General names
Information is based on dictionaries and other sources. Species list may not be current. Korean glosses are only tentative. Comments and corrections welcome.
The rails are called クイナ kuina in Japanese. In Chinese characters, this is written either 秧鶏 'seedling fowl' or 水鶏 'water-fowl/chicken', based on Chinese names. Kuina by itself now refers to the Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus), although in traditional poetry it referred to the Ruddy-breasted Crake (Porzana fusca).
The Moorhen and the Coot are known as バン ban, written 鷭. Although this character is from Chinese, it is not clear what kind of bird it referred to. Its application to these two birds appears to be of Japanese origin.
The humble Okinawa Rail has achieved celebrity status in Japan as a symbol of endangered wildlife. There are no doubt plenty of people out there who don't have much idea what a kuina is but have heard of the Yanbaru Kuina.
Species names
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN |
JAPANESE |
CHINESE |
KOREAN |
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| Coturnicops | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Coturnicops
exquisitus Porzana exquisita ![]() |
Swinhoe's
rail or Swinhoe's crake Swinhoe's yellow rail Râle de Swinhoe Mandschurensumpfhuhn Белокрылый погоныш |
シマクイナ (縞秧鶏 ~ 縞水鶏) shima kuina 'striped rail' (kuina written 1. 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 2. 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) |
花田鸡 (花田雞) 'flowery paddy-fowl/chicken' |
小翅田鸡 (小翅田雞) 'small-winged paddy-fowl/chicken' |
알락뜸부기 allak-tteumbugi 'spotted rail' |
||
| Rallina | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
Rallina eurizonoides![]() |
Slaty-legged crake Banded crake Râle de forêt Hinduralle Полосатый каштановый пастушок |
オオクイナ (大秧鶏 ~ 大水鶏) ō kuina 'large rail' (kuina written 1. 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 2. 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) |
白喉斑秧鸡 (白喉斑秧雞) 'white-throated striped seedling-fowl/chicken' |
(灰脚秧鸡) 灰腳秧雞 'grey-legged seedling-fowl/chicken' Former Taiwan official: (灰腿秧鸡) 灰腿秧雞 'grey-legged seedling-fowl/chicken' |
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| Gallirallus | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Gallirallus okinawae Rallus okinawae |
Okinawa rail Râle d'Okinawa Okinawaralle Окинавский пастушок |
ヤンバルクイナ (山原秧鶏 ~ 山原水鶏) yanbaru kuina 'Yanbaru rail' (kuina written 1. 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 2. 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) (Yanbaru is an area in Okinawa. The characters mean 'mountain field') |
冲绳秧鸡 (沖繩秧雞) 'Okinawan seedling-fowl/chicken' |
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| Rallus | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Rallus aquaticus Rallina aquatica |
Water rail Râle d'eau Wasserralle Пастушок |
クイナ (秧鶏 ~ 水鶏) kuina 'rail' (written 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) |
フユクイナ (冬秧鶏 ~ 冬水鶏) fuyu kuina 'winter rail' (kuina written 1. 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 2. 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) |
普通秧鸡 (普通秧雞) 'common seedling-fowl/chicken' |
(秧鸡) 秧雞 'seedling-fowl/chicken' |
秋鸡 (秋雞) 'autumn fowl/chicken' 水鸡 (水雞) 'water-fowl/chicken' |
흰눈썹뜸부기 huin-nunsseop-tteumbugi 'white-eyebrowed rail' |
| Amaurornis | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Amaurornis phoenicurus |
White-breasted waterhen White-breasted water hen Râle à poitrine blanche Weißbrust-Kielralle Белогрудый погоныш |
