Passeriformes / Cinclidae / Cinclus
Brown Dipper
Cinclus pallasii · 褐河乌
Introduction
An aquatic songbird in the genus Cinclus, found in the mountains of the east Palearctic. It is a thrush-like bird with a cocked tail, inhabiting medium to low elevations where mountain streams flow. At 22 cm and 87 g, it is the largest of the dippers.
Description
Plumage is chocolate-brown with a slightly lighter coloured back and breast. Body length is 22 cm (8.7 in) and weight is 87 g (3.1 oz).
Distribution & Habitat
Found in the mountains of the east Palearctic. Three subspecies exist: C. p. tenuirostris in north Afghanistan, central Asia, and central Himalayas; C. p. dorjei in east Himalayas, Myanmar, and northwest Thailand; C. p. pallasii in east Siberia, central China, Sakhalin, Kuril Islands, Japan, Taiwan, south China, and north Indochina.
Behavior & Ecology
Feeds by diving into streams for larger benthic organisms or wading in shallower parts to pick smaller organisms. Adults dive for food from December through April during the breeding season; they wade and pick at the stream bottom for the rest of the year. Chicks and fledglings forage by diving. A small population in Siberia feeds underwater when air temperatures drop below −55 °C. Following typhoons, individuals in Taiwanese streams may be displaced into poorer quality streams.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Cinclidae
- Genus
- Cinclus
Subspecies (3)
-
Cinclus pallasii dorjei
mountains of eastern Sikkim, Assam, eastern Tibet, northern Myanmar, and northern Thailand
Data Sources
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
