Dippers

Dippers, also known as water ouzels, are a small group of aquatic songbirds in the family Cinclidae, within the order Passeriformes. The family contains a single genus, Cinclus, with several species that inhabit streams and rivers across Europe, Asia, North America, and parts of South America. The best known species include the European white-throated dipper (Cinclus cinclus) and the American dipper (Cinclus mexicanus).

Dippers are closely tied to fast-flowing waters. They are compact, with short tails and strong legs, and their plumage ranges from brownish to black, often with a distinctive white throat patch in some species. They perch on rocks or stream ledges and patrol the stream bed, occasionally diving underwater to forage.

Their diet consists mainly of aquatic invertebrates, insect larvae, crustaceans, and occasionally small fish. They forage by walking along the stream bed, probing stones for prey, or swimming with the head submerged for short distances. They are territorial and often defend stretches of stream year-round.

Reproduction typically occurs near water. Nests are cup-shaped structures made of moss, grasses, and rootlets, placed in rock crevices, under waterfalls, or on streamside ledges. Clutches usually contain 3–6 eggs, incubated by both parents for about two weeks, with nestlings fledging after roughly another two weeks.

Conservation status varies by region. Dippers are generally not globally threatened but are sensitive to water pollution, siltation, and habitat alteration such as damming. Because they rely on clean, well-oxygenated streams, they can serve as indicators of freshwater ecosystem health.