General names
Information is based on dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections welcome.
These familiar birds are normally divided into ducks, geese, and swans.
Whistling ducks: In Chinese, the whistling ducks are known as 樹鴨 shù-yā, meaning 'tree ducks'.
Swans: The swans are known as 天鵝 tiān-é, meaning 'sky goose' or 'heaven goose'. They are called 鵠 hú in the written language, a word with an ancient lineage until recently still used in the scientific names in Taiwan.
Geese: Geese in the wild are known as 雁 yàn. The Swan goose, 鴻 hóng or 鴻雁 hóng-yàn, is the ancestor of the domesticated goose in China (in the West it was the Greylag goose). Domesticated geese are known as 鵝 é or 家鵝 jiā-é ('domestic goose').
Ducks: Ducks in the wild are known as 野鴨 yě-yā (colloquially 野鴨子 yě yāzi), or 水鴨 shuǐ-yā 'water duck'. These names are sometimes applied narrowly to the Mallard or 綠頭鴨 lǜ-tóu yā ('green-headed duck'), which was the wild ancestor of the domestic duck. Wild ducks are known as 鳧 fú in written Chinese (applied to the Tadorninae in the Taiwanese names).
Domestic ducks (descended from the Mallard) are known as 鴨子 yāzi ('duck') or 家鴨 jiā-yā ('domestic duck'). 騖 wù is a more formal word for the domesticated duck.
The Mandarin Duck (Aix galericulata) is known as 鴛鴦 yuān-yang, a word that has been borrowed into Korean, Japanese, and Vietnamese. In Chinese culture, the Mandarin Duck is conventionally used as a symbol of marital devotion due to its occurrence in mating pairs.
Recent changes in the Taiwanese official names have brought the naming of the Aythya genus closer to the Mainland names (潛鴨
qián-yā meaning
'diving duck'). The names of the mergansers (秋沙
qiūshā
'autumn-sand', a term which originally appears to have come from Japanese) have also been changed, but not necessarily in the direction of Mainland usage.
Species names
| DENDROCYGNINAE |
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
OTHER |
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Dendrocygna |
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Dendrocygna javanica
 |
Lesser whistling duck
Lesser whistling-duck
Indian whistling duck
Lesser treeduck
Whistling teal |
樹鴨
shù-yā
'tree duck' |
栗樹鴨
lì shù-yā
'chestnut tree duck' |
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リュウキュウガモ
(琉球鴨)
Ryūkyū-gamo
'Ryukyu duck' |
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Le nâu
'brown teal/duck' |
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| ANSERINAE |
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
OTHER |
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Anser |
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Anser cygnoides
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Swan goose
Chinese goose |
鴻雁
hóng-yàn
'swangoose goose' |
鴻雁
hóng-yàn
'swangoose goose'
|
大雁
dà yàn
'large goose' (also used for other types of goose)
原鵝
yuán é
'original goose' |
サカツラガン
(酒面雁)
saka-tsura gan
'wine-faced goose' (refers to reddish-coloured face) |
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개리
gaeri
'gaeri' |
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Anser fabalis
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Bean goose
Eastern bean goose |
豆雁
dòu-yàn
'bean goose' |
豆雁
dòu-yàn
'bean goose'
|
大雁
dà yàn
'large goose' (also used for other types of goose)
普通大雁
pǔtōng dà yàn
'common large goose'
東方豆雁
dōngfāng dòu-yàn
'Eastern bean goose'
鴻
hóng
'swan-goose'
麥鵝
mài é
'grain goose'
西伯利亞豆雁
Xībólìyà dòu-yàn
'Siberian bean goose' |
ヒシクイ
(菱喰)
hishi-kui
'water-caltrop eater' |
ヌマタロウ
(沼太郎)
numa-tarō
'swamp fellow' (Taro is an archetypal boy's name)
オオガリ
(大雁)
ō-gari
'large (wild) goose' |
큰기러기
keun-gireogi
'large goose' |
|
Anser anser
|
Greylag goose |
灰雁
huī yàn
'grey goose' |
灰雁
huī yàn
'grey goose'
|
紅嘴雁
hóng-zuǐ yàn
'red-billed goose'
灰腰雁
huī-yāo yàn
'grey-rumped goose'
大雁
dà yàn
'large goose' (also used for other types of goose)
黄嘴灰鵝
huáng-zuǐ huī é
'yellow-billed grey goose'
沙鵝
shā-é
'sand goose'
沙雁
shā-yàn
'sand goose' |
ハイイロガン
(灰色雁)
hai-iro gan
'grey-coloured goose' |
|
회색기러기
hoe-saek-gireogi
'grey-coloured goose' |
Ngỗng trời
'sky goose' = 'wild goose' |
Anser albifrons
|
Greater white-fronted goose
White-fronted goose |
白額雁
bái-é yàn
'white-fronted goose' |
白額雁
bái-é yàn
'white-fronted goose'
|
白額鵝
