General names
This list should be regarded as being 'in beta'. Information is based on dictionaries and other sources. Pronunciation still needs fine-tuning. Comments and corrections welcome.
Mongolia is rich in diurnal raptors and in names for them.
- Large raptors such as eagles, griffons, and vultures are called Бүргэд bürged. The name Бүргэд bürged (Classical form bürgüd) appears to be a borrowed term, possibly from the Turkic languages (cf Kazakh Бүркіт).
- Hawks are known as Харцага hartsag or Харцгай hartsgai.
- Buzzards, as well as certain other medium-sized raptors, are known as Сар sar.
- The kites are known as Элээ elee. The term Элээ elee (Classical form eliy-e) is sometimes found in Chinese-language sources in the form 额力也 . This is either a borrowing from Mongolian, or the Chinese are simply claiming that Mongolian can be thrown in as an interesting addition to the large number of Chinese alternative names.
- Vultures are blessed with a variety of names, including Ёл yol (Lammergeier), Тас tas (Cinereous Vulture), and Хажир khajir or Хачир khachir.
- The name Загалай zagalai is used for a kind of black, short-tailed eagle (now officially the Snake Eagle).
- The term Хяргүй khyargüi is used for sparrowhawks (also for the Peregrine Falcon). The male is Хонин хяргүй khonin khyargüi 'sheep khyargui'; the female is Морин хяргүй morin khyargüi 'horse khyargui'. A related name is Хяргууцай khyarguutsai.
- In the former list of official names, the term Элэгт elegt is used for the harriers, but this term is somewhat of a mystery as it does not appear in any of the Mongolian dictionaries that I have.
- The Osprey is known by a confusing variety of names, including Халуу мэргэн khaluu mergen (khaluu refers to alcenid kingfishers), Явлаг галуу yavlag galuu ('yavlag goose'), Явлаг сар yavlag sar ('yavlag buzzard') and Загасч явлаг zagasch yavlag ('fishing yavlag'). Besides being used for the Osprey, the name Явлаг yavlag is also used for certain owls -- see Strigidae.
- Хулд khuld or Хулт khult (also Хулт шувуу khult shuvuu 'khult bird') is a name translated rather loosely in some Mongolian-English dictionaries as "buzzard". It is found in old texts such as the Secret History of the Mongols (section 111), where it refers to a kind of bird of prey.
Regularised names:
The regularised list of 2007 makes a number of naming changes in order to satisfy the requirement that each genus should use only one name. The changes are summarised below:
| Genus | Old | New |
| Pandion (Osprey) | (Явлаг) сар yavlag sar | Явлаг yavlag |
| Pernis (Honey Buzzards) | (Зөгийч) сар zögiich sar; Гоорбис goorbis |
Гоорбис goorbis |
| Milvus (Kites) | Элээ elee | Элээ elee |
| Haliaeetus (Sea Eagles) | Бүргэд bürged | Нөмрөгбүргэд nömrög-bürged |
| Gypaetus (Lammergeier) | Ёл yol | Ёл yol |
| Neophron (Vultures) | Бүргэд bürged | Ёлон yolon |
| Gyps (Griffons) | (Хажир) бүргэд khajir bürged | Хажир khajir |
| Aegypius (Vulture) | Тас tas | Тас tas |
| Circaetus (Snake Eagle) | Сар sar | Загалай zagalai |
| Circus (Harriers) | Элэгт elegt | Хулд khuld |
| Accipiter (Hawks) | Харцгай khartsgai | Харцага khartsag |
| Butastur (Buzzard) | - | Харцгай khartsgai |
| Buteo (Buzzards) | Сар sar | Сар sar |
| Aquila (Eagles) | Бүргэд bürged | Бүргэд bürged |
| Hieraaetus (Hawk Eagles) | Бүргэд bürged | Бүргэдэй bürgedei |
| Spizaetus (Hawk Eagles) | - | Согсоотбүргэд sogsoot-bürged |
Several different devices are used to come up with sufficient names to cover every genus:
* Fuse two words together into a compound word (Нөмрөгбүргэд nömrög-bürged and Согсоотбүргэд sogsoot-bürged).
* Remove the final noun: Загасч явлаг zagasch yavlag as a name for the Osprey and Хажир khajir as a name for a kind of vulture. (Despite the appearance of being truncated forms, both Явлаг yavlag and Хажир khajir are valid existing names for the birds).
* Draw a distinction between variant forms. Mongolian frequently offers forms with or without a vowel suffix, e.g., Харцага hartsag or Харцгай hartsgai, Бүргэд bürged or Бүргэдэй bürgedei. This method has the disadvantage that native speakers will normally see no distinction in meaning between the variants. Moreover, the genus Butastur (Харцгай hartsgai) ends up giving its name to the Accipitridae under this change.
* Find another word. This may be an existing word, as in the case of Загалай zagalai. However, other cases are more puzzling. Ёлон yolon is not found in dictionaries in the sense of 'vulture'. Гоорбис goorbis is anomalous in standard Khalkh Mongolian -- the 'b' sound in the middle makes it look like a foreign word. The term Гоорбис goorbis does exist in Classical Mongolian, but has become Гоорвис goorvis in the modern language -- and refers to a kind of bustard. The list also substitutes the term Хулд khuld for Элэгт elegt as a name for the harriers.
Species names
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Floating Menu by Milonic |
Tool tips by Walter Zorn |
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