General names
Information is based on dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections welcome.
According to the official names, the robins and related species (Saxicolinae) are mostly known by the term 鴝 and the flycatchers (Muscicapinae) by the term 鶲 . Neither is used on its own; each usually forms part of a larger word. The overall assignment of naming is as follows:
| Name | Gloss | Genera |
| 鴝 |
'robin' | Robins (Luscinia) Chats (Saxicola) Robin (Myiomela) Magpie Robin (Copsychus) Redstarts (Phoenicurus, Rhyacornis, Chaimarrornis) |
| 剪尾 |
'cut tail' | Forktail (Enicurus) |
| 䳭 |
'ji' (originally wagtail) | Wheatears (Oenanthe) |
| 磯鶇 |
'rock-thrush' | Rock Thrushes (Monticola) |
| 鶲 |
'flycatcher' | Flycatchers (Muscicapa) Canary Flycatchers (Culicicapa) Verditer Flycatcher (Eumyias) Flycatchers (Ficedula) Jungle Flycatcher (Rhinomyias) |
| 琉璃 |
'lapis lazuli' | Blue-and-White Flycatcher (Cyanoptila) Niltava |
However, neither 鴝 nor 鶲 appears to be deeply grounded in Chinese tradition.
The character 鶲 is a character without a history -- not even major dictionaries have ancient citations for it. Obunsha's Kanwa Jiten says that 鶲 in the sense of 'flycatcher' is a Japanese usage. That is, 鶲 is an old Chinese character for some unspecified kind of bird that was pressed into service to represent the Japanese word hitaki 'flycatcher' precisely because Chinese lacked an appropriate character.
Traditionally, the character 鴝 was merely part of the word 鴝鵒 meaning 'mynah'. It was not a word in its own right. How it came to be applied to the robins is something of a mystery. The conventional, non-technical translation of 'robin' in Chinese is not 鴝 but 知更鳥 'know hours (time watches) bird'.
The answer may again lie in Japanese. The Japanese names of the robins are based on the name 駒鳥 koma-dori (Luscinia akahige). Koma-dori literally means 'pony bird', a name that supposedly derives from the similarity of its call to a horse's whinnying. The character 駒 means 'horse' or 'pony'; the left half is the radical for 'horse'. This Japanese name already existed in the 19th century when Temminck used it as the basis for the scientific name Luscinia komadori, although Temminck got akahige and komadori mixed up, thus reversing the names. At some stage in the late 19th/early 20th centuries, many Japanese bird names were borrowed into Chinese in their written form, and it would not be unusual if those of the robins were borrowed, too. However, the use of 駒 ('pony') for a small bird would have struck the Chinese as incongruous. The possibility thus suggests itself that the Chinese substituted 鴝 (from the literary word for 'mynah') for 駒 ('pony'). In the written language, this would merely entail swapping the bird radical for the horse radical. The name of Luscinia calliope, 野鴝 'wild robin', is especially suggestive in this regard. Apart from the substitution of 鴝 for 駒, the Taiwanese name is identical to the Japanese one.
Looking at other names in the lineup, Oenanthe is a relative newcomer to Taiwanese bird lists, and the name given to the genus, 䳭 , is based on the official Mainland name of the chats and wheatears. It's not clear, however, why 䳭 was applied to the chats; 䳭 is traditionally an alternative form of the character 鹡 , which is part of the word for 'wagtail' (鶺鴒 ).
The remaining names are less mysterious. 琉璃 'lapis lazuli' is from Japanese. 磯鶇 for the rock thrushes, which were not originally classed here, may be a translation from English. 剪尾 'cut tail' for the forktail is transparent in meaning, although the Taiwanese name is different from the Mainland name in this case.
