Rallidae
Họ Gà nước

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 Rallidae are known in Vietnamese by a number of names. The rails are known simply as Gà nước ('water fowl'). The crakes are known as Cuốc, which derives from their cry of cuoc cuoc during the summer months. Curiously, the crakes are also known as Đỗ quyên, from Chinese 杜鵑 dùjuān meaning 'cuckoo'. Originally Đỗ quyên referred to the cuckoos in Vietnamese, but for some reason later came to be used for the crakes. The word Đỗ vũ, borrowed from Chinese 杜宇 dùyǔ and also originally meaning 'cuckoo', suffered the same fate.

Several species of rallids have their own individual names. Gà đồng, the name of the Water Cock, is related to the Chinese name 董雞 dǒng-jī 'dong fowl'. Sâm cầm refers to the Black Coot. The Moorhen is known as the Kịch (although this term is not listed in ordinary dictionaries). The Purple Swamp Hen is normally known as the Chim trích, although naturalists call it the Xít. Possibly Trích was passed over for fear of confusion with Chích 'warbler', which has the same pronunciation in the standard Hanoi dialect.

The names assigned by naturalists to rallid genera are as follows:

Vietnamese has the expression Lủi như cuốc, 'Steal away like a crake', a reference to the quiet, secretive movements of these birds.

Chữ Nôm

Characters used for rallids in the now obsolete Chữ Nôm characters include:

Name	Chữ Nôm Images from the Vietnamese Nôm Preservation Foundation dictionary. (Errors are the sole responsibility of the author of this site)
Gà nước
Cuốc	; ;
Trích

Species names

ABOUT THIS TABLE (Hover cursor to see)

SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN		VIETNAMESE		EAST ASIAN		S. E. ASIAN
Latin	English/French	Vietnamese	Other V	Chinese	Japanese	Thai	Malay	Indonesian
Rallina
Rallina fasciata	Red-legged crake Red-legged banded crake Râle barré	Gà nước họng nâu 'brown-throated water fowl'		红腿斑秧鸡 hóng-tuǐ bān yāng-jī 'red-legged striped seedling-fowl' Taiwan: 紅腳秧雞 hóng-jiǎo yāng-jī 'red-legged seedling-fowl' Former Taiwan: 紅腿秧雞 hóng-tuǐ yāng-jī 'red-legged seedling-fowl'	ナンヨウオオクイナ (南洋大秧鶏 or 南洋大水鶏) Nan-yō ō kuina 'southern seas large rail'	นกอัญชันป่าขาแดง nók-an-cʰan pàa kʰăa-daeeŋ 'red-legged forest rail (bird)'	Burung Sintar Api 'fire rail bird'	Tikusan Ceruling 'ceruling tikusan'
Rallina eurizonoides	Slaty-legged crake Banded crake Râle de forêt	Gà nước họng trắng 'white-throated water fowl'		白喉斑秧鸡 bái-hóu bān yāng-jī 'white-throated striped seedling-fowl' Taiwan: 灰腳秧雞 huī-jiǎo yāng-jī 'grey-legged seedling-fowl' Former Taiwan: 灰腿秧雞 huī-tuǐ yāng-jī 'grey-legged seedling-fowl'	オオクイナ (大秧鶏 or 大水鶏) ō kuina 'large rail'	นกอัญชันป่าขาเทา nók-an-cʰan pàa kʰăa-tʰaw 'grey-legged rail (bird)'	Burung Sintar Merah 'red rail bird'	Tikusan Kaki-kelabu 'grey-legged tikusan'
Gallirallus
Gallirallus striatus Rallus striatus	Slaty-breasted rail Blue-breasted banded rail Banded rail Râle strié	Gà nước vằn 'striped water fowl'		灰胸秧鸡 huī-xiōng yāng-jī 'grey-breasted seedling-fowl' (2, 4) 蓝胸秧鸡 lán-xiōng yāng-jī 'blue-breasted seedling-fowl' (1, 3, 5) Taiwan: 灰胸秧雞 huī-xiōng yāng-jī 'grey-breasted seedling-fowl'	ミナミクイナ (南秧鶏 or 南水鶏) minami kuina 'southern rail'	นกอัญชันอกสีเทา nók-an-cʰan òk-sĭi-tʰaw 'grey-breasted rail (bird)'	Burung Sintar 'rail bird'	Mandarpadi Sintar 'rail paddy mandar'
Rallus
Rallus aquaticus Rallina aquatica	Water rail Râle d'eau	Gà nước Ấn Độ 'Indian water fowl' Gà nước 'water fowl' (13)		普通秧鸡 pǔtōng yāng-jī 'common seedling-fowl' Taiwan: 秧雞 yāng-jī 'seedling-fowl'	クイナ (秧鶏 or 水鶏) kuina 'rail' (written 'seedling fowl' or 'water fowl')	นกอัญชันอกสีไพล nók-an-cʰan òk-sĭi-pʰlay 'olivaceous-breasted rail (bird)'	Burung Sintar Air 'water rail bird'
Amaurornis
Amaurornis akool	Brown crake Crimson-legged crake Râle akool	Cuốc chân đỏ 'red-legged crake'		红脚苦恶鸟 hóng-jiǎo kǔ-è-niǎo 'red-legged ku-e bird' (ku-e is written 'bitter evil') Taiwan: 紅腳苦惡鳥 hóng-jiǎo kǔ-è-niǎo 'red-legged ku-e bird' (ku-e is written 'bitter evil')	チャバネクイナ (茶羽秧鶏 or 茶羽水鶏) cha-bane kuina 'brown-winged rail'
Amaurornis phoenicurus	White-breasted waterhen White-breasted water hen Râle à poitrine blanche	Cuốc ngực trắng 'white-bellied crake'		白胸苦恶鸟 bái-xiōng kǔ-è-niǎo 'white-breasted ku-e bird' (ku-e is written 'bitter evil') Taiwan: 白腹秧雞 bái-fù yāng-jī 'white-bellied seedling-fowl'	シロハラクイナ (白腹秧鶏 or 白腹水鶏) shiro-hara kuina 'white-bellied rail'	นกกวัก nók-kwàk 'kwàk bird' (onomat.)	Burung Ruak-Ruak 'white-white (bird)'	Kareo Padi 'paddy kareo'
Latin	English/French	Vietnamese	Other V	Chinese	Japanese	Thai	Malay	Indonesian
Porzana
Porzana bicolor Amaurornis bicolor	Black-tailed crake Elwes' crake Rufous-backed crake Râle bicolore	Cuốc ngực xám 'grey-bellied crake'		黑尾苦恶鸟 hēi-wěi kǔ-è-niǎo 'black-tailed kue bird' (ku-e is written 'bitter evil') (2, 4) 棕背田鸡 zōng-bèi tián-jī 'reddish-brown-backed field fowl' (1, 3, 5)	オグロクイナ (尾黒秧鶏 or 尾黒水鶏) o-guro kuina 'black-tailed rail'	นกอัญชันหางดำ nók-an-cʰan hăaŋ-dam 'black-tailed rail (bird)'
