Granddad’s Camera
Dipper, as it appears in the game

No.082 · Birds · Common

Dipper

Cinclus cinclus

A plump, white-bibbed bird that bobs on river stones and then walks underwater to hunt on the riverbed.

When to look

All year, mostly at dawn and day.

Time of day

Best time
Day, all year; early spring is best when they sing and nest.
Where in the game
the Cairngorms (river and loch)
Size
About 18 cm
Wingspan
25–30 cm
Weight
55–75 g
Lifespan
Typically 3 years once breeding; the oldest ringed bird was nearly 9 (BTO)
Population
About 6,900 pairs in the UK (BTO, 2016), down 52% between 1995 and 2024
Status
Amber (Birds of Conservation Concern 5, 2021)

Diet

Freshwater invertebrates: caddis larvae, mayfly nymphs, freshwater shrimps.

Habitat

Fast, clean rivers and streams.

Breeding

Builds a domed nest of moss near or over water from March; 4–5 eggs, incubated for 16–17 days; chicks fledge after 21–22 days; one or two broods, sometimes three

Field signs

  • Loud 'zit-zit' call
  • White chest on a rock in a river
  • Whitewash on midstream stones
  • Domed nest under bridges

Did you know?

  • Dippers can walk on the riverbed, gripping stones with their feet, against a strong current.
  • They have extra-thick oil-rich feathers and a nictitating membrane (a translucent third eyelid) that acts like goggles.
  • Falling numbers moved the dipper from Green to Amber on the UK conservation list (BTO).

Moments worth waiting for

  • Walking underwater March to May, dawn and day
    The dipper steps off a rock and vanishes, walking along the riverbed before popping up with a caddis larva.

Photo tip

Set up by a riverside rock and wait; shoot at eye level. Use fast shutter for the bobbing.

Be a good naturalist

Do not disturb nesting birds under bridges or on banks. Keep back from the water's edge in spring.

The law

Not on Schedule 1, but all wild birds and nests are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

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