2. Species names
| SAXICOLINAE | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
OTHER |
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| Luscinia | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Luscinia akahige Erithacus akahige  |
Japanese robin | 日本歌鴝 (日本歌鸲) 'Japanese song-robin' |
(日本歌鴝) 日本歌鸲 'Japanese song-robin' or (歌鴝) 歌鸲 'song-robin' (Alternative in 1, 5) |
夜鶯 (夜莺) 'night warbler' (literary) |
コマドリ (駒鳥) koma-dori 'robin-bird' |
붉은가슴울새 bulgeun-gaseum-ul-sae 'red-breasted ul bird' |
Chim Oanh 'robin (bird)' (oanh traditionally refers to the Black-Naped Oriole) (13)  Name |
|
| Luscinia komadori Erithacus komadori |
Ryukyu robin Riukiu robin |
琉球歌鴝 (琉球歌鸲) 'Ryukyu song-robin' |
(琉球歌鴝) 琉球歌鸲 'Ryukyu song-robin' |
アカヒゲ (赤髭) aka-hige 'red-beard' |
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| Luscinia svecica Luscinia svecicus Erithacus svecicus |
Bluethroat | 藍喉鴝 (蓝喉鸲) 'blue-throated robin' |
(藍喉歌鴝) 蓝喉歌鸲 'blue-throated song-robin' or (藍點頦) 蓝点颏 'blue-dot chin' (Alternative in 1, 3, 5) |
藍靛頦兒 (蓝靛颏儿) 'blue chin' 點頦 (点颏) 'dot chin' (also used for L. calliope) 藍脖 (蓝脖) 'blue throat' 藍脖子雀 (蓝脖子雀) 'blue-throated sparrow' 九圈領 (九圈领) 'nine ring collar' 藍秸 (蓝秸) 'blue stalk/straw' 蘆槁鳥 (芦槁鸟) 'reed withered bird' (Also used for L. calliope) 藍膀 (蓝膀) 'blue wing' (juvenile) |
オガワコマドリ (小川駒鳥) ogawa koma-dori 'Ogawa robin-bird' |
흰눈썹울새 huin-nunsseob-ul-sae 'white-eyebrowed ul bird' |
Chim Oanh cổ xanh 'blue-green/throated robin (bird)' (oanh traditionally refers to the Black-Naped Oriole) |
|
| Luscinia calliope Erithacus calliope |
Siberian rubythroat | 野鴝 (野鸲) 'wild robin' |
(紅喉歌鴝) 红喉歌鸲 'red-throated song-robin' or (紅點頦) 红点颏 'red-dot chin' (Alternative in 1, 3, 5) |
紅靛頦兒 (红靛颏儿) 'red blue chin?' 紅頦 (红颏) 'red chin' 點頦 (点颏) 'dot chin' (also used for L. svecica) 白點頦 (白点颏) 'white-dot chin' 紅脖 (红脖) 'red throat' 紅脖雀 (红脖雀) 'red-throated sparrow' 蘆槁鳥 (芦槁鸟) 'reed withered bird' (also used for L. svecica) |
ノゴマ (野駒) no-goma 'field-robin' |
ヒノマル (日の丸) hinomaru 'hinomaru' (Japanese flag) ノドアカ (喉赤) nodo-aka 'red-throat' |
진홍가슴 jin-hong-gaseum 'true (?) red-breast' |
Chim Oanh cổ đỏ 'red-throated robin' (oanh traditionally refers to the Black-Naped Oriole) |
| Luscinia cyane Erithacus cyane |
Siberian blue robin | 藍歌鴝 (蓝歌鸲) 'blue song-robin' |
(藍歌鴝) 蓝歌鸲 'blue song-robin' |
藍鴝 (蓝鸲) 'blue robin' 青鴝 (青鸲) 'green/blue robin' 小玻璃 (小玻璃) 'small glass' (mistake for 琉璃 ? -- see Japanese name) 黑老婆兒 (黑老婆儿) 'black wife' 藍尾巴根子 (蓝尾巴根子) 'blue tailroot' (north) 藍靛槓 (蓝靛杠) 'blue rod' 掛銀牌 (挂银牌) 'wear silver medallion' (Sichuan) 輕尾兒 (轻尾儿) 'light-tail' (possibly 青尾兒 'green/blue-tail') |
コルリ (小瑠璃 ~ 小琉璃) ko-ruri 'small lapis lazuli' |
쇠유리새 soe-yuri-sae 'small lapis lazuli bird' |
Chim Oanh lưng xanh 'blue/green-backed robin (bird)' (oanh traditionally refers to the Black-Naped Oriole) |
|
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Luscinia indica Tarsiger indicus Erithacus indicus |
