General names
Information is based on dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections welcome.
The general name for the rails in Chinese is 秧雞 , literally 'seedling fowl' (秧 means 'seedling'; 雞 means 'chicken' or 'fowl'). This term has a respectable history and is found in the Ming-era Compendium of Chinese Materia Medica.
The term 田雞 'paddy fowl/paddy chicken' is also used for a number of species. The two names are used fairly indiscriminately without regard for genus, although the Mainland has moved ot systematise usage. For the average Chinese, however, the most familiar interpretation of 田雞 is 'frog meat', which is what it means on Chinese menus. Other terms include:
董雞 'dong fowl', used for the Water Cock.
水雞 'water fowl' used for the Purple Swamp Hen and the Moorhen.
苦惡鸟 , literally 'bitter evil bird', used for the Brown Crake (genus Amaurornis).
The Moorhen and the Coot are interesting for the variety of names used.
The Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) is known as 紅冠水雞 ('red-crested water fowl'). In the Mainland official names this species is known as 黑水雞 ('black water fowl') or 紅骨頂 ('red bone top').
The Black Coot (Fulica atra) is known as the 白冠雞 ('white-crested fowl') in Taiwan. It is officially known as 骨頂雞 ('bone top fowl') or 白骨頂 ('white bone top') in Mainland China, the latter a North Chinese term.
Both the Moorhen and the Black Coot are also known as 鷭 , which appears to be a Japanese borrowing.
Species names
ABOUT THIS TABLE (Hover cursor to see) 
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
OTHER |
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Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Rallina | ||||||||
Rallina fasciata |
Red-legged crake Red-legged banded crake |
紅腳秧雞 'red-legged seedling-fowl' 紅腿秧雞 'red-legged seedling-fowl' (former official name) |
紅腿斑秧雞 'red-legged striped seedling-fowl' |
ナンヨウオオクイナ (南洋大秧鶏 or 南洋大水鶏) Nan-yō ō kuina 'southern seas large rail' |
Gà nước họng nâu 'brown-throated water fowl' |
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| Rallina eurizonoides |
Slaty-legged crake Banded crake |
灰腳秧雞 'grey-legged seedling-fowl' 灰腿秧雞 'grey-legged seedling-fowl' (former official name) |
白喉斑秧雞 'white-throated striped seedling-fowl' |
オオクイナ (大秧鶏 or 大水鶏) ō kuina 'large rail' |
Gà nước họng trắng 'white-throated water fowl' |
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| Gallirallus | ||||||||
| Gallirallus striatus Rallus striatus |
Slaty-breasted rail Blue-breasted banded rail Banded rail |
灰胸秧雞 'grey-breasted seedling-fowl' |
灰胸秧雞 'grey-breasted seedling-fowl' (2, 4) 藍胸秧雞 'blue-breasted seedling-fowl' (1, 3, 5) |
ミナミクイナ (南秧鶏 or 南水鶏) minami kuina 'southern rail' |
Gà nước vằn 'striped water fowl' |
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| Rallus | ||||||||
| Rallus aquaticus Rallina aquatica |
Water rail | 秧雞 'seedling-fowl' |
普通秧雞 'common seedling-fowl' |
秋雞 'autumn fowl' 水雞 'water fowl' |
クイナ (秧鶏 or 水鶏) kuina 'rail' (written 'seedling fowl' or 'water fowl') |
フユクイナ (冬秧鶏 or 冬水鶏) fuyu kuina 'winter rail' |
흰눈썹뜸부기 huin-nunsseop-tteumbugi 'white-eyebrowed rail' |
Gà nước Ấn Độ 'Indian water fowl' Gà nước 'water fowl' (13) |
| Amaurornis | ||||||||
| Amaurornis akool | Brown crake Crimson-legged crake |
紅腳苦惡鳥 'red-legged ku-e bird' (ku-e is written 'bitter evil') |
紅腳苦惡鳥 'red-legged ku-e bird' (ku-e is written 'bitter evil') |
チャバネクイナ (茶羽秧鶏 or 茶羽水鶏) cha-bane kuina 'brown-winged rail' |
Cuốc chân đỏ 'red-legged crake' |
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| Amaurornis phoenicurus |
White-breasted waterhen White-breasted water hen |
