How do dippers walk underwater while searching for food?

Dippers (genus Cinclus), which are passeriform songbirds, are well-known for their ability to hunt for insects by walking underwater in rushing streams.1

While it was once thought that dippers used their wings as hydroplanes to propel themselves, scientific investigations have clarified that their ability to walk or "fly" underwater is not primarily dependent on the movement of the wings themselves. Although dippers do flap their wings while submerged, their movement is actually facilitated by the velocity of the water flowing past the wings. This current provides the necessary force to keep the bird submerged and stable as it moves along the stream bottom.2