River Rapids, Dippers and Ducks

BirdNote®
River Rapids, Dippers and Ducks
Written by Ariana Remmel

This is BirdNote.

        [Rushing water sounds]

Powerful currents and rocky terrain make for a dangerous place to swim. But for some birds, whitewater rapids have all the comforts of home.

        [American Dipper]

This American Dipper thrives in fast-flowing streams. It's a plump, steel-grey songbird about the size of a robin that’s constantly bouncing on its heels as it hops along the bank – kind of like a swimmer ready to make a splash. Propelled by its wings, the American Dipper walks underwater as it picks out insect larvae from the streambed.

        [Harlequin Duck]

The Harlequin Duck is no stranger to treacherous waves either. Named for their theatrical markings, Harlequin Ducks spend the cold winter months crashing through the surf along rocky coastlines. But they migrate inland near swift streams for the breeding season to build their nests in cliff ledges and natural hollows.

        [Torrent Duck calling with rushing water]

One of the most elusive whitewater specialists is the aptly named Torrent Duck of the Andes Mountains. The male has bold black-and-white facial patterns and the female is mostly slate-gray and chestnut-brown. These waterfowl are so exquisitely suited to their extreme lifestyle that even their downy chicks look almost gleeful as they plunge into the frigid, frothing flow of the raging rivers they call home.

For BirdNote, I'm Michael Stein.

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Senior Producer: Mark Bramhill
Producer: Sam Johnson
Managing Editor: Jazzi Johnson
Managing Producer: Ariana Remmel
Content Director: Jonese Franklin

Bird sounds provided by The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. American Dipper ML8992 recorded by Randolph Little. Harlequin Duck ML3781 recorded by Grace M. Bell.
Torrent Duck XC401548 recorded by Hans Matheve on Xeno-Canto.
QP04 0383 River Strong and QP04 0386 River Churning recorded by Gordon Hempton for Quiet Planet.
BirdNote’s theme was composed and played by Nancy Rumbel and John Kessler.
© 2025 BirdNote July 2025
Narrator: Michael Stein

ID# rivers-01-2025-7-21    rivers-01