Grey Wagtail (yellow-green, wagging tail, does not submerge)