General names
Information is based on dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections welcome.
Taiwan originally had a variety of disparate names for members of the Timaliidae, including what appear to be local names, translations from English, and Japanese names. Recently moves have been made to adopt regularised Mainland names.
The most famous of the Timaliidae is the Hwamei or Melodious Laughing Thrush, known in Chinese as the 畫眉 or 'painted eyebrow', after the distinctive pattern around its eyes. The name has been borrowed into Japanese and Vietnamese as ガビチョウ gabi-chō (画眉鳥) and Họa mi respectively.
Taiwan has its own endemic species of Hwamei, the Taiwan Hwamei 台灣畫眉 'Taiwan painted eyebrow'. In the Taiwan official names, 畫眉 is also applied to species in a number of genera, including Actinodura (Barwing), Heterophasia (Sibia), Yuhina, and Alcippe.
Other names in Taiwan include 彎嘴 ('curved-bill') for the the scimitar babblers (Pomatorhinus), 山紅頭 ('mountain red-head') for the Rufous-capped Babbler (Stachyris ruficeps) and 頭烏線 ('head black stripe') for the Dusky Fulvetta (Alcippe brunnea). The Streak-throated Fulvetta (Alcippe brunnea) is known as the 灰頭花翼 'grey-headed flowery wing'. The parrotbills are known as 鸚嘴 'parrot-bill'.
On the Mainland, the 眉 'eyebrow' from 画眉 has passed into use as a name for the babblers in general. In this meaning it is written with the newly-devised character 鶥 (consisting of 眉 plus the bird radical 鳥 on the right). Each genus is given its own name ending in 鶥 . The Taiwanese names have gone some way to adopting the Mainland names, notably for Pnoepyga, Garrulax, and Liocichla, although they stop short of using the character 鶥 .
| Taiwan name | Gloss | Corresponding Genus/Genera | Mainland name | Gloss |
| 畫眉 | 'hwamei' | Garrulax (Hwamei only) Actinodura Heterophasia Yuhina Alcippe morissoniana |
畫眉 斑翅鶥 奇鶥 鳳鶥 雀鶥 |
'hwamei' 'stripe-winged babbler' 'wondrous/strange babbler' 'phoenix-babbler' 'sparrow-babbler' (='tit-babbler') |
| 鷦眉 | 'wren-babbler' | Pnoepyga | 鷦鶥 | 'wren-babbler' |
| 噪眉 | 'noisy-babbler' | Garrulax (except Hwamei) | 噪鶥 |
'noisy-babbler' |
| 藪眉 | 'bush-babbler' (藪 'marsh' used in Japanese sense of 'bush') | Liocichla | 藪鶥 | 'bush-babbler' (藪 'marsh' used in Japanese sense of 'bush') |
| 彎嘴 | 'curved-bill' | Pomatorhinus | 鉤嘴鶥 | 'hooked bill babbler' |
| 鸚嘴 | 'parrot-bill' | Conostoma, Paradoxornis | 鴉雀 | 'crow sparrow' |
Taiwanese bird lists originally gave the Pygmy Wren Babbler (Pnoepyga pusilla), rather than Pnoepyga albiventer, as the local representative of the Pnoepyga genus. Its Chinese name was 鱗胸鷦鷯 'scale-breasted wren', suggesting that it was a kind of wren. The Taiwanese species is now listed as the Scaly-breasted Wren-babbler (Pnoepyga albiventer) with the Chinese name 小鷦眉 'small wren-babbler'.
Liocichla steerii (Steere's Liochchla) is endemic to Taiwan. The name ヤブドリ yabu-dori 'thicket bird' was probably given by Japanese ornithologists when Japan controlled Taiwan (the bird itself was discovered in 1873 by Professor J. B. Steere of the University of Michigan). The Japanese name is written 薮鳥, where 薮 yabu is a relatively common word for 'a thicket or scrub with bushes, grass, and bamboo'. This was the origin of the former Taiwanese name, 藪鳥, pronounced in Chinese as . In Chinese, however, 藪 is a literary word meaning 'a shallow lake overgrown with wild plants'. Since the liocichlas live in high forests, not lakes, it seems that the Japanese meaning is the intended one. In Mainland China, the name 藪鳥 has been modified to 藪鶥 , literally 'bush-babbler' (藪 'marsh' used in Japanese sense of 'bush'), substituting 鶥 'babbler' for 鳥 'bird', and the name has been extended to all liocichlas. The latest list of Taiwanese names substitutes the Mainland name for the original Japanese name.
