Strigidae
鴟鴞科
chī-xiāo kē

General names

Information is based on dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections welcome.

The ordinary popular name for owls of all sorts, especially owls with 'ears', is 貓頭鷹 māo-tóu-yīng 'cat-headed hawk'.

This term does not figure at all in the Chinese official names. Instead, most of the owls are known by the literary name 鴞 xiāo. (While of literary origin, the term 鴞鳥 xiāo-niǎo 'owl-bird' may also occasionally be seen in modern contexts). Specific names for owl genera include:

• Scops owls: 角鴞 jiǎo-xiāo 'horned-owl'
• Wood owls: 林鴞 lín-xiāo 'forest-owl'
• Fish owls: 漁鴞 yú-xiāo 'fishing-owl'
• Hawk owls: 鷹鴞 yīng-xiāo 'hawk-owl'
• Owlets: 小鴞 xiǎo-xiāo 'small owl'
• Long-eared / Short-eared Owl: 長耳鴞 cháng-ěr xiāo 'long-eared owl' / 短耳鴞 duǎn-ěr xiāo 'short-eared owl'

Owlets in the genus Glaucidium are known by another ancient name, 鵂鶹 xiū-liú.

Chinese terms for owls have interesting backgrounds in ancient texts:

鴞 xiāo referred to the owls.
梟 xiāo also referred to owls, with an associated legend that they were evil birds that ate their own mothers. The character 梟 xiāo is used in number of expressions related to ferocity and bravery.
鴟鴞 chī-xiāo, the name now used for the Strigidae, also referred to evil birds believed to correspond to members of the owl family. It may also be written 鴟梟 chī-xiāo.
Incidentally, the 鴟 chī in 鴟鴞 chī-xiāo (or 鴟梟 chī-xiāo) referred to the sparrow hawks, not to the owls.

Species names

ABOUT THIS TABLE (Hover cursor to see)