White-browed bush robin White-browed bush-robin |
白眉林鴝 (白眉林鸲) 'white-eyebrowed forest-robin' |
(白眉林鴝) 白眉林鸲 'white-eyebrowed forest-robin' |
白眉樹叢歐鴝 (白眉树丛欧鸲) 'white-eyebrowed bush European robin' |
キクチヒタキ (菊池?鶲) kikuchi hitaki 'Kikuchi flycatcher' |
Chim Oanh đuôi nhọn mày trắng 'white-eyebrowed sharp-tailed robin (bird)' (oanh traditionally refers to the Black-Naped Oriole) |
||
| Luscinia johnstoniae Tarsiger johnstoniae Erithacus johnstoniae |
Collared bush robin Collared bush-robin Taiwan bush robin |
栗背林鴝 (栗背林鸲) 'chestnut-backed forest-robin' |
(台灣林鴝) 台湾林鸲 'Taiwan forest-robin' |
アリサンヒタキ (アリ山鶲) ari-san hitaki 'Mt Ali flycatcher' |
||||
| Luscinia cyanura Tarsiger cyanurus Erithacus cyanurus |
Orange-flanked bush robin Red-flanked bluetail Red-flanked bush robin Siberian bluechat |
藍尾鴝 (蓝尾鸲) 'blue-tailed robin' |
(紅脇藍尾鴝) 红胁蓝尾鸲 'red-flanked blue-tailed robin' |
青鶲 (青鹟) 'green/blue flycatcher' 藍尾歐鴝 (蓝尾欧鸲) 'blue-tailed European robin' 紅脇歌鴝 (红胁歌鸲) 'red-flanked song-robin' 青尾兒 (青尾儿) 'green/blue tail' (see L. cyane) 藍尾巴根子 (蓝尾巴根子) 'blue-tailroot' (see L. cyane) 藍點岡兒 (蓝点冈儿) 'blue-spotted rod' (north) 藍尾述 (蓝尾述) 'blue-tailed shu' (south) |
ルリビタキ (瑠璃鶲 ~ 琉璃鶲) ruri-bitaki 'lapis lazuli flycatcher' |
유리딱새 yuri-ttak-sae 'lapis lazuli ttak-bird' |
Chim Oanh đuôi lưng cụt xanh 'blue/green-backed short-tailed robin (bird)' (oanh traditionally refers to the Black-Naped Oriole) Chim Oanh sườn hung 'reddish-flanked robin (bird)' (oanh traditionally refers to the Black-Naped Oriole) (13) |
|
| Luscinia sibilans Erithacus sibilans |
Rufous-tailed robin Swinhoe's robin Red-tailed robin Swinhoe's red-tailed Robin |
紅尾歌鴝 (红尾歌鸲) 'red-tailed song-robin' |
(紅尾歌鴝) 红尾歌鸲 'red-tailed song-robin' |
紅腿歐鴝 (红腿欧鸲) 'red-legged European robin' |
シマゴマ (島駒) shima-goma 'island robin' |
울새 ul-sae 'ul bird' |
Chim Oanh cổ trắng 'white-throated robin (bird)' (oanh traditionally refers to the Black-Naped Oriole) Chim Oanh đuôi đỏ 'red-tailed robin (bird)' (oanh traditionally refers to the Black-Naped Oriole) (13) |
|
| Copsychus | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Copsychus saularis |
Oriental magpie-robin Magpie robin Dyal |
鵲鴝 (鹊鸲) 'magpie-robin' |
(鵲鴝) 鹊鸲 'magpie-robin' |
信鳥 (信鸟) 'message bird?' 進鳥 (进鸟) 'enter bird?' 屎坑雀 (屎坑雀) 'shit hole/pit sparrow' (Cantonese) 四喜 (四喜) 'four happiness' 豬屎喳 (猪屎喳) 'pig-shit peep' 豬屎雀 (猪屎雀) 'pig-shit sparrow' 精鴉雀 (精鸦雀) 'spirit-crow sparrow' 屎鴉雀 (屎鸦雀) 'shit-crow sparrow' 土更鳥 (土更鸟) 'earth watch bird' ('earth robin') 知時鳥 (知时鸟) 'know-time bird' (cf robin) |
シキチョウ (四季鳥) shiki-chō 'four-season-bird' |
Chim Chích chòe 'magpierobin (bird)' |
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| Phoenicurus | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Phoenicurus ochruros |
Black redstart | 赭紅尾鴝 (赭红尾鸲) 'brownishred red-tailed robin' |
(赭紅尾鴝) 赭红尾鸲 'brownishred red-tailed robin' |
クロジョウビタキ (黒尉鶲) kuro jō-bitaki 'black jo-flycatcher' |