Species names
SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH |
CHINESE |
JAPANESE |
OTHER |
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| Pomatorhinus | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Pomatorhinus erythrogenys Taxonomy  |
Rusty-cheeked scimitar babbler (P. erythrocnemis =Spot-breasted scimitar babbler) |
大彎嘴 (大弯嘴) 'large curved-bill' |
(銹臉鉤嘴鶥) 锈脸钩嘴鹛 'rusty-faced hook-bill-babbler' Taxonomy |
大彎嘴畫眉 (大弯嘴画眉) 'large curved-billed hwamei' |
マルハシ (丸嘴) maru-hashi 'curved-bill' |
Chim Họa mi đất má trắng 'white-cheeked ground-hwamei (bird)' Chim Họa mi đất ngực đốm 'spot-breasted ground-hwamei (bird)' (13) Taxonomy |
| Pomatorhinus ruficollis |
Streak-breasted scimitar babbler Rufous-necked scimitar babbler |
小彎嘴 (小弯嘴) 'small curved-bill' |
(棕頸鉤嘴鶥) 棕颈钩嘴鹛 'reddishbrown-necked hook-bill-babbler' |
小彎嘴畫眉 (小弯嘴画眉) 'small curved-billed hwamei' 竹腳畫眉 (竹脚画眉) 'bamboo foot hwamei' 小偃月嘴嘈雜鳥 (小偃月嘴嘈杂鸟) 'small crescent-moon-billed noisy bird' 小鉤嘴嘈鶥 (小钩嘴嘈鹛) 'small hooked-billed noisy-babbler' 小鉤嘴鶥 (小钩嘴鹛) 'small hook-bill-babbler' 小眉 (小眉) 'small eyebrow' (= 'small babbler') |
ヒメマルハシ (姫丸嘴) hime maru-hashi 'princess curved-bill' |
Chim Họa mi đất ngực luốc 'grey-breasted ground-hwamei (bird)' |
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| Pnoepyga | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Pnoepyga albiventer |
Scaly-breasted wren-babbler Scaly-breasted wren babbler Greater wren babbler |
小鷦眉 (小鹪眉) 'small wren-babbler' (méi written 'eyebrow', see hwamei) Taxonomy |
(鱗胸鷦鶥) 鳞胸鹪鹛 'scaly breasted wren-babbler' (1, 2, 3, 4) (大鱗胸鷦鶥) 大鳞胸鹪鹛 'large scaly-breasted wren-babbler' (5) or (大鱗鷦鶥) 大鳞鹪鹛 'large scaly wren-babbler' (Alternative in 5) |
白腹鷦鶥 (白腹鹪鹛) 'white-bellied wren-babbler' (6) |
ヒメサザイチメドリ (姫鷦鷯知目鳥) hime sazai chime-dori 'princess wren-babbler' |
Chim Khướư đất đuôi cụt 'short-tailed ground-babbler (bird)' |
| Stachyris | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Stachyris ruficeps Stachyridopsis ruficeps |
Rufous-capped babbler Red-headed tree babbler |
山紅頭 (山红头) 'mountain red head' |
(紅頭穗鶥) 红头穗鹛 'red-headed cereal-ear babbler' |
ズアカチメドリ (頭赤知目鳥) zu-aka chime-dori 'red-headed babbler' |
Chim Khướư bụi đầu đỏ 'red-headed bush-babbler (bird)' Chim Khướư bụi hung đỏ 'red-reddish-headed bush-babbler (bird)' (13) |
| Garrulax | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Garrulax albogularis |
White-throated laughing-thrush White-throated laughingthrush White-throated laughing thrush |
白喉噪眉 (白喉噪眉) 'white-throated noisy-babbler' (méi written 'eyebrow', see hwamei) Taiwan former official: 白喉笑鶇 (白喉笑鸫) 'white-throated laughing-thrush' |
(白喉噪鶥) 白喉噪鹛 'white-throated noisy-babbler' |
ノドジロガビチョウ (喉白画眉鳥) nodo-jiro gabi-chō 'white-throated painted-eyebrow-bird (=hwamei)' |
Chim Khướư họng vàng 'yellow-throated babbler (bird)' |
| Garrulax poecilorhynchus |
Rusty laughing-thrush Rusty laughingthrush Rufous laughing thrush |
棕噪眉 (棕噪眉) 'reddishbrown noisy-babbler' (méi written 'eyebrow', see hwamei) Taiwan former official: 竹鳥 (竹鸟) 'bamboo bird' |
