Apodidae / Họ Yến

雨燕科 Yǔ-yàn kē * 雨燕科 Yǔ-yàn kē * アマツバメ科 Ama-tsubame ka

General names

The following is based on analysis of dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections are welcome.

The swifts and swiftlets are called Yến in Vietnamese. This represents a borrowing of the Chinese word yàn meaning 'swallow'. The original meaning 'swallow' still survives in some literary expressions in Vietnamese. (The swallows themselves are referred to as nhạn or én, where én is derived from the same Chinese word as yến. This is a case where the same Chinese word has been borrowed more than once, possibly at different times in history.)

The edible nests of the swiftlets are known as yến sào.

Species names

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APODINAE
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN
VIETNAMESE
EAST ASIAN
S. E. ASIAN
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malay
Indonesian
Aerodramus              
Aerodramus brevirostris
Collocalia brevirostris
link to photo
Himalayan swiftlet
Indian edible-nest swiftlet
Yến núi
'mountain swift'
  短嘴金丝燕
duǎn-zuǐ jīn-sī-yàn
'short-billed gold-silk swallow'
ヒマラヤアナツバメ
(ヒマラヤ穴燕)
Himaraya ana-tsubame
'Himalayan hole-swallow'
นกแอ่นพันธุ์หิมาลัย
nók-àen pan hì-maa-lai
'Himalayan species swift'
--
Aerodromas salangana
Aerodramus salanganus
Collocalia salangana
link to photo
Mossy-nest swiftlet
Mossy swiftlet
Yến rêu
'moss swift'
  苔巢金丝燕
tái-cháo jīn-sī-yàn
'moss-nest gold-silk swallow' (4)
コケアナツバメ
(苔穴燕)
koke ana-tsubame
'moss hole-swallow'
  -Walet Sarang-lumut
'moss-nest swallow'
Aerodramus fuciphagus
Collocalia fuciphaga
link to photo
Edible-nest swiftlet
Thunberg's swiftlet
Yến hông xám
'grey-rumped swift'
  爪哇金丝燕
Zhǎowā jīn-sī-yàn
'Javanese gold-silk swallow'
ジャワアナツバメ
(ジャワ穴燕)
Jawa ana-tsubame
'Javanese hole-swallow'
นกแอ่นกินรัง
nók-àen gin rang
'eat nest swift'
|Note|
Layang-layang Gua
'cave swift'
Walet Sarang-putih
'white-nest swallow'
Hirundapus              
Hirundapus caudacutus
Hirundapus caudacuta
Chaetura caudacuta
link to photolink to photo
White-throated needletail
White-throated spine-tailed swift
Spinetail swift
Yến đuôi cứng hông trắng
'stiff-tailed white-rumped swift'
Yến đuôi nhọn họng trắng
'sharp-tailed white-throated swift' (13)
  白喉针尾雨燕
bái-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn
'white-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow'
Taiwan:
白喉針尾雨燕
bái-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn
'white-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow'
Former Taiwan:
針尾雨燕
zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn
'needle-tailed rain-swallow'
ハリオアマツバメ
(針尾雨燕)
hari-o ama-tsubame
'needle-tailed rain-swallow'
นกแอ่นใหญ่คอขาว
nók-àen yài kor kăao
'white-throated large swift'
Layang-layang Ekor Jarum
'needle-tailed swift'
Kapinis-jarum Asia
'Asian needle-kapinis'
Hirundapus cochinchinensis
link to photo
Silver-backed needletail
Grey-throated spinetail swift
White-vented spine-tailed swift
Needletailed swift
White-vented needletail
Yến đuôi cứng bụng trắng
'stiff-tailed white-bellied swift'
Yến đuôi nhọn lưng bạc
'sharp-tailed silvery-backed swift' (13)
  白背针尾雨燕