검은머리딱새 geomeun-meori-ttak-sae 'black-headed ttak-bird' |
Chim Đuôi đỏ núi đá trán đen 'black-foreheaded rocky mountain red-tail (bird)' |
| Phoenicurus auroreus |
Daurian redstart | 黃尾鴝 (黄尾鸲) 'yellow-tailed robin' |
(北紅尾鴝) 北红尾鸲 'northern red-tailed robin' |
花紅燕兒 (花红燕儿) 'flowery red swallow' 花紅燕 (花红燕) 'flowery red swallow' 大紅燕 (大红燕) 'large red swallow' 火燕 (火燕) 'fire swallow' 茶鶲 (茶鹟) 'tea (brown) flycatcher' 朗鶲 (朗鹟) 'bright flycatcher' 穿馬褂 (穿马褂) 'wear jacket (magua = a kind of jacket originally worn by the Manchus) 灰頂茶鴝 (灰顶茶鸲) 'grey-headed brown robin' 灰頂紅茶鴝 (灰顶红茶鸲) 'grey-headed red-brown robin' 灰頂紅尾鴝 (灰顶红尾鸲) 'grey-headed red-tailed robin' |
ジョウビタキ (尉鶲, also 常鶲, 上鶲) jō-bitaki 'jo flycatcher' (characters mean 'officer', 'always', and 'above' respectively. Read as 'officer', this is an irregular reading). |
モンツキドリ (紋付き鳥) mon-tsuki-dori 'bird with insignia/crest' (refers to white patch on wing) |
딱새 ttak-sae 'ttak-bird' |
Chim Đuôi đỏ núi đá trán xám 'grey-foreheaded rocky mountain red-tail (bird)' Chim Đuôi đỏ Daurian 'Daurian red-tail (bird)' (13) |
| Rhyacornis | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Rhyacornis fuliginosa Rhyacornis fuliginosus Phoenicurus fuliginosus |
Plumbeous water redstart Plumbeous water-redstart Plumbeous redstart |
鉛色水鶇 (铅色水鸫) 'lead-coloured water thrush' |
(紅尾水鴝) 红尾水鸲 'red-tailed water robin' |
鉛色鶲 (铅色鹟) 'lead-coloured flycatcher' 鉛色水鶲 (铅色水鹟) 'lead-coloured water flycatcher' 燕石青兒 (燕石青儿) 'swallow stone green/blue' 溪紅尾 (溪红尾) 'brook red-tail (bird)' |
カワビタキ (川鶲) kawa-bitaki 'river-flycatcher' |
부채꼬리바위딱새 buchae-kkori-bawi-ttak-sae 'fan-tailed crag ttak-bird' |
Chim Đuôi đỏ đầu xám 'grey-headed red-tail (bird)' Chim Đuôi đỏ xanh 'blue/green red-tail (bird)' (13) |
| Chaimarrornis | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Chaimarrornis leucocephalus Phoenicurus leucocephalus |
White-capped water redstart White-capped water-redstart River chat |
白頂溪鴝 (白顶溪鸲) 'white-capped brook robin' |
(白頂溪鴝) 白顶溪鸲 'white-capped brook robin' |
白頂水鶲 (白顶水鹟) 'white-capped water flycatcher' 白頂鶲 (白顶鹟) 'white-capped flycatcher' 白頂溪紅尾 (白顶溪红尾) 'white-capped brook red-tail' |
シロボウシカワビタキ (白帽子川鶲) shiro-bōshi kawa-bitaki 'white-hatted river-flycatcher' |
흰머리바위딱새 huin-meori-bawi-ttak-sae 'white-headed crag ttak-bird' |
Chim Đuôi đỏ đầu trắng 'white-headed red-tail (bird)' |
| Myiomela | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Myiomela leucura Cinclidium leucurum |
White-tailed robin White-tailed blue robin |
白尾鴝 (白尾鸲) 'white-tailed robin' |
(白尾藍鴝) 白尾蓝鸲 'white-tailed blue robin' (1, 2, 3, 5) or (白尾藍地鴝) 白尾蓝地鸲 'white-tailed blue ground robin' (1, 3, 5) (白尾地鴝) 白尾地鸲 'white-tailed ground robin' (4) |
白尾斑地鴝 (白尾斑地鸲) 'white-tailed striped ground robin' (6, 7) |
コンヒタキ (紺鶲) kon hitaki 'darkblue flycatcher' |
Chim Oanh đuôi trắng 'white-tailed robin (bird)' (oanh traditionally refers to the Black-Naped Oriole) |