シロハラクイナ (白腹秧鶏 ~ 白腹水鶏) shiro-hara kuina 'white-bellied rail' (kuina written 1. 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 2. 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) |
白胸苦恶鸟 (白胸苦惡鳥) 'white-breasted kǔ-è bird' (onomat. kǔ-è is written 'bitter evil') |
(白腹秧鸡) 白腹秧雞 'white-bellied seedling-fowl/chicken' |
白胸秧鸡 (白胸秧雞) 'white-breasted seedling-fowl/chicken' (7) 苦恶鸟 (苦惡鳥) 'kǔ-è bird' (onomat. kǔ-è is written 'bitter evil') 白胸秧鸟 (白胸秧雞) 'white-breasted seedling-bird' 白脸秧鸡 (白臉秧雞) 'white-faced seedling-fowl/chicken' 白面鸡 (白面雞) 'white-faced fowl' 白胸黑水鸡 (白胸黑水雞) 'white-breasted black water-fowl/chicken' (='white-breasted moorhen') 姑恶鸡 (姑惡雞) 'mother-in-law evil fowl' (gū-è onomat.) |
흰배뜸부기 huin-bae-tteumbugi 'white-bellied rail' |
|
| Porzana | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Porzana pusilla |
Baillon's crake Marouette de Baillon Zwergsumpfhuhn Погоныш-крошка |
ヒメクイナ (姫水鶏 ~ 姫秧鶏) hime kuina 'princess rail' (kuina written 1. 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 2. 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) |
小田鸡 (小田雞) 'small paddy-fowl/chicken' |
(小秧鸡) 小秧雞 'small seedling-fowl/chicken' |
쇠뜸부기 soe-tteumbugi 'small rail' |
||
| Porzana fusca |
Ruddy-breasted crake Ruddy crake Marouette brune Zimtsumpfhuhn Красноногий погоныш |
ヒクイナ (緋秧鶏 ~ 緋水鶏) hi-kuina 'scarlet rail' (kuina written 1. 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 2. 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) |
クイナ (秧鶏 ~ 水鶏) kuina 'rail' (written 1. 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 2. 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) (ancient literature) |
红胸田鸡 (紅胸田雞) 'red-breasted paddy-fowl/chicken' |
(绯秧鸡) 緋秧雞 'scarlet seedling-fowl/chicken' |
쇠뜸부기사촌 soe-tteumbugi-sachon 'small rail cousin' |
|
| Porzana cinerea |
White-browed crake White-browed rail Marouette grise Weißbrauen-Sumpfhuhn Белобровый погоныш |
マミジロクイナ (眉白秧鶏 ~ 眉白水鶏) mami-jiro-kuina 'white-eyebrowed rail' (kuina written 1. 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 2. 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) |
白眉田鸡 (白眉田雞) 'white-eyebrowed paddy-fowl/chicken' (2, 4) 白眉秧鸡 (白眉秧雞) 'white-eyebrowed seedling-fowl/chicken' (3) 灰田鸡 (灰田雞) 'grey paddy-fowl/chicken' (5) |
(白眉秧鸡) 白眉秧雞 'white-eyebrowed seedling-fowl/chicken' |
|||
| Gallicrex | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Gallicrex cinerea |
Watercock Water cock Râle à crête Wasserhahn Камышница рогатая |
ツルクイナ (鶴秧鶏 ~ 鶴水鶏) tsuru-kuina 'crane rail' (kuina written 1. 'seedling-fowl/chicken' or 2. 'water-fowl/chicken', from Chinese) |
董鸡 (董雞) 'dong fowl/chicken' |
(董鸡) 董雞 'dong fowl/chicken' |
뜸부기 tteumbugi 'rail' |
||
| Gallinula | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Gallinula chloropus |
Common moorhen Moorhen Common gallinule Gallinule poule-d'eau Teichhuhn Камышница |
バン (鷭) ban 'coot' |
黑水鸡 (黑水雞) 'black water-fowl/chicken' or 红骨顶 (紅骨頂) 'red bone top' (Alternative in 1, 3, 5) |
(红冠水鸡) 紅冠水雞 'red-crested water-fowl/chicken' |
小鷭 (小鷭) 'small fan' |
쇠물닭 soe-mul-dalg 'small water-fowl/chicken' |
|
| Fulica | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Fulica atra |
Common coot or Eurasian coot Black coot Coot Foulque macroule Bläßhuhn Лысуха |
オオバン (大鷭) ō ban 'large coot' |
白骨顶 (白骨頂) 'white bone top' or 骨顶鸡 (骨頂雞) 'bone top fowl' (Alternative in 1, 3) |
(白冠鸡) 白冠雞 'white-crested fowl' |
大鷭 (大鷭) 'large fan' 水姑顶 (水姑頂) 'water mother-in-law top' (North) 水姑丁 (水姑丁) 'water mother-in-law ding' (North) 冬鸡 (冬雞) 'winter fowl' (South) |
물닭 mul-dalg 'water-fowl/chicken' |
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