STRIGINAE SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH CHINESE JAPANESE OTHER Otus                 Latin English Chinese (Taiwan) Chinese (Mainland) Other Ch Japanese Other J Korean Vietnamese Otus spilocephalus Mountain scops owl Mountain scops-owl Spotted scops owl 黃嘴角鴞 (黃嘴角鸮) huáng-zuǐ jiǎo-xiāo 'yellow-billed horned-owl' (黄嘴角鴞) 黃嘴角鸮 huáng-zuǐ jiǎo-xiāo 'yellow-billed horned-owl'   タイワンコノハズク (台湾木の葉木菟) taiwan ko-no-ha zuku 'Taiwanese tree-leaf zuku'     Chim Cú mèo Latusơ 'Latouche cat owl (bird)' Otus bakkamoena Collared scops owl 領角鴞 (领角鸮) lǐng jiǎo-xiāo 'collared horned-owl' (領角鴞) 领角鸮 lǐng jiǎo-xiāo 'collared horned-owl' 毛腳樇鶹 (毛脚鸺留) máo-jiǎo xiūliū 'hairy-legged owlet' (FS) 光足樇鶹 (光足鸺留) guāng-zú xiūliū 'bare-legged owlet' (FS) オオコノハズク (大木の葉木菟) ō ko-no-ha zuku 'large tree-leaf zuku'   큰소쩍새 keun-sojjeok-sae 'large sojjeok bird' Chim Cú mèo khoang cổ 'streak-necked cat owl (bird)' Taxonomy Otus sunia Oriental scops owl Oriental scops-owl 東方角鴞 (东方角鸮) dōngfāng jiǎo-xiāo 'eastern horned-owl' Taiwan former official: 角鴞 (角鸮) jiǎo-xiāo 'horned-owl' (紅角鴞) 红角鸮 hóng jiǎo-xiāo 'red horned-owl' (1, 2, 4, 5) (東方角鴞) 东方角鸮 dōngfāng jiǎo-xiāo 'eastern horned-owl' (3) 棒槌雀 (棒槌雀) bàngchuí què 'wooden club (=blockheaded) sparrow' 普通鴞 (普通鸮) pǔtōng xiāo 'common owl' 夜貓子 (夜猫子) yè māozi 'night-cat' (FS) 聒聒鳥子 (聒聒鸟子) guō-guō-niǎo 'noisy bird' (northern) (FS) コノハズク (木の葉木菟) ko-no-ha zuku 'tree-leaf zuku'   소쩍새 sojjeok-sae 'sojjeok bird' Chim Cú mèo nhỏ 'small cat owl (bird)' Otus elegans Riukiu scops owl Elegant scops-owl 蘭嶼角鴞 (兰屿角鸮) lányǔ jiǎo-xiāo 'Lanyu horned-owl' (蘭嶼角鴞) 兰屿角鸮 lányǔ jiǎo-xiāo 'Lanyu horned-owl' (2, 3, 4) (琉球角鴞) 琉球角鸮 liúqiú jiǎo-xiāo 'Ryukyu horned-owl' (1, 5)   リュウキュウコノハズク (琉球木の葉木菟) ryūkyū ko-no-ha zuku 'Ryukyu tree-leaf zuku' (from Internet)       Ketupa                 Latin English Chinese (Taiwan) Chinese (Mainland) Other Ch Japanese Other J Korean Vietnamese Ketupa flavipes Tawny fish owl Tawny fish-owl 黃魚鴞 (黄鱼鸮) huáng yú-xiāo 'yellow fish-owl' (黄腿漁鴞) 黄腿渔鸮 huáng-tuǐ yú-xiāo 'yellow legged fishing-owl' (2, 4, 5) (黄腳漁鴞) 黄脚渔鸮 huáng-jiǎo yú-xiāo 'yellow-legged fishing-owl' (1, 3) 毛腳魚鴞 (毛脚鱼鸮) máo-jiǎo yú-xiāo 'hair-legged fish-owl' (7, mistake for K. blakistoni above?) ウオミミズク (魚木菟) uo mimi-zuku 'fish eared-zuku'     Chim Dù dì hung 'reddish dudi bird' Strix                 Latin English Chinese (Taiwan) Chinese (Mainland) Other Ch Japanese Other J Korean Vietnamese Strix leptogrammica Brown wood owl Brown wood-owl 褐林鴞 (褐林鸮) hè lín-xiāo 'brown forest-owl' (褐林鴞) 褐林鸮 hè lín-xiāo 'brown forest-owl' 木鴞 (木鸮) mù xiāo 'wood owl' (FS) 森鴞 (森鸮) sēn xiāo 'forest owl' (FS) 山崖 (山崖) shān yá 'mountain cliff' (FS) オオフフクロウ (大斑梟) ō fu fukurō 'large striped owl'     Chim Hù 'woodowl' Strix aluco Tawny owl Eurasian tawny owl Tawny wood owl 灰林鸮 (灰林鴞) huī lín-xiāo 'grey forest-owl' (灰林鴞) 灰林鸮 huī lín-xiāo 'grey forest-owl' 森鴞 (森鸮) sēn xiāo 'forest owl' (dict) (FS) 木鴞 (木鸮) mù xiāo 'wood owl' (FS) モリフクロウ (森梟) mori fukurō 'forest-owl'   올빼미 olppaemi 'owl' Chim Hù nivicon 'nivicola woodowl'