白腹秧雞 'white-bellied seedling-fowl' |
白胸苦惡鳥 'white-breasted ku-e bird' (ku-e is written 'bitter evil') |
白胸秧雞 'white-breasted seedling-fowl' (7) 苦惡鳥 'ku-e bird' (ku-e is written 'bitter evil') 白胸秧鳥 'white-breasted seedling-bird' 白臉秧雞 'white-faced seedling-fowl' 白面雞 'white-faced fowl' 白胸黑水雞 'white-breasted black water-fowl' (='white-breasted moorhen') 姑惡雞 'mother-in-law evil fowl' |
シロハラクイナ (白腹秧鶏 or 白腹水鶏) shiro-hara kuina 'white-bellied rail' |
흰배뜸부기 huin-bae-tteumbugi 'white-bellied rail' |
Cuốc ngực trắng 'white-bellied crake' |
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Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Porzana | ||||||||
| Porzana pusilla |
Baillon's crake | 小秧雞 'small seedling-fowl' |
小田雞 'small field fowl' |
ヒメクイナ (姫水鶏 or 姫秧鶏) hime kuina 'princess rail' |
쇠뜸부기 soe-tteumbugi 'small rail' |
Cuốc lùn 'dwarf crake' |
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| Porzana porzana |
Spotted crake | 斑胸田雞 'stripe-breasted field fowl' |
斑胸田雞 'stripe-breasted field fowl' |
コモンクイナ (小紋水鶏 or 小紋秧鶏) komon kuina 'fine-pattern rail' |
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| Porzana fusca |
Ruddy-breasted crake Ruddy crake |
緋秧雞 'red seedling-fowl' |
紅胸田雞 'red-breasted field fowl' |
ヒクイナ (緋秧鶏 or 緋水鶏) hi-kuina 'red rail' |
쇠뜸부기사촌 soe-tteumbugi-sachon 'small rail cousin' |
Cuốc ngực nâu 'brown-bellied crake' |
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| Porzana paykullii Rallina paykullii |
Band-bellied crake Chestnut-breasted crake |
斑脇田雞 'stripe-flanked field fowl' |
斑胁田雞 'stripe-flanked field fowl' (1, 2, 4, 5) 斑肋田雞 'stripe-ribbed field fowl' (3) |
班田雞 'striped field fowl' |
コウライヒクイナ (高麗緋秧鶏 or 高麗緋水鶏) Kōrai hi-kuina 'Korean red rail' |
한국뜸부기 Hanguk-tteumbugi 'Korean rail' |
Cuốc nâu 'brown crake' |
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| Porzana cinerea |
White-browed crake White-browed rail |
白眉秧雞 'white-browed seedling-fowl' |
白眉田雞 'white-browed field-fowl' (2, 4) 白眉秧雞 'white-browed seedling-fowl' (3) 灰田雞 'grey field-fowl' (5) |
マミジロクイナ (眉白秧鶏 or 眉白水鶏) mami-jiro-kuina 'white-browed rail' |
Gà nước mày trắng 'white-browed water fowl' (13) Not found in 12 |
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| Gallicrex | ||||||||
| Gallicrex cinerea |
Watercock Water cock |
董雞 'dong fowl' |
董雞 'dong fowl' |
ツルクイナ (鶴秧鶏 or 鶴水鶏) tsuru-kuina 'crane rail' |
뜸부기 tteumbugi 'rail' |
Gà đồng 'dong fowl' |
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| Porphyrio | ||||||||
| Porphyrio porphyrio |
Purple swamphen Purple swamp hen Purple moorhen Sultan hen Purple coot Blue coot Swamp hen Purple gallinule |
紫水雞 'purple water fowl' |
紫水雞 'purple water fowl' |
セイケイ (青鶏) seikei 'blue fowl' |
Xít 'xit' |
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| Gallinula | ||||||||
| Gallinula chloropus |
Common moorhen Moorhen Common gallinule |
紅冠水雞 'red-crested water fowl' |
黑水雞 'black water fowl' or 紅骨頂 'red bone top' (Alternative in 1, 3, 5) |
小鷭 'small fan' |
バン (鷭) ban 'ban' |
쇠물닭 soe-mul-dalg 'small water fowl' |
Kịch 'kich' |
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| Fulica | ||||||||
| Fulica atra |
Common coot or Eurasian coot Black coot Coot |
白冠雞 'white-crested fowl' |
白骨頂 'white bone top' or 骨頂雞 'bone top fowl' (Alternative in 1, 3) |
大鷭 'large fan' 水姑頂 (North) 'water mother-in-law top' 水姑丁 (North) 'water mother-in-law ding' 冬雞 (southern) 'winter fowl' |
オオバン (大鷭) ō ban 'large ban' |
물닭 mul-dalg 'water fowl' |
Sâm cầm 'sam cam' ('cam' = 'bird') |
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Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Floating Menu by Milonic |
Tool tips by Walter Zorn |