bái-bèi zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn
'white-backed needle-tailed rain-swallow' (2, 4)
灰喉针尾雨燕
huī-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn
'grey-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' (1, 3, 5)
Taiwan:
灰喉針尾雨燕
huī-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn
'grey-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow'
コシジロハリオアマツバメ
(腰白針尾雨燕)
koshi-jiro hari-o ama-tsubame
'white-rumped needle-tailed rain-swallow'
นกแอ่นใหญ่หัวตาดำ
nók-àen yài hŭa dtaa-dam
'black-eye headed large swift'
Layang-layang Rengkong Putih
'white-rumped? swift'
Kapinis-jarum Pantat-putih
'white-rumped needle-kapinis'
Hirundapus giganteus
Hirundapus gigantea
link to photo
Brown-backed needletail
Brown spine-tailed swift
Large brown-throated spinetail swift
Yến đuôi cứng lớn
'large stiff-tailed swift'
  褐背针尾雨燕
hè-bèi zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn
'brown-backed needle-tailed rain-swallow' (4)
褐喉针尾雨燕
hè-hóu zhēn-wěi yǔ-yàn
'brown-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' (5)
オオハリオアマツバメ
(大針尾雨燕)
ō hari-o ama-tsubame
'large needle-tailed rain swallow'
นกแอ่นใหญ่หัวตาขาว
nók-àen yài hŭa dtaa-kăao
'white-eye headed large swift'
Layang-layang Besar
'large swift'
Kapinis-jarum Gedang
'large needle-kapinis'
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malay
Indonesian
Cypsiurus              
Cypsiurus batasiensis
link to photo
Asian palm swift
Palm swift
Yến cọ
'palm swift'
  棕雨燕
zōng yǔ-yàn
'palm rain-swallow'
›Note‹
Taiwan:
棕雨燕
zōng yǔ-yàn
'palm rain-swallow'
アジアヤシハリオアマツバメ
(アジア椰子針尾雨燕)
Ajia yashi hari-o ama-tsubame
'Asian palm needle-tailed rain-swallow'
นกแอ่นตาล
nók-àen dtaan
'ratten-palm swift'
Layang-layang Palma
'palm swift'/
Layang-layang Asia
'Asian swift'
Walet-palem Asia
'Asian palm swift'
Apus              
Apus pacificus
link to photolink to photo
Fork-tailed swift
or
Pacific swift
Large white-rumped swift
Larger white-rumped swift
Northern white-rumped swift
Yến hông trắng
'white-rumped swift'
  白腰雨燕
bái-yāo yǔ-yàn
'white-rumped rain-swallow'
Taiwan:
叉尾雨燕
chā-wěi yǔ-yàn
'fork-tailed rain-swallow'
Former Taiwan:
白腰雨燕
bái-yāo yǔ-yàn
'white-rumped rain-swallow'
アマツバメ
(雨燕)
ama-tsubame
'rain-swallow'
นกแอ่นตะโพกขาวหางแฉก
nók-àen dtà-pôhk kăao hăang chàek
'fork-tailed white-haunched swift'
Layang-layang Ekor Cabang
'fork-tailed swift'
Kapinis Laut
'sea kapinis'
Apus acuticauda
Apus acuticaudus
Dark-rumped Swift
Dark-backed Swift
-   暗背雨燕
àn-bèi yǔ-yàn
'dark-backed rain-swallow' (4)
暗背刺尾雨燕
àn-bèi cì-wěi yǔ-yàn dark-backed spine-tailed rain swallow' (5)
セグロアマツバメ
(背黒雨燕)
se-guro ama-tsubame
'black-backed rain-swallow'
นกแอ่นท้องลาย
nók-àen tóng laai
'pattern bellied swift'
  
Apus nipalensis House swift Yến cằm trắng
'white-chinned swift'
›Note‹
  小白腰雨燕
xiǎo bái-yāo yǔ-yàn
'small white-rumped rain-swallow'
›Note‹
Taiwan:
小雨燕
xiǎo yǔ-yàn
'small rain-swallow'
›Note‹
ヒメアマツバメ
(姫雨燕)
hime ama-tsubame
'princess rain-swallow'
นกแอ่นบ้าน
nók-àen bâan
'house swift'
Layang-layang Rumah
'house swift'
Kapinis Rumah
'house kapinis'
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malay
Indonesian
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(Site uses UK spelling, e.g., "grey-coloured")