| Enicurus | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Enicurus scouleri |
Little forktail | 小剪尾 (小剪尾) 'small cut-tail' |
(小燕尾) 小燕尾 'small swallow-tail' |
シロクロシキチョウ (白黒四季鳥) shiro-kuro shiki-chō 'black and white four-season-bird' |
Chim Chích chòe nước nhỏ 'small water magpierobin (bird)' |
| Saxicola | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Saxicola torquatus Saxicola torquata |
Common stonechat Stonechat Common bushchat Siberian stonechat |
黑喉鴝 (黑喉鸲) 'black-throated robin' |
(黑喉石䳭) 黑喉石䳭 'black-throated stone chat' |
ノビタキ (野鶲) no-bitaki 'field flycatcher' |
검은딱새 geomeun-ttak-sae 'black ttak-bird' |
Chim Sẻ bụi đầu đen 'black-headed bush-sparrow (bird)' |
| Saxicola ferreus Saxicola ferrea |
Grey bushchat | 灰叢鴝 (灰丛鸲) 'grey thicket robin' |
(灰林䳭) 灰林䳭 'grey forest chat' |
ヤマザキヒタキ (山崎鶲) Yamazaki hitaki 'Yamazaki flycatcher' |
Chim Sẻ bụi xám 'grey bush-sparrow (bird)' |
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| Oenanthe | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Oenanthe isabellina |
Isabelline wheatear | 沙䳭 (沙䳭) 'sand chat' |
(沙䳭) 沙䳭 'sand chat' |
イナバヒタキ (因幡鶲) inaba hitaki 'Inaba flycatcher' |
긴다리사막딱새 gin-dari-samak-ttak-sae 'long-legged desert ttak-bird' |
| Oenanthe oenanthe |
Northern wheatear Wheatear |
穗䳭 (穗䳭) 'grainear chat' |
(穗䳭) 穗䳭 'grainear chat' |
ハシグロヒタキ (嘴黒鶲) hashi-guro hitaki 'black-billed flycatcher' |
북방사막딱새 bukbang-samak-ttak-sae 'northern desert ttak-bird' |
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| Oenanthe deserti |
Desert wheatear | 漠䳭 (漠䳭) 'desert chat' |
(漠䳭) 漠䳭 'desert chat' |
サバクヒタキ (砂漠鶲) sabaku-hitaki 'desert flycatcher' |
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| Monticola | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Monticola solitarius |
Blue rock thrush Blue rock-thrush |
藍磯鶇 (蓝矶鸫) 'blue rock-thrush' |
(藍磯鶇) 蓝矶鸫 'blue rock-thrush' |
水嘴 (水嘴) 'water mouth' 麻石青 (麻石青) 'hemp stone green/blue' 石鶇 (石鸫) 'rock-thrush' 磯鶇 (矶鸫) 'rock-thrush' |
イソヒヨドリ (磯鵯) iso-hiyo-dori 'rock-bulbul' |
Many regional names (see Hiraizumi - Japanese site) | 바다직박구리 bada-jikbakguri 'sea (?) jikbakguri' |
Chim Hoét đá 'rock-thrush (bird)' |
| Monticola gularis Petrophila gularis |
White-throated rock thrush White-throated rock-thrush Blue-headed rock thrush |
白喉磯鶇 (白喉矶鸫) 'white-throated rock-thrush' |
(白喉磯鶇) 白喉矶鸫 'white-throated rock-thrush' (2, 3, 4) (藍頭磯鶇) 蓝头矶鸫 'blue-headed rock-thrush' (1, 5) Taxonomy |
紅喉磯鶇 (红喉矶鸫) 'red-throated rock-thrush' 白喉石鶇 (白喉石鸫) 'white-throated stone thrush' 虎皮翠 (虎皮翠) 'tiger skin kingfisher' 葫蘆翠 (葫芦翠) 'gourd kingfisher' |
ヒメイソヒヨ (姫磯鵯) hime iso-hiyo 'princess rock-bulbul' |
꼬까직박구리 kkokka-jikbakguri 'kkokka jikbakguri' |
Chim Hoét đá họng trắng 'white-throated rock-thrush (bird)' |
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Floating Menu by Milonic |
Tool tips by Walter Zorn |
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