Everything about Dipper totally explained
Dippers are members of the genus
Cinclus in the
bird family Cinclidae. They are named for their bobbing or dipping movements. They are unique among
passerines for their ability to dive and swim underwater.
Distribution and habitat
Dippers are found in suitable freshwater habitats in the highlands of the
Americas,
Europe and
Asia. In Africa they're only found in the
Atlas Mountains of
Morocco. They inhabit the banks of fast-moving upland rivers with cold, clear waters, though, outside the breeding season, they may visit lake shores and sea coasts. They have nasal flaps to prevent water entering their nostrils. Their
blood has a high
haemoglobin concentration, allowing a greater capacity to store
oxygen than terrestrial birds, and allowing them to remain underwater for up to at least 30 seconds.
Behaviour
Food
Dippers
forage for small animal prey in and along the margins of fast-flowing freshwater streams and rivers. They perch on rocks and feed at the edge of the water, but they often also grip the rocks firmly and walk down them beneath the water until partly or wholly submerged. They then search underwater for prey between and beneath stones and debris; they can also swim with their wings. The two South American species swim and dive less often than the three northern ones. Their prey consists primarily of
invertebrates such as the
nymphs or
larvae of
mayflies,
blackflies,
stoneflies and
caddisflies, as well as small fish and fish eggs.
Molluscs and
crustaceans are also consumed, especially in winter when insect larvae are less available. The incubation period of 16-17 days is followed by the hatching of
altricial young which are brooded by the female alone for the next 12-13 days. The nestlings are fed by both parents and the whole fledging period is about 20-24 days. Young dippers usually become independent of their parents within a couple of weeks of leaving the nest. Dippers may raise second broods if conditions allow. Dippers also communicate visually by their characteristic dipping or bobbing movements, as well as by blinking rapidly to expose their pale upper
eyelids as a series of white flashes in courtship and threat displays.
Conservation
Dippers are completely dependent on fast-flowing rivers with clear water, accessible food and secure nest-sites. They may be threatened by anything that affects these needs such as
water pollution,
acidification and
turbidity caused by
erosion. River regulation through the creation of
dams and
reservoirs, as well as
channelization, can degrade and destroy dipper habitat.
Taxonomy
Cinclus is the only genus in the family Cinclidae. The White-throated Dipper is also known in Britain as the
Water Ouzel (sometimes spelt "ousel") – ouzel originally meant the unrelated but superficially similar
Blackbird (
Old English osle). Ouzel also survives as the name of a relative of the Blackbird, the
Ring Ouzel.
Species
White-throated Dipper or European Dipper, Cinclus cinclus
White-capped Dipper Cinclus leucocephalus
American Dipper Cinclus mexicanus
Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii
Rufous-throated Dipper Cinclus schulziFurther Information
Get more info on 'Dipper'.
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