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
| STRIGINAE |
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
OTHER |
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Otus |
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Otus spilocephalus
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Mountain scops owl
Mountain scops-owl
Spotted scops owl |
黃嘴角鴞
huáng-zuǐ jiǎo-xiāo
'yellow-billed horned owl' |
黄嘴角鴞
huáng-zuǐ jiǎo-xiāo
'yellow-billed horned owl' |
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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' |
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Cú mèo Latusơ
'Latouche cat owl' |
Otus bakkamoena
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Collared scops owl |
領角鴞
lǐng jiǎo-xiāo
'collared horned owl' |
領角鴞
lǐng jiǎo-xiāo
'collared horned owl' |
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オオコノハズク
(大木の葉木菟)
ō ko-no-ha zuku
'large tree-leaf zuku' |
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큰소쩍새
keun-sojjeok-sae
'large sojjeok bird' |
Cú mèo khoang cổ
'dappled collar cat owl'
 Note |
Otus sunia
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Oriental scops owl
Oriental scops-owl |
東方角鴞
dōngfāng jiǎo-xiāo
'eastern horned owl'
角鴞
jiǎo-xiāo
'horned owl' (former official name) |
紅角鴞
hóng jiǎo-xiāo
'red horned owl' (1, 2, 4, 5)
東方角鴞
dōngfāng jiǎo-xiāo
'eastern horned owl' (3) |
棒槌雀
bàngchuí què
'wooden club (=blockheaded) sparrow/finch'
普通鴞
pǔtōng xiāo
'common owl'
夜貓子
yè māozi
'night cat' |
コノハズク
(木の葉木菟)
ko-no-ha zuku
'tree-leaf zuku' |
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소쩍새
sojjeok-sae
'sojjeok bird' |
Cú mèo nhỏ
'small cat owl' |
Otus elegans
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Riukiu scops owl
Elegant scops-owl |
蘭嶼角鴞
Lányǔ jiǎo-xiāo
'Lanyu horned owl' |
蘭嶼角鴞
Lányǔ jiǎo-xiāo
'Lanyu horned owl' (2, 3, 4)
琉球角鴞
Liúqiú jiǎo-xiāo
'Ryukyu horned owl' (1, 5) |
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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) |
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| Ketupa |
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Ketupa flavipes
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Tawny fish owl
Tawny fish-owl |
黃魚鴞
huáng yú-xiāo
'yellow fish owl' |
黄腿漁鴞
huáng-tuǐ yú-xiāo
'yellow legged fishing owl' (2, 4, 5)
黄腳漁鴞
huáng-jiǎo yú-xiāo
'yellow-legged fishing owl' (1, 3) |
毛腳魚鴞
máo-jiǎo yú-xiāo
'hair leg fish owl' (7, mistake for K. blakistoni above?) |
ウオミミズク
(魚木菟)
uo mimi-zuku
'fish eared-zuku' |
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Dù dì hung
'reddish dudi' |
| Strix |
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Strix leptogrammica
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Brown wood owl
Brown wood-owl |
褐林鴞
hè lín-xiāo
'brown forest owl' |
褐林鴞
hè lín-xiāo
'brown forest owl' |
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オオフフクロウ
(大斑梟)
ō fu fukurō
'large striped owl' |
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Hù
'woodowl' |
Strix aluco
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Tawny owl
Eurasian tawny owl
Tawny wood owl |
灰林鴞
huī lín-xiāo
'grey forest owl' |
灰林鴞
huī lín-xiāo
'grey forest owl' |
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モリフクロウ
(森梟)
mori fukurō
'forest owl' |
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올빼미
olppaemi
'owl' |
Hù nivicon
'nivicola woodowl' |
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
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| SURNIINAE |
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
OTHER |
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Glaucidium |
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Glaucidium brodiei
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Collared owlet
Collared pigmy owlet
Cuckoo owl |
鵂鶹
xiū-liú
'owlet' |
領鵂鶹
lǐng xiū-liú
'collared owlet' |
小鴞
xiǎo xiāo
'small owl' |
ヒメフクロウ
(姫梟)
hime fukurō
'princess owl' |
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Cú vọ mặt trắng
'white-faced vo owl' |
| Athene |
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Athene noctua
Athene noctus
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Little owl |
縱紋腹小鴞
zòng-wén-fù xiǎo-xiāo
'vertical pattern belly little owl' |
縱紋腹小鴞
zòng-wén-fù xiǎo-xiāo
'vertical pattern belly little owl' |
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コキンメフクロウ
(小金目梟)
ko kin-me fukurō
'small golden-eyed owl' |
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금눈쇠올빼미
geum-nun-soe-olppaemi
'golden-eyed small owl' |
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| Ninox |
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Ninox scutulata
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Brown hawk-owl
Brown hawk owl
or
Brown boobook |
褐鷹鴞
hè yīng-xiāo
'brown hawk owl' |
鷹鴞
yīng-xiāo
'hawk owl' |
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アオバズク
(青葉木菟)
ao-ba zuku
'green-leaf zuku' |
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솔부엉이
sol-bueongi
'pine bueongi' |
Cú vọ lưng nâu
'brown-backed vo owl' |
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| ASIONINAE |
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
OTHER |
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
| Asio |
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Asio otus
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Long-eared owl |
長耳鴞
cháng-ěr xiāo
'long-eared owl' |
長耳鴞
cháng-ěr xiāo
'long-eared owl' |
長耳貓頭鷹
cháng-ěr māo-tóu-yīng
'long-eared cat-headed hawk'
夜貓子
yè māozi
'night cat'
長耳木兔
cháng-ěr mù-tù
'long-eared tree rabbit'
有耳麦貓王
yǒu ěr mài māo-wáng
'eared grain cat king'
虎兔鳥
hǔ-tù-niǎo
'tiger rabbit bird'
虎鵵
hǔ-tù
'tiger tu' |
トラフズク
(虎斑木菟)
tora-fu zuku
'tiger-striped zuku' |
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칡부엉이
chirk-bueongi
'arrowroot (kudzu?) bueongi' |
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Asio flammeus
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Short-eared owl |
短耳鴞
duǎn-ěr xiāo
'short-eared owl' |
短耳鴞
duǎn-ěr xiāo
'short-eared owl' |
短耳貓頭鷹
duǎn-ěr māo-tóu-yīng
'short-eared cat-headed hawk'
小耳木兔
xiǎo-ěr mù-tù
'small-eared tree rabbit'
田貓王
tián māo-wáng
'field cat king' |
コミミズク
(小木菟)
ko mimi-zuku
'small eared-zuku' |
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쇠부엉이
soe-bueongi
'small bueongi' |
Cú lửa
'flame owl' |
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