White-throated Dipper

The white-throated dipper is a compact, short-tailed passerine closely tied to running water. Adults are roughly eighteen centimetres long, with a brown head, dark slate-grey back, brown wings and tail, and a striking white throat and upper breast. In several subspecies, warm chestnut separates the white breast from the dark belly; other forms differ in the width and colour of this band. Juveniles are greyer brown and lack the adult's rich chestnut marking. (Wikipedia, general species account)

Across its range from Europe through Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent, the species lives along fast streams and rivers. It characteristically bobs beside the water and enters the current to forage, behaviour reflected in the ancient name Cinclus for a small tail-wagging waterside bird. Males sing during courtship while running and displaying the white breast, and may make high display flights accompanied by sharp metallic calls. Several Asian subspecies occupy mountain river systems eastward into China and Siberia. (Wikipedia, general species account)