Threskiornithidae

General

Information is from dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections welcome. All Malaysian and Indonesian names in the process of conversion into modernised spelling only. Hover over Green Lettering Green lettering at this site hides a tool tip with glosses, further explanations, etc. Hover cursor to reveal. to see additional information.

There is an old traditional name sekendi 'ibis' which is usually given in historical sources as a name for the White Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus). However it probably was used for other ibis species as well, and perhaps also for other unrelated, but similar-appearing, wading birds with long decurved bills.

A related name, kendi 'curlew', is applied to curlews (and whimbrels) (both Numenius) [Scolopacidae]. Both sekendi 'ibis' and kendi 'curlew' are old traditional usages which have been taken up very little changed by ornithologists. These names are ultimately based on kendi 'water-carafe', whose distinctive curved form the birds are perceived to resemble. The pottery form (and the name kendi) were originally borrowed into the area centuries ago from South Asia, and the name 'kendi' is now also used in English. Popularly today, kendi can be either 'water-carafe' or 'curlew', but sekendi is only a bird name, 'ibis'.

If spoonbills once had a traditional name of their own, it has since been lost. Modern names for spoonbills reflect their biological relationship to ibises and are based on modern ibis names in constructions meaning 'spoon-ibis'.

The ornithological Indonesian genus name for spoonbill is included here although it applies to species of Platalea not found in West Malaysia. All the Indonesian names using ibis from English remain strictly ornithological names.

Ornithological naming

Form of Name	Meaning	Ornithological Malaysian	Ornithological Indonesian
kendi	'water-carafe; curlew'	Numenius [Scolopacidae]	---
sekendi	'ibis' (='water-carafe')	Threskiornis, Plegadis	---
sekendi sudu	'spoon-ibis (='spoon water-carafe')	---	Platalea*
ibis	'ibis' (from English)	--	Threskiornis, Plegadis
ibis sendok	'spoon-ibis' ('ibis' from English)	--	Platalea*

* extralimital species only

Species names

SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN		MALAY			OTHER S. E. ASIAN		EAST ASIAN
Threskiornis
Latin	English	Malaysian	Other M	Indonesian	Thai	Vietnamese	Chinese	Japanese
Threskiornis melanocephalus	Black-headed ibis White ibis East Asian ibis	Burung Sekendi Kepala Hitam 'black-headed water-carafe bird' (see kendi 'curlew') (24, 25, 26, 28)		Burung Ibis Cucuk-besi 'iron-billed ibis (bird)' (ibis from English. Cucuk ~ cocok 'long hairpin' from Javanese, now with secondary meaning 'beak/bill; thorn; etc.') Burung Ibis Kepala Hitam 'black-headed ibis (bird)' (ibis from English) (29)	นกช้อนหอยขาว nók cʰóaan-hŏaay kʰăaw 'white mollusc-spoon-bird' or นกกุลา nók kù-laa 'ibis (bird)'	Chim Cò quăm đầu đen 'black-headed curved[bill] stork (bird)' (12, 34)	黑头白鹮 (黑頭白䴉) hēi-tóu bái-huán 'black-headed white ibis' or 白鹮 (白䴉) bái-huán 'white ibis' (alt in 1) Taxonomy Taiwan: (黑头白鹮) 黑頭白䴉 hēi-tóu bái-huán 'black-headed white ibis'	クロトキ (黒朱鷺) kuro-toki 'black ibis'
Plegadis
Latin	English	Malaysian	Other M	Indonesian	Thai	Vietnamese	Chinese	Japanese
Plegadis falcinellus	Glossy ibis	Burung Sekendi Kilat 'glossy water-carafe bird' (see kendi 'curlew') (24, 26, 28) Burung Sekendi Licin 'smooth water-carafe bird' (see kendi 'curlew') (25)	Burung Ibis Roko-roko 'glossyibis ibis (bird)' (onomat., ibis from English)	Burung Ibis Rokoroko 'glossyibis ibis (bird)' (onomat., ibis from English) Burung Roko-roko 'glossyibis (bird)' (onomat.) (29)	นกช้อนหอยดำเหลือบ nók cʰóaan-hŏaay dam-lèuap 'glossy black mollusc-spoon-bird'	Chim Quắm đen 'black curved[bill] bird' (12, 13)	彩鹮 (彩䴉) cǎi-huán 'coloured ibis'	ブロンズトキ (ブロンズ朱鷺) buronzu toki 'bronze ibis'

Cò is a general name for storks (excluding adjutants), ibises, and certain types of medium-sized ardeid.

中国鸟类种和亚种分类名录大全（修订版） 郑作新 著 科学出版社 北京 2000年
A Complete Checklist of Species and Subspecies of the Chinese Birds (Revised Edition) by Cheng Tso-Hsin, Science Press, Beijing 2002

Danh Lục Chim Việt Nam (In lần thứ hai) (Checklist of the Birds of Vietnam) Võ Quý, Nguyễn Cử, Nhà Xuất Bản Nông Nghiệp, Hà Nội 1999

Chim Việt Nam Nguyễn Cử, Lê Trọng Trải, Karen Phillipps; Nhà Xuất Bản Lao Động - Xã Hội, 2000

Senarai Nama-nama Burung Semenanjung Malaysia dan Asia Tenggara by Ismail, Abdul Rahman, Perhilitan (Jabatam Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara, Semenanjung Malaysia), Kuala Lumpur 1981
List of the Names of Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Southeast Asia by Ismail, Abdul Rahman, Department of Wildlife and National Parks, Peninsular Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur 1981

The Birds of the Thai-Malay Peninsula: Vol. 1 - Non-passerines by Wells, David R., Academic Press, London 1999

A Field Guide to the Birds of West Malaysia and Singapore by Jeyarajasingam, Allen and Alan Pearson, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1999

A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore (second edition) by Jeyarajasingham, Allen, Illustrations by Alan Pearson, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2012

A Field Guide to the Birds of Java and Bali (second edition) by MacKinnon, John, Gadjah Mada University Press, Yogyakarta 1990

Danh Lục Các Loài Chim ở Việt Nam (Latinh, Việt, Pháp, Hán) Trần Văn Chánh 2008-2009