Alaudidae
百灵科
bǎi-líng kē

General

Information is from dictionaries and other sources. Pinyin reflects Mandarin pronunciation; for some dialect names, it is no more than a polite fiction. Korean glosses are tentative. Comments and corrections welcome. 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.

The larks are most commonly known as 百灵 bǎi-líng (sometimes 百灵鸟 bǎi-líng-niǎo), literally meaning 'hundred spirit' or 'hundred clever'. This, along with 云雀 yún-què (literally 'cloud sparrow'), which is used for larks in the genus Alauda, is both the most popular name and the general ornithological name of the larks. But there are several groups of traditional and dialect names for members of the family.

1. The first is the group that 百灵 bǎi-líng belongs to. These names use the word 灵 or spirit, possibly due to the popular belief that a skylark is the soul of a person who has returned from the dead. This is found in the expression: 死了变成白灵鸟，飞来也要卯亲亲 sǐ le biàn-chéng bái-líng-niǎo, fēi-lái yě yào mǎo qīnqīn 'Becomes a skylark after death; when it flies back it comes to visit relatives'. In some areas such as Inner Mongolia, 百灵 bǎi líng 'hundred spirit' is transformed into 白灵 bái líng 'white spirit', giving rise to related names like 白灵灵 bái líng-líng 'white spirit-spirit' and 白灵鸟 bái líng-niǎo 'white spirit bird'. 百灵 bǎi líng 'hundred spirit' has also been written 百翎, 'hundred plume', treating líng as 'plume or feather'. This is a very literate folk etymology.

2. A large number of names (including 云雀 yún-què) refer to the skylark's habit of singing while rapidly flying straight up, which makes it look as if the bird is calling to the sky. These include: 朝天柱 cháo tiān zhù 'towards heaven pillar'; 告天鸟 gào tiān niǎo 'tell heaven bird'; 告天子 gào tiān zǐ 'tell heaven'; 告天知 gào tiān zhī 'tell heaven know'; 叫天鸟 jiào tiān niǎo 'call heaven bird'; 叫天雀 jiào tiān què 'call heaven sparrow/finch'; 叫天子 jiào tiān zǐ 'call heaven'; 天鸟 tiān niǎo 'heaven bird'; and 噪天 zào tiān 'noisy/chirp to heaven'.

3. A third name is 鹨 liù, which in ancient sources referred to a young bird or chick, but by early modern times was used for the larks. 天鹨 tiān liù is found in the Wuti Qingwen Jian (五体清文鉴 wǔtǐ qīngwén jiàn, originally published 1805) with the meaning 'lark'. 鷚 was also used by the Japanese to write the word ヒバリ hibari 'lark'. Related terms include 阿鹨 ā-liù and 阿兰 ā-làn. The earliest ornithological list of Chinese names, Chinese Birds (35) in 1927, used 鹨 liù for both the larks and the visually extremely similar pipits (Motacillidae), reflecting either Japanese or Chinese usage, or both. Despite traditional usage, modern ornithological lists use 鹨 liù exclusively for the pipits.

