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Japanese Bird Names		J Bird Name Components		Pronunciation Guide

Components of Japanese Bird Names

Looking through the table of bird names on the Japanese Bird Names page, you might wonder why there is more than one word for some of these birds or their attributes such as color. You will even find three renderings for "bird", all written with the same kanji 鳥. Basically, the difference is as follows: The usual word for bird is "tori", a native Japanese word. When "tori" is used in a bird name, such as in Mizunagidori (shearwater) or Hiyodori (Brown-eared Bulbul), "tori" (トリ) typically changes to "dori" (ドリ). The other reading of the kanji for bird, "chou", is not a native pronunciation but derives from Chinese, such as in Hakuchou (swan) or Ezo Raichou (Hazel Grouse). Last but not least, the Japanese word for "wild bird" is "yachou".

Types   NJ word: Native Japanese word, can be used independently; NJ comp: Native Japanese component of a bird name; CD word: Chinese-derived word; CD comp: Chinese-derived component of a bird name

English	Kanji	J Ro/Ka	Type	Examples & Notes
BIRDS
bird	鳥	tori トリ	NJ word	tori = bird
		-dori ドリ	NJ comp	Hiyodori (Brown-eared Bulbul)
		-chou チョウ	CD comp	hakuchou (swan)
bittern	五位	goi ゴイ	NJ word	goi = bittern
			NJ comp	Yoshi-goi ("reed bittern"; Yellow Bittern)
crane	鶴	tsuru ツル	NJ word	tsuru = crane
		-zuru ヅル	NJ comp	Kanada-zuru ("Canada crane"; Sandhill Crane)
crow	烏	karasu カラス	NJ word	karasu = crow
		-garasu ガラス	NJ comp	Watari-garasu ("migrating crow"; Northern Raven)
duck	鴨	kamo カモ	NJ word	kamo = duck
		-gamo ガモ	NJ comp	Ma-gamo ("true duck"; Mallard)
eagle	鷲	washi ワシ	NJ word	washi = eagle
			NJ comp	Oo-washi ("large eagle"; Stellar's Sea-Eagle)
goose	雁	gan ガン	CD word	gan = goose (NJ word: karigane = wild goose [but rare])
			CD comp	Ma-gan ("true goose"; Greater White-fronted Goose)
grebe	鳰	kaitsuburi カイツブリ	NJ word	kaitsuburi = grebe (also Kaitsuburi, Little Grebe)
			NJ comp	Hajiro-kaitsuburi ("white-feathered grebe"; Black-necked Grebe)
gull	鴎	kamome カモメ	NJ word	kamome = gull (also Kamome, Mew/Common Gull)
			NJ comp	Shiro-kamome ("white gull"; Glaucous Gull)
hawk	鷹	taka タカ	NJ word	taka = hawk
			NJ comp	Hai-taka (Eurasian Sparrowhawk)
heron/egret	鷺	sagi サギ	NJ word	sagi = heron/egret
			NJ comp	Ao-sagi ("blue heron"; Grey Heron)
merganser	秋沙	aisa アイサ	NJ word	aisa = merganser
			NJ comp	Umi-aisa ("sea merganser"; Red-breasted Merganser)
owl	梟	fukurou フクロウ	NJ word	fukurou = owl (also Fukurou, Ural Owl)
			NJ comp	Shima-fukurou ("island owl"; Blakiston's Fish-Owl)
pigeon/dove	鳩	hato ハト	NJ word	hato = pigeon
		-bato バト	NJ comp	Ao-bato ("blue/green pigeon"; Japanese Green Pigeon); Ao = blue, but the kanji for green, midori緑, is used.
plover	千鳥	chidori チドリ	NJ word	chidori = plover; Kanji: "1000 birds"
			NJ comp	ko-chidori ("small plover"; Little Ringed Plover)
