General names
The following is based on analysis of dictionaries and other sources. Thai names are currently being revised. Comments and corrections are welcome.
Note on Vietnamese naming: With the exception of ducks and chickens, it is normal for Vietnamese bird names to include the word Chim meaning 'bird', even where not indicated in the tables. All bird and animal names can be preceded by the classifier con, which is used for living creatures.
The swifts and swiftlets are called Chim yến in Vietnamese. This represents a borrowing of the Chinese word 燕 (modern Mandarin pronunciation ) meaning 'swallow'. The original meaning 'swallow' still survives in some literary expressions in Vietnamese. (The swallows themselves are referred to as Chim nhạn or Chim 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.
Chữ Nôm
The character used for apodids in the now obsolete Chữ Nôm characters is:
| Name | Chữ Nôm Images from the Vietnamese Nôm Preservation Foundation dictionary. (Errors are the sole responsibility of the author of this site) |
| Yến |  (Chinese character for 'swallow'). |
Species names
| APODINAE | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN |
VIETNAMESE |
EAST ASIAN |
S. E. ASIAN |
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Latin |
English/French |
Vietnamese |
Other V |
Chinese |
Japanese |
Thai |
Malay |
Indonesian |
| Aerodramus | ||||||||
| Aerodramus brevirostris Collocalia brevirostris  |
Himalayan swiftlet Indian edible-nest swiftlet |
Yến núi 'mountain swift' |
短嘴金丝燕 '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-àeen pʰan hì-maa-lay 'Himalayan species swallow (bird)' |
- | - | |
| Aerodromas salangana Aerodramus salanganus Collocalia salangana |
Mossy-nest swiftlet Mossy swiftlet |
Yến rêu 'moss swift' |
苔巢金丝燕 '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 |
Edible-nest swiftlet Thunberg's swiftlet |
Yến hông xám 'grey-rumped swift' |
爪哇金丝燕 '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-àeen kin-raŋ 'eat-nest swallow (bird)'  Note |
Burung Layang-layang Gua 'cave swift bird' |
Walet Sarang-putih 'white-nest swallow' |
|
| Hirundapus | ||||||||
| Hirundapus caudacutus Hirundapus caudacuta Chaetura caudacuta |
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 'white-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' Taiwan: 白喉針尾雨燕 'white-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' Former Taiwan: 針尾雨燕 '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-àeen yày kʰoaa-kʰăaw 'white-throated large swallow (bird)' |
Burung Layang-layang Ekor Jarum 'needle-tailed swift bird' |
Kapinis-jarum Asia 'Asian needle-kapinis' |
|
| Hirundapus cochinchinensis |
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 'white-backed needle-tailed rain-swallow' (2, 4) 灰喉针尾雨燕 'grey-throated needle-tailed rain-swallow' (1, 3, 5) Taiwan: 灰喉針尾雨燕 '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-àeen yày hŭa-taa-dam 'black-lored large-swallow (bird)' |
Burung Layang-layang Rengkong Putih 'white-rumped? swift bird' |
Kapinis-jarum Pantat-putih 'white-rumped needle-kapinis' |
|
| Hirundapus giganteus Hirundapus gigantea |
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 'brown-backed needle-tailed rain-swallow' (4) 褐喉针尾雨燕 '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-àeen yày hŭa-taa-kʰăaw 'white-lored large-swallow (bird)' |
Burung Layang-layang Besar 'large swift bird' |
Kapinis-jarum Gedang 'large needle-kapinis' |
|
Latin |
English/French |
Vietnamese |
Other V |
Chinese |
Japanese |
Thai |
Malay |
Indonesian |
| Cypsiurus | ||||||||
| Cypsiurus batasiensis |
Asian palm swift Palm swift |
Yến cọ 'palm swift' |
棕雨燕 'palm rain-swallow' NoteTaiwan: 棕雨燕 '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-àeen taan '(sugar)-palm swallow (bird)' |
Burung Layang-layang Palma 'palm swift bird'/ Burung Layang-layang Asia 'Asian swift bird' |
Walet-palem Asia 'Asian palm swift' |
|
| Apus | ||||||||
| Apus pacificus |
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 'white-rumped rain-swallow' Taiwan: 叉尾雨燕 'fork-tailed rain-swallow' Former Taiwan: 白腰雨燕 'white-rumped rain-swallow' |
アマツバメ (雨燕) ama-tsubame 'rain-swallow' |
นกแอ่นตะโพกขาวหางแฉก nók-àeen tà-pʰôok-kʰăaw hăaŋ-cʰàeek 'fork-tailed white-rumped swallow (bird)' |
Burung Layang-layang Ekor Cabang 'fork-tailed swift bird' |
Kapinis Laut 'sea kapinis' |
|
| Apus acuticauda Apus acuticaudus |
Dark-rumped Swift Dark-backed Swift |
- | 暗背雨燕 'dark-backed rain-swallow' (4) 暗背刺尾雨燕 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-àeen tʰóaaŋ-laay 'stripe-bellied swallow (bird)' |
|||
| Apus nipalensis | House swift | Yến cằm trắng 'white-chinned swift' Note |
小白腰雨燕 'small white-rumped rain-swallow' NoteTaiwan: 小雨燕 'small rain-swallow' Note |
ヒメアマツバメ (姫雨燕) hime ama-tsubame 'princess rain-swallow' |
นกแอ่นบ้าน nók-àeen bâan 'house swallow (bird)' |
Burung Layang-layang Rumah 'house swift bird' |
Kapinis Rumah 'house kapinis' |
|
Latin |
English/French |
Vietnamese |
Other V |
Chinese |
Japanese |
Thai |
Malay |
Indonesian |
Floating Menu by Milonic |
Tool tips by Walter Zorn |