(棕噪鶥) 棕噪鹛 'reddishbrown noisy-babbler' |
タケドリ (竹鳥) take-dori 'bamboo bird' |
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| Garrulax canorus |
Hwamei or Melodious laughing-thrush Melodious laughing thrush |
大陸畫眉 (大陆画眉) 'mainland painted eyebrow (=hwamei)' |
(畫眉) 画眉 'painted eyebrow' |
ガビチョウ (画眉鳥) gabi-chō 'painted-eyebrow-bird (=hwamei)' (from Chinese) |
大陸ホイビイ (?) tairiku hoibii 'mainland hoibi' (from the Internet) |
Chim Họa mi 'hwamei (bird)' (from Chinese 畫眉) |
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| Garrulax canorus taewanus | Taiwan Hwamei | 台灣畫眉 (台湾画眉) 'Taiwan painted eyebrow (=hwamei)' |
- | ホイビイ (?) hoibii 'hoibi' (from the Internet) |
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| Garrulax morrisonianus |
White-whiskered laughing-thrush White-whiskered laughingthrush Mt Morrison laughing thrush |
台灣噪眉 (台湾噪眉) 'Taiwan noisy-babbler' (méi written 'eyebrow', see hwamei) Taiwan former official: 金翼白眉 (金翼白眉) 'gold-winged white eyebrow' |
(玉山噪鶥) 玉山噪鹛 'Yushan noisy-babbler' |
キンバネホイビイ (金羽ホイビイ) kin-bane hoibii 'gold-winged hoibii' (hoibii from Taiwanese bai mei or hua mei?) タイワンキンバネガビチョウ (台湾金羽画眉鳥) taiwan kin-bane gabi-chō 'Taiwan gold-winged painted-eyebrow-bird (=hwamei)' |
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| Liocichla | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Liocichla steerii |
Steere's liocichla Taiwan liocichla |
黃胸藪眉 (黄胸薮眉) 'yellow-breasted bush-babbler' (藪 'marsh' used in Japanese sense of 'bush', méi written 'eyebrow', see hwamei) Taiwan former official: 藪鳥 (薮鸟) 'marsh bird' |
(黄痣藪鶥) 黄痣薮鹛 'yellow-moled bush-babbler' (藪 'marsh' used in Japanese sense of 'bush') (1, 2, 3, 4) (黄胸藪鶥) 黄胸薮鹛 'yellow-breasted bush-babbler' (藪 'marsh' used in Japanese sense of 'bush') (5) |
ヤブドリ (薮鳥) yabu-dori 'thicket bird' |
| Actinodura | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Actinodura morrisoniana |
Taiwan barwing Formosan barwing |
紋翼畫眉 (纹翼画眉) 'fine-pattern-winged hwamei' |
(台灣斑翅鶥) 台湾斑翅鹛 'Taiwanese stripe-winged babbler' (1, 2, 3, 4) (栗頭斑翅鶥) 栗头斑翅鹛 'chestnut-headed stripe-winged babbler' (5) |
シマドリ (縞鳥) shima dori 'striped bird' |
| Alcippe | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Alcippe cinereiceps |
Streak-throated fulvetta Brown-headed tit babbler |
灰頭花翼 (灰头花翼) 'grey-headed flowery wing' |
(褐頭雀鶥) 褐头雀鹛 'brown-headed sparrow-babbler' (='tit-babbler') |
アリサンチメドリ (アリサン知目鳥) arisan chime-dori 'Ali-shan babbler' |
Chim Lách tách họng vạch 'exposed-throated fulvetta (bird)' |
| Alcippe brunnea |
Dusky fulvetta Gould's fulvetta Brown-capped tit babbler Gould's tit babbler |
頭烏線 (头乌线) 'head black line' |
(褐頂雀鶥) 褐顶雀鹛 'brown-capped sparrow-babbler' (='tit-babbler') |
褐雀鶥 (褐雀鹛) 'brown sparrow-babbler' (='tit-babbler') (6, 7) 烏眉褐雀鶥 (乌眉褐雀鹛) 'black browed brown sparrow-babbler' (='tit-babbler') 山烏鶥 (山乌鹛) 'mountain black babbler' 山烏頭線 (山乌头线) 'mountain black head line' |
チメドリ (知目鳥) chime-dori 'babbler' |
Chim Lách tách đầu nâu 'brown-headed fulvetta (bird)' |
