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Compound Japanese Bird Names

Examples of the straightforward use of characters to write a Japanese compound word

Japanese word Meaning Characters used Comment
umi-tsubame 'sea swallow' = 'petrel'
海燕
Probably coined by the Japanese
umi-suzume 'sea sparrow' = 'murrelet, etc'
海雀
 
ama-tsubame 'rain swallow'
= 'swift'
雨燕
Probably coined by the Japanese
mizu-nagi-dori 'water-shearing-bird'
= 'shearwater'
水薙鳥
Looks like a loan-translation from English
umi-neko 'sea-cat'
= 'Japanese gull'
海猫
 
aji-sashi 'mackerel-stabber'
= 'tern'
鯵刺
'Mackerel stabber' is the etymology implied by the characters, but the true etymology may be different
kake-su 'hang-nest'
='jay'
懸巣
 
kashi-dori 'oak bird'
= 'jay'
樫鳥
The character is a Japanese creation
橿鳥
 
koma-dori 'pony bird'
= 'Japanese robin'
駒鳥
Said to be because the cry of the bird sounds like the neighing of a horse
no-goma 'field pony'
= 'Siberian rubythroat'
野駒
 
aka-hige 'red-beard'
= 'Ryukyu robin'
赤髭
 
aka-hara 'red-belly'
= 'red-billed thrush'
赤腹
 
shiro-hara 'white-belly'
= 'pale thrush'
白腹
 
shiro-gashira 'white head'
= 'Chinese bulbul'
白頭
 
yama-dori 'mountain bird'
= 'copper pheasant'
山鳥
 
take-dori 'bamboo bird'
= 'rufous laughing thrush'
竹鳥
Probably from Japanese colonial period on Taiwan
yabu-dori 'scrub bird'
= 'Steere's liocichla'
薮鳥
Probably from Japanese colonial period on Taiwan
no-gan 'field goose' = 'bustard'
野雁
is also used