General names
Information is based on dictionaries and other sources. Species list may not be current. Comments and corrections welcome.
In everyday speech, the broadest term for all kinds of owl is フクロウ fukurō (occasionally フクロ fukuro), written with the character 梟. As an official species name フクロウ fukurō refers to Strix uralensis, the Ural Wood Owl.
More strictly speaking, owls in Japanese can be divided into ズク zuku or ミミズク mimi-zuku ('eared zuku'), which have 'ears', and フクロウ fukurō, which do not (although the distinction is not absolute -- some 'earless' owls are also called mimi-zuku). Mimi-zuku most commonly refers to the Collared Scops Owl (ō ko-no-ha zuku).
The writing of mimi-zuku and zuku is rather a complex issue. For a start, both words are often written 木菟. The meaning of the characters is 'tree + rabbit'. (In Classical Chinese 菟 is an alternative way of writing 兔 'rabbit'. In normal usage today, the character refers to the dodder, a kind of wiry herb that parasitises other plants. The character 菟 is merely 兔 'rabbit' with the 'grass' radical on top to indicate that it is a kind of plant.) Since mimi means 'ear', mimi-zuku may also be written 耳木菟 ('ear + tree + rabbit'). Note that the combination as a whole, 'tree-rabbit', not its individual parts, is used to write zuku and mimi-zuku.
The writing 木菟 ('tree rabbit') is, in fact, from Chinese, where it is pronounced mù-tù in modern Mandarin and was originally a name for the eared owls. It is now not generally found in dictionaries of Chinese. Mù-tù can also be written 木兔 'tree rabbit', using the more conventional character for 'rabbit', as well as 木鵵 'tree owl', featuring the character 鵵. The character 鵵 is, again, the character for 'rabbit', this time with the 'bird' radical at the right. It was clearly created to indicate that this was a kind of bird, not an actual 'rabbit'. The development of a new character where a word has taken on a new meaning was formerly not unusual in Chinese, although the practice is all but dead in the modern era.
There are two other character combinations used for writing mimi-zuku, 鴟鵂 and 角鴟, both of which are also from Chinese. 鴟鵂 chīxiū is a term used for the owls in general. 角鴟 jiǎo-chī means 'horned owl. The character 鴟 chī found in both words originally meant 'hawk' in Chinese but is now used for 'owl'. In Japanese it is traditionally read tobi meaning 'kite'.
In Japanese haiku, mimi-zuku (木菟) or zuku are season words for winter.
Species names
| STRIGINAE |
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN |
JAPANESE |
CHINESE |
KOREAN |
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Otus |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otus bakkamoena
 |
Collared scops owl
Petit-duc à collier
Sunda-Zwergohreule
Ошейниковая совка |
オオコノハズク
(大木の葉木菟)
ō ko-no-ha zuku
'large tree-leaf zuku' |
|
领角鸮 (領角鴞)
lǐng jiǎo-xiāo
'collared horned owl' |
領角鴞
lǐng jiǎo-xiāo
'collared horned owl' |
|
큰소쩍새
keun-sojjeok-sae
'large sojjeok bird' |
Otus sunia
|
Oriental scops owl
Oriental scops-owl
Petit-duc d'Orient
Orient-Zwergohreule
Уссурийския совка
Буланая совка
|
コノハズク
(木の葉木菟)
ko-no-ha zuku
'tree-leaf zuku' |
|
红角鸮 (紅角鴞)
hóng jiǎo-xiāo
'red horned owl' (1, 2, 4, 5)
东方角鸮 (東方角鴞)
dōngfāng jiǎo-xiāo
'eastern horned owl' (3) |
東方角鴞
dōngfāng jiǎo-xiāo
'eastern horned owl'
角鴞
jiǎo-xiāo
'horned owl' (former official name) |
棒槌雀
bàngchuí què
'wooden club (=blockheaded) sparrow/finch'
普通鸮 (普通鴞)
pǔtōng xiāo
'common owl'
夜猫子 (夜貓子)
yè māozi
'night cat' |
소쩍새
sojjeok-sae
'sojjeok bird' |
Otus elegans
|
Riukiu scops owl
Elegant scops-owl
Petit-duc élégant
Schmuckeule
Совка Рюкю |
リュウキュウコノハズク
(琉球木の葉木菟)
Ryūkyū ko-no-ha zuku
'Ryukyu tree-leaf zuku' (from Internet) |
|
兰屿角鸮 (蘭嶼角鴞)
Lányǔ jiǎo-xiāo
'Lanyu horned owl' (2, 3, 4)
