Brown Dipper

Overview

The brown dipper, also known as Pallas's dipper, is an aquatic songbird found in the mountains of the east Palearctic. As the largest of the dipper species, it is a thrush-like bird that is not often seen.

Identification

• Plumage is chocolate-brown with a slightly lighter coloured back and breast.
• Features a distinctly cocked tail.
• Measures 22 cm in length and weighs 87 g.

Habitat

This species is found at medium to low elevations where mountain streams flow. Its range extends across the mountains of the east Palearctic, including regions from east Siberia to central China, Japan, and the Himalayas.

Diet

The brown dipper feeds on benthic organisms by either diving into streams to eat larger items or wading in shallower parts to pick smaller ones. Adults primarily dive for food during the breeding season from December through April, while chicks and fledglings also forage by diving.

Did you know?

A small population wintering at a hot spring in the Suntar-Khayata Mountains of Siberia feeds underwater when air temperatures drop below −55 °C.