Species names

ABOUT THIS TABLE

SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH		CHINESE			EAST		SOUTH	NORTH
Mirafra
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	Mongolian
Mirafra javanica	Horsfield's Lark Horsfield's Bushlark Australasian lark Singing bush lark Eastern singing bush lark	歌百灵 (歌百靈) gē bǎi-líng 'song hundred-spirit' Taxonomy			ヤブヒバリ (薮雲雀) yabu-hibari 'thicket skylark'		Chim Sơn ca Java 'Javanese son ca bird' (ca = 'sing') (12, 13, 34)
Alaudala
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	Mongolian
Alaudala cheleensis Calandrella cheleensis	Asian short-toed lark Mongolian short-toed lark Salt-marsh lark	短趾百灵 (短趾百靈) duǎn-zhǐ bǎi-líng 'short-toed hundred-spirit' (1, 2, 3, 4) or 亚洲短趾百灵 (亞洲短趾百靈) yàzhōu duǎn-zhǐ bǎi-líng 'Asian short-toed hundred-spirit' (5. alt in 1, 3)	(亚洲短趾百灵) 亞洲短趾百靈 yàzhōu duǎn-zhǐ bǎi-líng 'Asian short-toed hundred-spirit'	华北沙鹨 (華北沙鷚) huá-běi shā-liù 'north China sand-lark' (early ornithological) (35)	アジアコヒバリ (アジア小雲雀) ajia ko-hibari 'Asian small lark' (hibari written 'cloud sparrow')	북방쇠종다리 bukbang-soe-jongdari 'northern small lark'		Дэрсний жиргэмэл ᠳᠡᠷᠡᠰᠦᠨ ᠦ ᠵᠢᠷᠭᠢᠮᠡᠯ dersni jiregmel 'feather-grass lark' Inner M: Өчүүхэн богширго ᠦᠴᠦᠬᠡᠨ ᠪᠣᠭᠱᠣᠷᠭ᠎ᠠ öchüükheŋ bogshrog 'tiny lark' (33) or Дэрсний жиргэмэл ᠳᠡᠷᠡᠰᠦᠨ ᠦ ᠵᠢᠷᠭᠢᠮᠡᠯ dersni jiregmel 'feather-grass lark' (33)
Melanocorypha
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	Mongolian
Melanocorypha bimaculata	Bimaculated lark Eastern calandra lark	二斑百灵 (二斑百靈) èr-bān bǎi-líng 'two-stripe hundred-spirit'			クビワコウテンシ (首輪告天子) kubi-wa kōtenshi 'neck-ringed tell-heaven'	큰부리종다리 keun-buri-jongdari 'large-billed lark'
Melanocorypha calandra	Calandra lark	草原百灵 (草原百靈) cǎo-yuán bǎi-líng 'grass plain hundred-spirit'			クロエリコウテンシ (黒襟告天子) kuro-eri kōtenshi 'black-collared tell-heaven'
Melanocorypha yeltoniensis	Black lark	黑百灵 (黑百靈) hēi bǎi-líng 'black hundred-spirit'			クロコウテンシ (黒告天子) kuro kōtenshi 'black tell-heaven'			Харалдай болжмор ᠬᠠᠷᠠᠯᠳᠠᠢ ᠪᠣᠯᠵᠣᠮᠣᠷ kharaldai boljmor 'kharaldai lark' (khar is probably 'black')
Melanocorypha maxima	Tibetan lark Long-billed calandra lark	长嘴百灵 (長嘴百靈) cháng-zuǐ bǎi-líng 'long-billed hundred-spirit'		长嘴鹨 (長嘴鷚) cháng-zuǐ liù 'long-billed lark' (early ornithological) (35)	オオコウテンシ (大告天子) ō kōtenshi 'large tell-heaven'
