| Brown Dipper | |
|---|---|
| Immature Brown Dipper | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Cinclidae |
| Genus: | Cinclus |
| Species: | C. pallasii |
| Binomial name | |
| Cinclus pallasii Temminck, 1820 [2] |
|
The Brown Dipper (Cinclus pallasii), alternatively known by the common names Pallas's Dipper, Asian Dipper or the Asiatic Dipper, is an aquatic songbird found in the mountains of southern and central Asia. At 22 cm (8.7 in) and 87 grams (3.1 oz), it is the largest of the dippers. This species, which is not often seen, is found at medium to low elevations where mountain streams flow.
The Brown Dipper can either feed by diving into streams to eat larger benthic organisms, or wade in shallower parts of streams and pick smaller organisms of the bottom. The adults will dive for food from December through April, which is when there are more large benthic organisms. Since this period is also the breeding season of the Brown Dipper, more food is required, so diving for large food is necessary. However, the adults will forage by wading and picking at the stream bottom for the rest of the year. Brown Dipper chicks and fledglings will also forage by diving.[3]