Porzana pusilla	Baillon's crake Marouette de Baillon	Cuốc lùn 'dwarf crake'		小田鸡 xiǎo tián-jī 'small field fowl' Taiwan: 小秧雞 xiǎo yāng-jī 'small seedling-fowl'	ヒメクイナ (姫水鶏 or 姫秧鶏) hime kuina 'princess rail'	นกอัญชันเล็ก nók-an-cʰan lék 'small rail (bird)'	Burung Sintar Kecil 'small rail bird'	Tikusan Kerdil 'dwarf tikusan'
Porzana fusca	Ruddy-breasted crake Ruddy crake Marouette brune	Cuốc ngực nâu 'brown-bellied crake'		红胸田鸡 hóng-xiōng tián-jī 'red-breasted field fowl' Taiwan: 緋秧雞 fēi yāng-jī 'red seedling-fowl'	ヒクイナ (緋秧鶏 or 緋水鶏) hi-kuina 'red rail'	นกหนูแดง nók-nŭu daeeŋ 'red mouse-bird'	Burung Sintar Belacan 'belacan rail bird'	Tikusan Merah 'red tikusan'
Porzana paykullii Rallina paykullii	Band-bellied crake Chestnut-breasted crake Marouette mandarin	Cuốc nâu 'brown crake'		斑胁田鸡 bān-xié tián-jī 'stripe-flanked field fowl' (1, 2, 4, 5) 斑肋田鸡 bān-lèi tián-jī 'stripe-ribbed field fowl' (3) Taiwan: 斑脇田雞 bān-xié tián-jī 'stripe-flanked field fowl'	コウライヒクイナ (高麗緋秧鶏 or 高麗緋水鶏) kōrai hi-kuina 'Korean red rail'	นกอัญชันจีน nók-an-cʰan ciin 'Chinese rail (bird)'	Burung Sintar Berjalur 'striped rail bird'	Tikusan Siberia 'Siberian tikusan'
Porzana cinerea	White-browed crake White-browed rail Marouette grise	Gà nước mày trắng 'white-browed water fowl' (13)		白眉田鸡 bái-méi tián-jī 'white-browed field-fowl' (2, 4) 白眉秧鸡 bái-méi yāng-jī 'white-browed seedling-fowl' (3) 灰田鸡 huī tián-jī 'grey field-fowl' (5) Taiwan: 白眉秧雞 bái-méi yāng-jī 'white-browed seedling-fowl'	マミジロクイナ (眉白秧鶏 or 眉白水鶏) mami-jiro-kuina 'white-browed rail'	นกอัญชันคิ้วขาว nók-an-cʰan kʰíw-kʰăaw 'white-eyebrowed rail (bird)'	Burung Sintar Dahi Putih (Puteh) 'white-forehead rail bird' Burung Sintar Kening Putih 'white-browed rail bird'	Tikusan Alis-putih 'white-forehead tikusan'
Gallicrex
Gallicrex cinerea	Watercock Water cock Râle à crête	Gà đồng 'dong fowl'		董鸡 dǒng-jī 'dong fowl' Taiwan: 董雞 dǒng-jī 'dong fowl'	ツルクイナ (鶴秧鶏 or 鶴水鶏) tsuru-kuina 'crane rail'	นกอีลุ้ม nók ii-lúm 'watercock (bird)'	Burung Ayam-ayam 'fowl-fowl bird'	Mandar Bontod 'bontod mandar'
Porphyrio
Porphyrio porphyrio	Purple swamphen Purple swamp hen Purple moorhen Sultan hen Purple coot Blue coot Swamp hen Purple gallinule Talève sultane	Xít 'xit'	Chim trích 'trich bird'	紫水鸡 zǐ shuǐ-jī 'purple water fowl' Taiwan: 紫水雞 zǐ shuǐ-jī 'purple water fowl'	セイケイ (青鶏) seikei 'blue fowl'	นกอีโก้ง nók ii-kôoŋ 'swamphen (bird)'	Burung Pangling 'pangling bird'	Mandar Besar 'large mandar'
Gallinula
Gallinula chloropus	Common moorhen Moorhen Common gallinule Gallinule poule-d'eau	Kịch 'kich'		黑水鸡 hēi shuǐ-jī 'black water fowl' or 红骨顶 hóng gǔ-dǐng 'red bone top' (Alternative in 1, 3, 5) Taiwan: 紅冠水雞 hóng-guàn shuǐ-jī 'red-crested water fowl'	バン (鷭) ban 'ban'	นกอีล้ำ nók ii-lám 'moorhen (bird)'	Burung Tiong Air 'water tiong bird '	Mandar Batu 'slaty mandar'
Fulica
Fulica atra	Common coot or Eurasian coot Black coot Coot Foulque macroule	Sâm cầm 'sam cam' ('cam' = 'bird')		白骨顶 bái gǔ-dǐng 'white bone top' or 骨顶鸡 gǔ-dǐng jī 'bone top fowl' (Alternative in 1, 3) Taiwan: 白冠雞 bái-guàn jī 'white-crested fowl'	オオバン (大鷭) ō ban 'large ban'	นกคู้ต nók-kʰúut 'coot (bird)' (kʰúut from English 'coot')	Burung Pangling Hitam 'black pangling bird'	Mandar Hitam 'black mandar'
Latin	English/French	Vietnamese	Other V	Chinese	Japanese	Thai	Malay	Indonesian

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