raptor	猛禽類	moukin-rui	CD word	raptor(s); rui (CD comp) = type, [bird] group
sandpiper	鷸	shigi シギ	NJ word	shigi = sandpiper, etc.
			NJ comp	Ooji-shigi ("large land sandpiper"; Latham's Snipe)
shorebird	鷸千鳥	shigi-chidori シギチドリ	NJ word	shigi-chidori = shorebird(s)
shrike	鵙、 百舌	mozu モズ	NJ word	mozu = shrike (also Mozu, Bull-headed Shrike)
			NJ comp	Aka-mozu ("red shrike"; Brown Shrike)
skylark	雲雀	hibari ヒバリ	NJ word	hibari = skylark (also Hibari, Eurasian Skylark)
			NJ comp	Hama-hibari ("beach skylark"; Shore Lark)
sparrow	雀	suzume スズメ	NJ word	suzume = sparrow (also Suzume, Tree Sparrow)
			NJ comp	Ie-suzume ("house sparrow"; House Sparrow)
swallow	燕	tsubame ツバメ	NJ word	tsubame = swallow (also Tsubame, Barn Swallow)
			NJ comp	Iwa-tsubame ("rocky-crag swallow"; Asian House Martin)
swift	雨燕	amatsubame アマツバメ	NJ word	amatsubame (lit. "rain swallow") = swift (also Amatsubame, Pacific Swift)
			NJ comp	Hario-amatsubame ("needle-tailed swift"; White-throated Needletail)
tern	鯵刺	ajisashi アジサシ	NJ word	ajisashi = tern (also Ajisashi, Common Tern) Kanji: aji = horse mackerel (fish) + sashi = pierce
			NJ comp	Ko-ajisashi ("small tern"; Little Tern)
thrush	鶇	tsugumi ツグミ	NJ word	tsugumi = thrush (also Tsugumi, Naumann's Thrush)
			NJ comp	Tora-tsugumi ("tiger thrush"; Scaly Thrush)
tit	カラ類	kara-rui	NJ word	kara-rui = a tit, tits; rui (CD comp) = type, [bird] group; kara not an independent word
	〜雀	-kara カラ	NJ comp	Shijuu-kara ("forty tit"; Japanese Tit)
		-gara ガラ		Yama-gara ("mountain tit"; Varied Tit)
wagtail	鶺鴒	sekirei セキレイ	NJ word	sekirei = wagtail
			NJ comp	Ki-sekirei ("yellow wagtail"; Grey Wagtail)
woodpecker	啄木鳥	kitsutsuki キツツキ	NJ word	kitsutsuki = woodpecker; Kanji: "peck tree bird"
		-gera ゲラ	NJ comp	yama-gera ("mountain woodpecker"; Grey-headed Woodpecker)
ATTRIBUTES
back	背	se セ	NJ word	se = back (back of body from waist up)
			NJ comp	Seitaka-shigi ("high-backed sandpiper"; Black-winged Stilt)
belly	腹	hara ハラ	NJ word	hara = belly, stomach
			NJ comp	Akahara ("red belly"; Brown Thrush)
bill	嘴	kuchibashi	NJ word	kuchibashi (the normal reading of this kanji) = bill, beak
		hashi ハシ	NJ comp	Hashiboso-garasu ("narrow-billed crow"; Carrion Crow)
black	黒	kuro クロ	NJ word	kuroi (adj) = black
			NJ comp	Kuro-zuru ("black crane"; Common Crane
		-guro グロ	NJ comp	Seguro-kamome ("black-backed gull"; Herring Gull)
		koku コク	CD comp	Koku-gan ("black goose"; Brant/Brent Goose)
blue	青	ao アオ	NJ word	aoi (adj) = blue
			NJ comp	Ao-sagi ("blue heron"; Grey Heron)
cheek	頬	hoo ホオ	NJ word	hoo = cheek
			NJ comp	Hooaka ("cheek red"; Chestnut-eared Bunting)
claw	爪	tsume ツメ	NJ word	tsumé = claw
			NJ comp	Tsumenaga-sekirei ("long-clawed wagtail"; Yellow Wagtail)
crest/crown	冠	kanmuri カンムリ	NJ word	kanmuri = crown, crest
			NJ comp	Kanmuri-kaitsuburi ("crested grebe"; Great Crested Grebe)
ear	耳	mimi ミミ	NJ word	mimi = ear