SURNIINAE SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH CHINESE JAPANESE OTHER Glaucidium                 Latin English Chinese (Taiwan) Chinese (Mainland) Other Ch Japanese Other J Korean Vietnamese Glaucidium brodiei Collared owlet Collared pigmy owlet Cuckoo owl 鵂鶹 (鸺鹠) xiū-liú 'owlet' (領鵂鶹) 领鸺鹠 lǐng xiū-liú 'collared owlet' 小鴞 (小鸮) xiǎo xiāo 'small owl' 衣領小鴞 (衣领小鸮) yī-lǐng xiǎo xiāo '(clothing)-collared small owl' (FS) ヒメフクロウ (姫梟) hime fukurō 'princess owl'     Chim Cú vọ mặt trắng 'white-faced vọ owl (bird)' Athene                 Latin English Chinese (Taiwan) Chinese (Mainland) Other Ch Japanese Other J Korean Vietnamese Athene noctua Athene noctus Little owl 縱紋腹小鴞 (纵纹腹小鸮) zòng-wén-fù xiǎo-xiāo 'vertical-pattern-bellied small owl' (縱紋腹小鴞) 纵纹腹小鸮 zòng-wén-fù xiǎo-xiāo 'vertical-pattern-bellied small owl' 小鴞 (小鸮) xiǎo xiāo 'small owl' (FS) 東方小鴞 (东方小鸮) dōng-fāng xiǎo xiāo 'eastern small owl' (FS) 北方貓王鳥 (北方猫王鸟) běi-fāng māo-wáng-niǎo 'northern cat king bird' (FS) 禿思怪 (秃思怪) tū-sī-guài 'bald think-strange?' コキンメフクロウ (小金目梟) ko kin-me fukurō 'small golden-eyed owl'   금눈쇠올빼미 geum-nun-soe-olppaemi 'gold-eyed small owl'   Ninox                 Latin English Chinese (Taiwan) Chinese (Mainland) Other Ch Japanese Other J Korean Vietnamese Ninox scutulata Brown hawk-owl Brown hawk owl or Brown boobook Northern Boobook 褐鷹鴞 (褐鹰鸮) hè yīng-xiāo 'brown hawk-owl' (鷹鴞) 鹰鸮 yīng-xiāo 'hawk-owl' 醬色鷹鴞 (酱色鹰鸮) jiàng-sè yīng-xiāo 'soy-coloured hawk-owl' (FS) 青葉鴞 (青叶鸮) qīng-yè-xiāo 'green-leafed owl' (see Japanese) (FS) 烏貓王 (乌猫王) wū-māo-wáng 'dark (or crow) cat king' (FS) 鷂形貓王 (鹞形猫王) yào-xíng-māo-wáng 'sparrowhawk-shaped cat king' (FS) アオバズク (青葉木菟) ao-ba zuku 'green-leaf zuku'   솔부엉이 sol-bueongi 'pine bueongi' Chim Cú vọ lưng nâu 'brown-backed vọ owl (bird)'

ASIONINAE SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH CHINESE JAPANESE OTHER Asio                 Latin English Chinese (Taiwan) Chinese (Mainland) Other Ch Japanese Other J Korean Vietnamese Asio otus Long-eared owl 長耳鴞 (长耳鸮) cháng-ěr xiāo 'long-eared owl' (長耳鴞) 长耳鸮 cháng-ěr xiāo 'long-eared owl' 長耳貓頭鷹 (长耳猫头鹰) cháng-ěr māo-tóu-yīng 'long-eared cat-headed hawk' 夜貓子 (夜猫子) yè māozi 'night-cat' 長耳木兔 (长耳木兔) cháng-ěr mù-tù 'long-eared tree-rabbit' (northern) (FS) 有耳麥貓王 (有耳麦猫王) yǒu ěr mài māo-wáng 'eared grain cat king' (southern) (FS) 虎兔鳥 (虎兔鸟) hǔ-tù-niǎo 'tiger rabbit bird' 虎鵵 (虎鵵) hǔ-tù 'tiger owl' (character for tù indicates that the meaning is owl, not rabbit) (FS) 彪木兔 (彪木兔) mù-tù 'tiger wood rabbit' (dict) (FS) トラフズク (虎斑木菟) tora-fu zuku 'tiger-striped zuku'   칡부엉이 chirk-bueongi 'arrowroot (kudzu?) bueongi'   Asio flammeus Short-eared owl 短耳鴞 (短耳鸮) duǎn-ěr xiāo 'short-eared owl' (短耳鴞) 短耳鸮 duǎn-ěr xiāo 'short-eared owl' 短耳貓頭鷹 (短耳猫头鹰) duǎn-ěr māo-tóu-yīng 'short-eared cat-headed hawk' (FS) 小耳木兔 (小耳木兔) xiǎo-ěr mù-tù 'small-eared tree-rabbit' (northern) (FS) 田貓王 (田猫王) tián māo-wáng 'field cat king' (southern) (FS) 倉鴞 (仓鸮) cāng-xiāo 'barn owl' (FS) 梟兔 (枭兔) xiāo-tù 'owl-rabbit' (dict) (FS) コミミズク (小木菟) ko mimi-zuku 'small eared-zuku'   쇠부엉이 soe-bueongi 'small bueongi' Chim Cú lửa 'fire owl (bird)'

Floating Menu by Milonic

TOP

Tool tips by Walter Zorn