Where do dippers nest?
Dipper · Cinclus cinclus
Dippers nest right over fast-flowing, clean streams and rivers: on ledges and in crevices in rock, in banks, behind waterfalls, and very often under bridges, in weirs and in stone walls by the water. The nest is a domed ball of moss with an entrance facing down to the water. They start early, laying from March or April.
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- Where
- Right over fast water: rock ledges, waterfalls, bridges
- Nest
- A domed ball of moss with a wide entrance facing the water
- When
- First eggs usually early April, sometimes from March
- Eggs
- Usually 4 or 5, kept warm by the female for about 16 days
- Broods
- One or two
- Fledging
- About 3 weeks after hatching
- Nest box
- Special boxes under bridges, by moving water
Where dippers nest
Over water, always. The dipper is a small, dark, white-bibbed bird of fast, rocky streams, and its nest sits right above the current: on a ledge or in a crack in the rock, in an overhanging bank, among tree roots, and in the most famous spot of all, behind a waterfall, where the birds fly straight through the falling water to get home.
These days a lot of dippers nest under bridges. A ledge or gap in the stonework over a fast stream is as good as a cliff to a dipper, and weirs, culverts and old walls by the water get used too. Look under a stone bridge on a hill stream in spring and you may well find one.
What a dipper’s nest looks like
A ball of moss, with grass and leaves worked in, wedged into its ledge with a wide entrance in the side, usually pointing down at the water. Inside is a cup lined with finer grass and leaves. Both birds build it, and among the wet rocks and moss of a stream it is very easy to miss.
When dippers nest
Dippers stay on their streams all year and start early. The first eggs are usually laid in early April, sometimes in March, and the BTO notes they have been laying earlier than they used to. There are usually four or five eggs, the female sits on them for about 16 days, and the young leave the nest at about three weeks old. Many pairs then have a second brood.
Dippers are the only British songbird that feeds under water, walking and swimming along the stream bed for insect larvae, which is why the nest has to be by the water and the water has to be clean.
How to help dippers
Dippers are on the Amber list, and they depend entirely on the state of the river. What helps:
- Clean water. Dippers are very sensitive to pollution and acid water. If you see pollution in a stream, report it to the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, SEPA or NIEA.
- Bridge work at the right time. If a bridge on your stream is being repaired, ask the council to check for dippers and grey wagtails first and to work outside the nesting season.
- Dipper boxes. Where there are no ledges, a special box can be fixed under a bridge or on a wall right over moving water.
Checked against: RSPB: Dipper, BTO BirdFacts: Dipper. Last checked 8 November 2026.
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Questions
Do dippers really nest behind waterfalls?
Yes, some do, flying through the water to reach the nest. Many more nest on rock ledges and under bridges over fast streams.
When do dippers nest?
Early. First eggs usually go in during early April, sometimes in March, and many pairs raise two broods.
Where can I see a dipper?
On fast, rocky rivers and streams, mostly in Scotland, Wales, northern England and the south-west. Town bridges over hill rivers are often the easiest place to watch one.
Can I put up a dipper nest box?
Yes, if you have a suitable bridge or wall right over fast water. They are used where natural ledges are scarce.
