White-throated Dipper Identification
Its scientific name is 'Cinclus cinclus', from the family Cinclidae (order Passeriformes)
What I look like
The White-throated Dipper is about the size of a starling.
It is stocky, with sturdy legs (not webbed) and a short tail often held upright.
Its plumage is dark (brown to black) with a large white bib. The head, nape, and lower bib area are brown.
It has a thin, black bill.
Its eyes are dark with a light eyelid (visible when blinking) and a white nictitating membrane that protects it while diving.
Male and female are similar.
The juvenile is scaly gray, dark above and light below, with a faint bib and a light eye ring.
My songs, my calls
The White-throated Dipper has a short, shrill, and electric contact call that cuts through the noise of torrents.
Male and female sing all year round except during the molt in summer.
It sings perched on a low branch, a root, or a stone above the water.
The song is a calm series of dry, grating, and chirping sounds. The shrill notes help it stand out from the river's background noise and be heard.
How I behave
The White-throated Dipper likes to perch on exposed stones in torrents.
It swims underwater using its wings.
It can walk on the riverbed because its bones are solid (unlike other birds that have hollow bones).
It dives even in the middle of winter.
On the surface, it swims with the body slightly submerged.
Its flight is straight with vibrating wings.
It often bobs before perching.
How I reproduce
The White-throated Dipper builds its nest in a sheltered spot, very close to the water, in rocky walls, walls, or under a waterfall or bridge.
Its cup-shaped grass nest is hidden in a moss dome with a side entrance.
During the courtship display, the male flies high above his territory. He runs and displays his white chest in front of the female.
What I eat
The White-throated Dipper finds its food in the water.
Standing on a stone, it bobs up and down, with its tail raised, to keep watch.
When it spots prey, it slips beneath the water's surface, and walks or flies underwater with its wings slightly open.
To slip beneath the surface, it leans down, head lowered, and body angled. Then it grips the bottom with its powerful toes.
It can then float downstream for a short distance, with its wings slightly open, before resurfacing.
It feeds on aquatic insects and larvae, small crustaceans, and mollusks.
It also walks on land, near the banks, searching for terrestrial insects.
Where to find me
The White-throated Dipper lives in shallow mountain streams. It prefers torrents in wooded areas.
It is primarily sedentary.
Some northern populations move south when winter conditions are extreme.
It can live for about 8 years.