Monarchidae
王鹟科
wáng-wēng 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 two genera in the Monarchidae are named separately in Chinese.

1. The paradise flycatchers (Terpsiphone) are known as 绶带鸟 shòu-dài-niǎo 'coloured ribbon bird' or 绶带 shòu-dài 'coloured ribbon' because of their colourful appearance. Since 'coloured ribbon' can refer to the type of ribbon that is used on a coffin, the more auspicious-sounding 寿带 shòu-dài 'longevity ribbon' is sometimes substituted. 练鹊 liàn-què 'lian magpie' (also 练雀 liàn què 'lian sparrow') is another name.

2. The Hypothymis monarch flycatcher is known as a 王鹟 wáng-wēng 'king flycatcher', a calque (loan translation) from English 'monarch flycatcher'. Taiwan uses 蓝鹟 lán wēng or 'blue flycatcher', a calque on English 'blue flycatcher'. The earliest suggested ornithological name from Chinese Birds 1927 (35) was 华南黑颈鹟 huá-nán hēi-jǐng wēng 'South China black-naped flycatcher'.

鹟 wēng is used in Chinese for most species known as 'flycatchers' in English at the time of naming. Aside from the monarch flycatchers, this includes many species in the Muscicapidae and Rhipiduridae (fantails). 鹟 wēng in the sense of 'flycatcher' was taken into Chinese from Japanese, where it is used to write hitaki 'flycatcher'.

CULTURAL

During the Qing Dynasty in China, the Paradise Flycatcher (练雀 liàn què) was depicted in 'Mandarin Squares' (known as 补子 bǔzi) attached to official uniforms of high-ranking bureaucrats. It was the insignia of rank for Grade Nine of civilian official.

Species names

ABOUT THIS TABLE

SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH		CHINESE			EAST		SOUTH	NORTH
Hypothymis
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	Mongolian
Hypothymis azurea	Black-naped monarch Black-naped blue monarch Black-naped monarch flycatcher	黑枕王鹟 (黑枕王鶲) hēi-zhěn wáng-wēng 'black-naped king flycatcher'	(黑枕蓝鹟) 黑枕藍鶲 hēi-zhěn lán-wēng 'black-naped blue flycatcher'		クロエリヒタキ (黒襟鶲) kuro-eri hitaki 'black-collared flycatcher'		Chim Đớp ruồi xanh gáy đen 'black-naped blue/green fly-snapping bird' (12, 13, 34)	Inner M: Хар тачит (?) намнаахай ᠬᠠᠷ᠎ᠠ ᠲᠠᠴᠢᠳᠣ ᠨᠠᠮᠨᠠᠭᠠᠬᠠᠢ khar tachit (?) namnaakhai 'black-? flycatcher' (33)
Terpsiphone
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Korean	Vietnamese	Mongolian
Terpsiphone atrocaudata	Japanese paradise-flycatcher Black paradise flycatcher	紫寿带 (紫壽帶) zǐ shòu-dài 'purple longevity ribbon' or 紫寿带鸟 (紫壽帶鳥) zǐ shòu-dài niǎo 'purple longevity ribbon bird' (alt in 1)	(紫寿带) 紫壽帶 zǐ shòu-dài 'purple longevity ribbon' Taiwan formerly: (绶带鸟) 綬帶鳥 shòu-dài-niǎo 'coloured-ribbon bird'	黑寿带 (黑壽帶) hēi shòu-dài 'black longevity ribbon' 练鹊 (練鵲) liàn-què 'lian magpie' (35, from Zool. Nomen.) 三光鸟 (三光鳥) sānguāng-niǎo 'three lights bird' (35, from Zool. Nomen.) 日本练鹊 (日本練鵲) rìběn liàn-què 'Japanese lian magpie' (early ornithological) (35)	サンコウチョウ (三光鳥) sankōchō 'three-lights bird' (cry sounds like 'tsuki hi hoshi = moon sun stars, i.e., the 'three lights')	삼광조 sam-gwang-jo 'three-lights-bird'	Chim Thiên đường đuôi đen 'black-tailed paradise bird' (12, 13, 34)
Terpsiphone incei	Amur paradise-flycatcher	寿带 (壽帶) shòu-dài 'longevity ribbon' or 寿带鸟 (壽帶鳥) shòu-dài-niǎo 'longevity ribbon bird' (alt in 1) (shared with Terpsiphone paradisi)	(亚洲寿带) 亞洲壽帶 yàzhōu shòu-dài 'Asian longevity ribbon' (shared with Terpsiphone paradisi)	练鹊 (練鵲) liàn-què 'lian magpie' 赭练鹊 (赭練鵲) zhě-liàn-què 'reddishbrown lian magpie' (35, from Zool. Nomen.) 白带子 (白帶子) bái dàizi 'white belt' 紫带子 (紫帶子) zǐ dàizi 'purple belt' 白带子 (白帶子) bái dàizi 'white belt' 老白带子 (老白帶子) lǎo bái dàizi 'old white belt'	-
Terpsiphone affinis	Blyth's Paradise-flycatcher	寿带鸟马来亚种 (寿带鸟马来亚种) shòu-dài, mǎlái yà-zhǒng 'longevity ribbon, Malay subspecies'			-
Terpsiphone paradisi	Indian Paradise-flycatcher Asian Paradise-flycatcher Asiatic paradise flycatcher Paradise flycatcher	寿带 (壽帶) shòu-dài 'longevity ribbon' or 寿带鸟 (壽帶鳥) shòu-dài-niǎo 'longevity ribbon bird' (alt in 1) (shared with Terpsiphone incei)		练鹊 (練鵲) liàn què 'silk-ribbon magpie' 练雀 (練雀) liàn què 'silk-ribbon sparrow' 长尾鹟 (長尾鶲) cháng-wěi wēng 'long-tailed flycatcher' (31) 一枝花 (一枝花) yī zhī huā 'one flower' 长尾巴鸫 (長尾巴鶇) cháng-wěiba dōng 'long-tailed thrush'	カワリサンコウチョウ (変り三光鳥) kawari sankōchō 'variable three-lights bird'	별삼광조 byeol-sam-gwang-jo 'star three-lights-bird'	Chim Thiên đường đuôi phướn 'malkoha-tailed paradise bird' (12, 13, 34)	Inner M: Ганзган сүүлт намнаахай ᠭᠠᠨᠵᠣᠭᠠᠨ ᠰᠡᠭᠦᠯᠲᠦ ᠨᠠᠮᠨᠠᠭᠠᠬᠠᠢ ganzagan süült namnaakhai 'saddlethong-tailed flycatcher' (31)

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