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| Alcippe morrisonia |
Grey-cheeked fulvetta Common tit babbler |
繡眼畫眉 (绣眼画眉) 'embroidered eye (=white-eye) hwamei' |
(灰眶雀鶥) 灰眶雀鹛 'grey-eye-framed sparrow-babbler' (='tit-babbler') |
白眶雀鶥 (白眶雀鹛) 'white-eye-framed sparrow-babbler' (='tit-babbler') (6, 7, conflicts with following species) 白目眶仔 (白目眶仔) 'white-eye eye-frame' 山白目眶 (山白目眶) 'mountain white eye frame' 白眼環眉 (白眼环眉) 'white eye circle eyebrow' 白文鳥 (白文鸟) 'white culture-bird' (文鸟 wén-niǎo is used for the genus Lonchura). |
メジロチメドリ (目白知目鳥) me-jiro chime-dori 'white-eyed babbler' |
Chim Lách tách má xám 'grey-cheeked fulvetta (bird)' Chim Lách tách đầu xám 'grey-headed fulvetta (bird)' (13) |
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| Heterophasia | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Heterophasia auricularis |
White-eared sibia Taiwan sibia |
白耳畫眉 (白耳画眉) 'white-eared hwamei' |
(白耳奇鶥) 白耳奇鹛 'white-eared rare-babbler' |
ミミジロチメドリ (耳白知目鳥) mimi-jiro chime-dori 'white-eared babbler' |
| Yuhina | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Yuhina brunneiceps |
Taiwan yuhina Formosan yuhina |
冠羽畫眉 (冠羽画眉) 'crest-feather hwamei' |
(褐頭鳳鶥) 褐头凤鹛 'brown-headed phoenix-babbler' |
カンムリチメドリ (冠知目鳥) kanmuri chime-dori 'crested babbler' |
| Erpornis | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Erpornis zantholeuca Yuhina zantholeuca  |
White-bellied yuhina White-bellied tree babbler White-bellied herpornis |
綠畫眉 (绿画眉) 'green painted-eyebrow (=hwamei)' |
(白腹鳳鶥) 白腹凤鹛 'white-bellied phoenix-babbler' |
アオチメドリ (青知目鳥) ao-chime-dori 'blue/green babbler' |
Chim Khướư mào bụng trắng 'white-bellied crested-babbler (bird)' (13) |
| Paradoxornis | ||||||||
Latin |
English |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Chinese (Mainland) |
Other Ch |
Japanese |
Other J |
Korean |
Vietnamese |
Paradoxornis webbianus |
Vinous-throated parrotbill Rufous-headed crowtit Vinous-breasted parrotbill Vinous-throated crowtit |
粉紅鸚嘴 (粉红鹦嘴) 'pink parrot-bill' |
(棕頭鴉雀) 棕头鸦雀 'reddishbrown-headed crow-sparrow (=crow-tit)' (2, 3, 4, 5) (棕翅缘鴉雀) 棕翅缘鸦雀 'reddishbrown-wing-edged crow-sparrow (=crow-tit)' (1) |
烏形山雀 (乌形山雀) 'crow-shaped mountain-sparrow (=tit)' 驢糞球兒 (驴粪球儿) 'mule shit ball' 黄頭 (黄头) 'yellow head' 紅頭仔 (红头仔) 'red-head' |
ダルマエナガ (達磨柄長) daruma e-naga 'daruma long-handle' |
붉은머리오목눈이 bulgeun-meori-omongnuni 'red-headed omongnuni (long-tailed tit)' |
Chim Khướư mỏ dẹt bé 'baby flat-billed babbler (bird)' |
| Paradoxornis nipalensis |
Black-throated parrotbill Blyth's parrotbill Black-throated crowtit |
黃羽鸚嘴 (黄羽鹦嘴) 'yellow-feathered parrot-bill' |
(黑喉鴉雀) 黑喉鸦雀 'black-throated crow-sparrow (=crow-tit)' (1, 2, 4, 5) (橙額鴉雀) 橙额鸦雀 'orange-foreheaded crow-sparrow (=crow-tit)' (3) |
橙背鴉雀 (橙背鸦雀) 'orange-backed crow-sparrow (=crow-tit)' (6) |
キバネダルマエナガ (黄羽達磨柄長) ki-bane daruma e-naga 'yellow-winged daruma long-handle' |
Chim Khướư mỏ dẹt họng đen 'black-throated flat-billed babbler (bird)' |
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