The Japanese bird names section of the Sibagu site features seven languages (aside from the Latin names): Japanese, English, French, German, Russian, Chinese, and, Korean. The justification for these specific languages is as follows:

Japanese: Given that Japanese is the language of the country in question, it goes without saying that Japanese should be listed.

English: English names appear to have become universal among ornithologists and birders, perhaps even more so than the Latin names. English is also the native language of the creator of this site. English names are thus given to the right of the scientific names.

French & German: Since the 19th century, when they engaged in wholesale borrowing from the nations of the West, the Japanese have customarily identified a triumvirate of European languages: 英仏独 Ei-Futsu-Doku -- English, French, and German. While neither German or French appears to have been terribly influential in naming Japanese birds, they are listed here for reference.

Russian: Few people are aware that Russia is Japan's nearest neighbour. Moreover, as there is little love lost between the two countries, Russian is a much less popular language in Japan than would be justified by both its proximity and its global importance. For bird names, there is every reason to list Russian alongside the more familiar German and French.

Chinese: Japan has had a long and close historical relationship with China. Before it plunged headlong into an orgy of borrowing from Western cultures, Japan treated China as the font of civilisation. Despite attempts in the 18th and 19th centuries to isolate and emphasise Japan's own ancient native culture, especially Shintoism, Japan's debt to China for just about every aspect of its civilisation cannot be overestimated. Ironically, this close connection provided a channel for Japan to influence China during the late 19th-early 20th centuries, when Japan was quicker to adopt Western culture than China was. Bird names were no exception.

Chinese names as used in Taiwan are listed separately. Taiwanese usage tends to be more conservative and thus shows more clearly the Japanese influence on Chinese names.

Korean: Korea is not only Japan's nearest Asian neighbour, it has also historically served as a conduit for the transmission of Chinese culture to Japan. In the modern period, Korea has been heavily influenced by Japan, as is apparent from Korean bird names. Unfortunately, Korea tends to be neglected and at times looked down upon in Japan, a tendency which is totally unjustified. In this site, Korean is given its rightful place as the language of a major nation and nearby neighbour.

The seven languages on this section of this site are thus there for a reason. The result is hopefully a more borderless view of the natural environment of Japan than is available from narrow territorially defined human languages.