Melanocorypha mongolica	Mongolian lark Mongolian skylark	蒙古百灵 (蒙古百靈) měnggǔ bǎi-líng 'Mongolian hundred-spirit' or 百灵 (百靈) bǎi-líng 'hundred-spirit' (alt in 1, 3)		百灵 (百靈) bǎi-líng 'hundred spirit' (general name) (35) 蒙古鹨 (蒙古鷚) měnggǔ liù 'Mongolian lark' (early ornithological) (35)	コウテンシ (告天子) kōtenshi 'tell-heaven'			Монгол болжмор ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠪᠣᠯᠵᠣᠮᠣᠷ moŋgol boljmor 'Mongolian lark' Inner M: Монгол хайргацай ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠬᠠᠢᠢᠷᠠᠭᠣᠴᠠᠢ moŋgol khairagtsai 'Mongolian lark' (31, 33)
Calandrella
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	Mongolian
Calandrella acutirostris	Hume's short-toed lark Hume's lark Karakoram Short-toed lark	细嘴短趾百灵 (細嘴短趾百靈) xì-zuǐ duǎn-zhǐ bǎi-líng 'fine-billed short-toed hundred-spirit'			ヒマラヤコヒバリ (ヒマラヤ小雲雀) himaraya ko-hibari 'Himalayan small lark' (hibari written 'cloud sparrow')
Calandrella brachydactyla	Greater short-toed lark	大短趾百灵 (大短趾百靈) dà duǎn-zhǐ bǎi-líng 'large short-toed hundred-spirit' (2, 3, 4) or 短趾百灵 (短趾百靈) duǎn-zhǐ bǎi-líng 'short-toed hundred-spirit' (1, 5. alt in 3) Taxonomy	(大短趾百灵) 大短趾百靈 dà duǎn-zhǐ bǎi-líng 'large short-toed hundred-spirit'	短趾沙百灵 (短趾沙百靈) duǎn-zhǐ shā bǎi-líng 'short-toed sand hundred-spirit' (6, 7) 红短趾鹨 (紅短趾鷚) hóng duǎn-zhǐ liù 'red short-toed lark' (early ornithological) (35) 白眉 (白眉) bái-méi 'white eyebrow'	ヒメコウテンシ (姫告天子) hime kōtenshi 'princess tell-heaven'	쇠종다리 soe-jongdari 'small lark'		Calandrella cinerea: Талын жиргэмэл ᠲᠠᠯ᠎ᠠ ᠵᠢᠨ ᠵᠢᠷᠭᠢᠮᠡᠯ taliŋ jiregmel 'plains lark' Inner M: Богширго ᠪᠣᠭᠱᠣᠷᠭ᠎ᠠ bogshrog 'lark' (33) or Талын жиргэмэл ᠲᠠᠯ᠎ᠠ ᠵᠢᠨ ᠵᠢᠷᠭᠢᠮᠡᠯ taliŋ jiregmel 'lark' (33) IM also: Охор хуруут богширго ᠣᠬᠣᠷ ᠬᠣᠷᠣᠭᠣᠲᠣ ᠪᠣᠭᠱᠣᠷᠭ᠎ᠠ okhor khuruut bogshrog 'short-toed lark' (31)
Eremophila
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	Mongolian
Eremophila alpestris	Horned lark or Shore lark	角百灵 (角百靈) jiǎo bǎi-líng 'horned hundred-spirit'		滨鹨 (濱鷚) bīn liù 'shore lark' (35, from Zool. Nomen.) 获敬德 (獲敬德) huò-jìng-dé 'huojingde' (northern) (35) 陆地百灵 (陸地百靈) lùdì bǎi-líng 'land hundred-spirit' 土画眉 (土畫眉) tǔ huà-méi 'earth/vulgar hwamei' (also Garrulax perspicillatus Masked Laughing-thrush)	ハマヒバリ (浜雲雀) hama hibari 'shore lark' (hibari written 'cloud sparrow')			Шоорон эвэртболжмор ᠱᠣᠣᠷᠣᠩ ᠡᠪᠡᠷᠲᠣ ᠪᠣᠯᠵᠣᠮᠣᠷ shooroŋ evert-boljmor 'pointed horned-lark' Inner M: Эвэрт хайргацай ᠡᠪᠡᠷᠲᠦ ᠬᠠᠢᠢᠷᠠᠭᠣᠴᠠᠢ evert khairagtsai 'horned lark' (31, 33)
