- Lifespan
- 5–8 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 18–20 cm, wingspan 24–26 cm; 40–75 g
- Habitat
- Fast-flowing, clear streams and rivers with rocky substrates, typically in upland and moorland regions with good water quality.
- UK Distribution
- Resident throughout much of Wales, northern England, Scotland, and south-west England; largely absent from lowland southern and eastern England. Populations are year-round residents with some local movements.
- Diet
- Primarily aquatic invertebrates including mayfly and caddisfly larvae, stonefly nymphs, small fish fry, and freshwater shrimp; occasionally takes small fish.
- Prey
- Mayfly nymphs, caddisfly larvae, stonefly nymphs, freshwater shrimp, and small fish fry
- Predators
- Mink, otters, herons, sparrowhawks, and gulls; eggs and chicks vulnerable to corvids and rats
- Mating Season
- March to June
- Breeding
- Clutch size 4–5 eggs, incubation period 12–13 days, fledging at 19–25 days; typically one brood per year, occasionally two in southern populations.
- Behaviour
- Dippers are uniquely adapted for underwater foraging, walking along stream beds whilst submerged using their wings for propulsion. They are territorial birds, often seen bobbing characteristically on rocks in fast-flowing water. They maintain territories year-round and are generally solitary or found in pairs.