The Taiwanese bird names section of the Sibagu site features five languages (aside from the Latin names): Chinese (Taiwan and Mainland), English, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. The justification for these specific languages is as follows:
Chinese: Given that Chinese is the language of the country in question, it goes without saying that Chinese should be listed.
However, a problem is posed by the political split between Mainland China and Taiwan. Mainland Chinese sites normally list Taiwanese birds as belonging to the 'Birds of China'. In the past I have found that this tends to introduce complications in listing names, due to the use of different Chinese characters, the geographic separation of the two, and the huge variety of alternative names that exist in Chinese. Inevitably, amalgamating the lists tends to relegate the Taiwanese names to second-rate status. In this site, Taiwan is split from Mainland China for practical, not political, reasons. For better or for worse, Taiwan is currently a separate political and cultural jurisdiction from Mainland China, as seen in the continued use of traditional characters in Taiwan, and although they have been moving towards convergence in recent years, the Taiwanese ornithological authorities still maintain a different set of names from the Mainland. For these reasons it has been found easier to treat the two as separate entities.
English: English names appear to have become universal among ornithologists and birders, perhaps even more so than the Latin names. English is also the native language of the creator of this site. English names are thus given to the right of the scientific names.
Japanese: Japanese bird names as they were set in the 19th and early 20th centuries have had an immense influence on Chinese bird names. On the Mainland much obvious Japanese influence has been eliminated (although in some cases the Mainland naming simply incorporates and develops the original Japanese names), but it is still quite apparent in the names used on Taiwan. To understand Chinese bird names, it is essential to list the Japanese names, along with the Chinese characters used to write them.
Korean: Korean is a major East Asian language that has been subjected to influence from both Chinese and Japanese. The Korean names are listed as an important reference point.
Vietnamese: Vietnamese is not of immediate importance to Taiwanese bird names. However, as a language heavily influenced by Chinese, Vietnamese forms an interesting counterpoint to the Sino-Japanese names that are prevalent in East Asia.
The five languages on this section of this site are thus mostly there for a reason. The result is hopefully a more borderless view of the natural environment of Taiwan than is available from narrow territorially and politically defined human languages.
Tool tips by Walter Zorn |