琉球角鸮 (琉球角鴞)
Liúqiú jiǎo-xiāo
'Ryukyu horned owl' (1, 5) |
蘭嶼角鴞
Lányǔ jiǎo-xiāo
'Lanyu horned owl' |
|
|
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Nyctea |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nyctea scandiaca
 Note
|
Snowy owl
Harfang des neiges
Schnee-Eule
Белая сова
Полярная сова |
シロフクロウ
(白梟)
shiro-fukurō
'white owl' |
|
雪鸮 (雪鴞)
xuě-xiāo
'snow owl' |
|
白夜猫子 (白夜貓子)
bái yè-māozi
'white night cat' |
흰올빼미
huin-olppaemi
'white owl' |
| Bubo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bubo bubo
|
Eurasian eagle-owl
Northern eagle owl
Eagle owl
Great Eagle Owl
Grand-duc d'Europe
Uhu
Филин,
Обыкновенный филин |
ワシミミズク
(鷲木菟)
washi mimi-zuku
'eagle eared-zuku' |
|
鵰鸮 (鵰鴞)
diāo-xiāo
'eagle owl' |
|
鹫鱼鸮 (鷲魚鴞)
jiù yú-xiāo
'eagle fish-owl'
角鸱 (角鴟)
jiǎo-chī
'horned owl'
老兔
lǎo-tù
'old rabbit'
恨狐 (恨狐)
hèn hú
'hate fox'
鹫兔鸟 (鷲兔鳥)
jiù-tù-niǎo
'eagle rabbit bird' |
수리부엉이
suri-bueongi
'eagle bueongi' |
Bubo blakistoni
Ketupa blakistoni
|
Blakiston's eagle-owl
Blakiston's fish-owl
Blakiston's fish owl
Kétoupa de Blakiston
Riesenfischuhu
Рыбный филин |
シマフクロウ
(島梟)
shima fukurō
'island owl' or possibly 'striped owl' |
コタンクルカムイ
kotankuru-kamui
(Ainu word) |
毛脚渔鸮 (毛腳漁)
máo-jiǎo yú-xiāo
'hair foot fishing owl' (1, 2, 3, 4)
毛腿渔鸮 (毛腿漁鴞)
máo-tuǐ yú-xiāo
'hair leg fishing owl' (5) |
|
毛脚鱼鸮 (毛腳魚鴞)
máo-jiǎo yú-xiāo
'hair foot fish owl' (7) |
|
| Strix |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Strix uralensis
|
Ural owl
Ural wood owl
Chouette de l'Oural
Habichtskauz
Длиннохвостая неясыть,
Уралская неясыть |
フクロウ
(梟)
fukurō
'owl' |
|
长尾林鸮 (長尾林鴞)
cháng-wěi lín-xiāo
'long-tailed forest owl' |
|
夜猫子 (夜貓子)
yè māozi
'night cat' |
긴점박이올빼미
gin-jeombagi-olppaemi
'long dappled owl' |
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
|
| |
| SURNIINAE |
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN |
JAPANESE |
CHINESE |
KOREAN |
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Aegolius |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aegolius funereus
|
Boreal owl
or
Tengmalm's owl
Nyctale de Tengmalm
Rauhfußkauz
Мохноногий сыч |
キンメフクロウ
(金目梟)
kin-me fukurō
'golden-eyed owl' |
|
鬼鸮 (鬼鴞)
guǐ xiāo
'demon owl' |
|
|
|
| Ninox |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ninox scutulata
|
Brown hawk-owl
Brown hawk owl
or
Brown boobook
Ninoxe hirsute
Falkenkauz
бурая иглоногая |
アオバズク
(青葉木菟)
ao-ba zuku
'green-leaf zuku' |
|
鹰鸮 (鷹鴞)
yīng-xiāo
'hawk owl' |
褐鷹鴞
hè yīng-xiāo
'brown hawk owl' |
|
솔부엉이
sol-bueongi
'pine bueongi' |
Latin |
English |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
|
| |
| ASIONINAE |
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN |
JAPANESE |
CHINESE |
KOREAN |
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
| Asio |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Asio otus
|
Long-eared owl
Hibou moyen-duc
Waldohreule
Ушастая сова |
トラフズク
(虎斑木菟)
tora-fu zuku
'tiger-striped zuku' |
|
长耳鸮 (長耳鴞)
cháng-ěr xiāo
'long-eared owl' |
長耳鴞
cháng-ěr xiāo
'long-eared owl' |
长耳猫头鹰 (長耳貓頭鷹)
cháng-ěr māo-tóu-yīng
'long-eared cat-headed hawk'
夜猫子 (夜貓子)
yè māozi
'night cat'
长耳木兔 (長耳木兔)
cháng-ěr mù-tù
'long-eared tree rabbit'
有耳麦猫王 (有耳麥貓王)
yǒu ěr mài māo-wáng
'eared grain cat king'
虎兔鸟 (虎兔鳥)
hǔ-tù-niǎo
'tiger rabbit bird'
虎鵵
hǔ-tù
'tiger tu' |
칡부엉이
chirk-bueongi
'arrowroot (kudzu?) bueongi' |
Asio flammeus
|
Short-eared owl
Hibou des marais
Sumpfohreule
Болотная сова |
コミミズク
(小木菟)
ko mimi-zuku
'small eared-zuku' |
|
短耳鸮 (短耳鴞)
duǎn-ěr xiāo
'short-eared owl' |
短耳鴞
duǎn-ěr xiāo
'short-eared owl' |
短耳猫头鹰 (短耳貓頭鷹)
duǎn-ěr māo-tóu-yīng
'short-eared cat-headed hawk'
小耳木兔 (小耳木兔)
xiǎo-ěr mù-tù
'small-eared tree rabbit'
田猫王 (田貓王)
tián māo-wáng
'field cat king' |
쇠부엉이
soe-bueongi
'small bueongi' |
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
|