Alauda
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	Mongolian
Alauda leucoptera Melanocorypha leucoptera	White-winged lark	白翅百灵 (白翅百靈) bái-chì bǎi-líng 'white-winged hundred-spirit'			ハジロコウテンシ (羽白告天子) ha-jiro kōtenshi 'white-winged tell-heaven'			Цагаалиг болжмор ᠴᠠᠭᠠᠯᠢᠭ ᠪᠣᠯᠵᠣᠮᠣᠷ tsagaalig boljmor 'water-caltrop ? lark' (tsagaa more likely refers to 'white')
Alauda arvensis	Eurasian Sky Lark Eurasian Skylark Skylark Northern skylark	云雀 (雲雀) yún-què 'cloud sparrow' Taxonomy	(欧亚云雀) 歐亞雲雀 ōu-yà yún-què 'Eurasian cloud sparrow'	阿鹨儿 (阿鷚兒) ā-liùr 'lark' (northern) (35) 叫天子儿 (叫天子兒) jiào-tiānzǐr 'call heaven' (northern) (35) 告天知 (告天知) gào-tiānzhǐ 'tell heaven know' (southern) (35) 大鹨 (大鷚) dà liù 'large lark' (35, from Zool. Nomen.) 鱼鳞燕 (魚鱗燕) yú-lín yàn 'fish-scaled swallow'	ヒバリ (雲雀) hibari 'lark' written 'cloud sparrow' Taxonomy	종다리 jongdari 'lark' Taxonomy		Боролзой богширго ᠪᠣᠷᠣᠯᠵᠠᠢ ᠪᠣᠭᠱᠣᠷᠭ᠎ᠠ borolzoi bogshirаg 'tansy bogshirаg' Inner M: Жиргэмэл ᠵᠢᠷᠭᠢᠮᠡᠯ jiregmel 'lark' (31, 33) or Дуут богширго ᠳᠠᠭᠣᠳᠣ ᠪᠣᠭᠱᠣᠷᠭ᠎ᠠ duut bogshirag 'calling bogshirag' (31, 33) IM also: Гуа болжмор ᠭᠣᠣ᠎ᠠ ᠪᠣᠯᠵᠣᠮᠣᠷ gua boljmor 'beautiful lark' (31)
Alauda gulgula	East Asian Sky Lark East Asian Skylark Lesser skylark Small skylark	小云雀 (小雲雀) xiǎo yún-què 'small cloud sparrow'	(小云雀) 小雲雀 xiǎo yún-què 'small cloud sparrow'	小阿勒 (小阿勒) xiǎo ā-lè 'small a-le'	タイワンヒバリ (台湾雲雀) taiwan hibari 'Taiwan lark' (hibari written 'cloud sparrow')		Chim Sơn ca 'son ca bird' (ca = 'sing') (12, 13, 34)
Galerida
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	Mongolian
Galerida cristata	Crested lark	凤头百灵 (鳳頭百靈) fèng-tóu bǎi-líng 'phoenix-headed hundred-spirit'		華北凤头鹨 (华北鳳頭鷚) huá-běi fèng-tóu liù 'north Chinese phoenix-headed lark' (early ornithological) (35) 角领鸟 (角領鳥) jiǎo-lǐng niǎo 'horn collar bird' (southern) (35) 凤头阿鹨儿 (鳳頭阿鷚兒) fèng-tóu ā-liùr 'phoenix-headed lark' (northern) (35) 阿兰 (阿蘭) ā-lán 'a-lan' 大阿勒 (大阿勒) dà ā-lè 'large a-le' 风头 (鳳頭) fèng-tóu 'phoenix-head'	カンムリヒバリ (冠雲雀) kanmuri hibari 'crested lark' (hibari written 'cloud sparrow')	뿔종다리 ppul-jongdari 'horned lark'		Согсоот божирго ᠰᠣᠭᠰᠣᠭᠠᠲᠣ ᠪᠣᠭᠱᠣᠷᠭ᠎ᠠ sogsoot bojirog 'horned bojirg' Inner M: Өвөгт хайргацай ᠦᠪᠦᠭᠲᠦ ᠬᠠᠢᠢᠷᠠᠭᠣᠴᠠᠢ övögt khairagtsai 'crested lark' (31, 33) or Номхон бор ᠨᠣᠮᠣᠬᠠᠨ ᠪᠣᠷᠣ nomkhoŋ bor 'quiet bor' (33)

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