bái-é é
'white-fronted goose'
草鵝
cǎo-é
'grass goose'
大雁
dà-yàn
'large goose' (also used for other types of goose) |
マガン
(真雁)
ma-gan
'true goose' |
カリ
(雁)
kari
'(wild) goose' |
쇠기러기
soe-gireogi
'small goose' |
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Anser erythropus
|
Lesser white-fronted goose |
小白額雁
xiǎo bái-é yàn
'small white-fronted goose' |
小白額雁
xiǎo bái-é yàn
'small white-fronted goose' |
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カリガネ
(雁, 雁金, 雁が音)
kari-gane
'goose cry' (written 'goose', 'goose metal', or 'goose sound') |
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흰이마기러기
huin-ima-gireogi
'white-forehead goose' |
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Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Branta |
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Branta canadensis
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Canada goose |
加拿大雁
Jiānádà yàn
'Canada goose' |
加拿大黑雁
Jiānádà hēi-yàn
'Canada black goose' (4)
黑額黑雁
hēi-é hēi-yàn
'black forehead black goose' (5) |
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カナダガン
(カナダ雁)
Kanada gan
'Canada goose' |
Subspecies is:
シジュウカラガン
(四十雀雁)
shijūkara gan
'great-tit goose'
 Note
ホオジロガン
(頬白雁)
hō-jiro gan
'white-cheeked goose'
カナダガモ
(カナダ鴨)
Kanada gamo
'Canada duck' |
캐나다기러기
Kaenada-gireogi
'Canada goose'
Note |
Ngỗng Canada
'Canada duck' (from Internet cites list) |
Branta bernicla
|
Brent goose
or
Brant |
黑雁
hēi-yàn
'black goose' |
黑雁
hēi-yàn
'black goose' |
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コクガン
(黒雁)
koku-gan
'black goose' |
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흑기러기
heuk-gireogi
'black goose' |
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| Cygnus |
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Cygnus olor
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Mute swan |
疣鼻天鵝
yóu-bí tiān-é
'mole-nosed sky-goose'
瘤鵠
liú hú
'lump swan' (former official name) |
疣鼻天鵝
yóu-bí tiān-é
'mole-nosed sky-goose' (2, 3, 4, 5)
瘤鼻天鵝
liú-bí tiān-é
'lump-nosed sky-goose' (1)
or
赤嘴天鵝
chì-zuǐ tiān-é
'red-billed sky-goose' (Alternative in 1)
|
啞聲天鵝
yǎ-shēng tiān-é
'mute-voiced sky-goose' (Alternative in 6) |
コブハクチョウ
(瘤白鳥)
kobu haku-chō
'lump white-bird' |
|
혹고니
hok-goni
'lump swan' |
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Cygnus colombianus
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Tundra swan
Whistling swan
Bewick's swan |
小天鵝
xiǎo tiān-é
'small sky-goose'
鵠
hú
'swan' (former official name) |
小天鵝
xiǎo tiān-é
'small sky-goose' (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
or
短嘴天鵝
duǎn-zuǐ tiān-é
'short-billed sky-goose' (Alternative in 1)
Note |
嘯聲天鵝
xiào-shēng tiān-é
'whistle-voiced sky-goose' (Alternative in 6)
苔原天鵝
táiyuán tiān-é
'tundra sky-goose' (7) |
コハクチョウ
(小白鳥)
ko haku-chō
'small white-bird' |
ハクチョウ
(白鳥)
haku-chō
'white-bird'
(former official name)
アメリカコハクチョウ
(アメリカ小白鳥)
Amerika ko haku-chō
'American small white-bird' |
고니
goni
'swan' |
|
Cygnus cygnus
|
Whooper swan |
黃嘴天鵝
huáng-zuǐ tiān-é
'yellow-billed sky-goose' |
大天鵝
dà tiān-é
'large sky-goose'
or
黄嘴天鵝
huáng-zuǐ tiān-é
'yellow-billed sky-goose' (Alternative in 1)
|
咳聲天鵝
ké-shēng tiān-é
'cough-voiced sky-goose'
鵠
hú
'swan' |
オオハクチョウ
(大白鳥)
ō haku-chō
'large white-bird' |
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큰고니
keun-goni
'large swan' |
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| TADORNINAE |
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
OTHER |
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Tadorna |
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Tadorna tadorna
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Common shelduck
Shelduck |
花鳧
huā fú
'flowery wild-duck' |
翹鼻麻鴨
qiáo-bí má-yā
'warped nose hemp duck'
|
冠鴨
guàn yā
'crested duck' |
ツクシガモ
(筑紫鴨)
tsukushi-gamo
'Kyushu duck' |
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혹부리오리
hok-buri-ori
'lump-billed duck' |
Vịt khoang
'spotted duck' |
Tadorna ferruginea
|
Ruddy shelduck |
瀆鳧
dú fú
'ditch wild-duck' |
赤麻鴨
chì má-yā
'red hemp duck'
|
黄鴨
huáng yā
'yellow duck'
紅鴨
hóng yā
'red duck' |
アカツクシガモ
(赤筑紫鴨)
aka tsukushi-gamo
'red Kyushu duck' |
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황오리
hwang-ori
'yellow duck' |
Vịt vàng
'golden duck' |
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