			NJ comp	Mimi-kaitsuburi ("ear grebe"; Horned/Slavonian Grebe)
eye	目	me メ	NJ word	me = eye
			NJ comp	Mejiro ("white eye"; Japanese White-eye)
feather/wing	羽	ha ハ	NJ word	hané = feather/wing (tsubasa = wing, too)
			NJ comp	Hajiro-ko-chidori ("white-feathered small plover"; Ringed Plover)
gray/grey	灰色	hairo ハイロ	NJ word	haiiro = gray/grey (lit. "ash color")
			NJ comp	Haiiro-chuuhi ("gray harrier"; Hen Harrier)
large	大	oo オオ	NJ word	ookii (adj) = large, big
			NJ comp	Oo-washi ("large eagle"; Stellar's Sea-Eagle)
leg	足	ashi アシ	NJ word	ashi = leg or foot, but normally leg in the bird world
			NJ comp	Akaashi-shigi ("red-legged sandpiper"; Redshank)
long	長	naga ナガ	NJ word	nagai (adj) = long
			NJ comp	Onaga-gamo ("long-tailed duck"; Northern Pintail)
mountain	山	yama ヤマ	NJ word	yama = mountain
			NJ comp	Yama-semi ("mountain kingfisher"; Crested Kingfisher)
narrow	細	hoso ホソ	NJ word	hosoi (adj) = narrow
		-boso ボソ	NJ comp	Hashiboso-mizunagidori ("narrow-billed shearwater"; Short-tailed Shearwater)
neck/collar	襟	eri エリ	NJ word	eri = collar (normally), but often neck in the bird world
			NJ comp	Shiroeri-oohamu ("white-collared loon"; Pacific Loon/Diver)
				Akaeri-kaitsuburi ("red-collared grebe"; Red-necked Grebe)
red	赤	aka アカ	NJ word	akai (adj) = red
			NJ comp	Aka-gera ("red woodpecker"; Great Spotted Woodpecker)
river	川	kawa カワ	NJ word	kawa = river
			NJ comp	Kawa-aisa ("river merganser"; Common Merganser)
small/little	小	ko コ	NJ word	chiisai = small, little; "ko" used in combination with other kanji only, as in "kosame" (light rain)
			NJ comp	Ko-yoshikiri ("small reed-warbler"; Black-browed Reed-Warbler)
tail	尾	o オ	NJ word	o = tail; shippo = tail, too (on animals)
			NJ comp	Ojiro-washi ("white-tailed eagle"; White-tailed Eagle)
thick/fat	太	futo フト	NJ word	futoi (adj) = fat, thick (atsui = thick, too)
		-buto ブト	NJ comp	Hashibuto-garasu ("thick/fat-billed crow"; Large-billed Crow)
toe	趾	yubi ユビ	NJ word	yubi = toe; yubi = finger, too, but the kanji for this is 指
			NJ comp	Mitsuyubi-kamome ("three-toed gull"; Kittiwake)
white	白	shiro シロ	NJ word	shiroi (adj) = white
			NJ comp	Shiro-kamome ("white gull"; Glaucous Gull)
		-jiro ジロ	NJ comp	Hoojiro-gamo ("white-cheeked duck"; Goldeneye)
		haku ハク	CD comp	Haku-sekirei ("white wagtail"; White Wagtail)
wide	広	hiro ヒロ	NJ word	hiroi (adj) = wide
		-biro ビロ	NJ comp	Hashibiro-gamo ("wide-billed duck"; Shoveller)
yellow	黄	ki キ	NJ word	kiiroi (adj) = yellow (lit. "yellow-colored")
			NJ comp	Kiashi-shigi ("yellow-legged sandpiper"; Grey-tailed Tattler)
Others
order	目	moku	CD pronun	Suzume-moku ("sparrow order"; Passeriformes)
family	科	ka	CD pronun	Suzume-ka ("sparrow family"; Passeridae)
genus	属	zoku	CD pronun	Suzume-zoku ("sparrow genus"; Passer)
species	種	shu	CD pronun	P. montanus (Tree Sparrow)
subspecies	亜種	ashu	CD pronun	P. m. saturatus (Eurasian Tree Sparrow)

[by Douglas Braat]