General
Information is from dictionaries and other sources. Species list may not be current. 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 rails are called クイナ kuina in Japanese. In Chinese characters, this is written either 秧鶏 'seedling fowl' or 水鶏 'water-fowl/chicken', based on Chinese names. Kuina by itself now refers to the Water Rail Rallus aquaticus, although in traditional poetry it referred to the Ruddy-breasted Crake Porzana fusca.
The Moorhen and the Coot are known as バン ban, written 鷭. Although this character is from Chinese, it is not clear what kind of bird it referred to. Its application to these two birds appears to be of Japanese origin.
The humble Okinawa Rail has achieved celebrity status in Japan as a symbol of endangered wildlife. There are no doubt plenty of people out there who don't have much idea what a kuina is but have heard of the Yanbaru Kuina.
Species names
RALLINAE | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN |
JAPANESE |
CHINESE |
KOREAN |
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Rallina | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
Rallina eurizonoides |
Slaty-legged crake Banded crake Râle de forêt Hinduralle Полосатый каштановый пастушок |
オオクイナ (大秧鶏 ~ 大水鶏) ō kuina 'large rail' |
白喉斑秧鸡 (白喉斑秧雞) 'white-throated striped seedling-fowl/chicken' |
(灰脚秧鸡) 灰腳秧雞 'grey-legged seedling-fowl/chicken' Taiwan formerly: (灰腿秧鸡) 灰腿秧雞 'grey-legged seedling-fowl/chicken' |
|||
Coturnicops | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
Coturnicops
exquisitus Porzana exquisita |
Swinhoe's
rail Swinhoe's crake Swinhoe's yellow rail Râle de Swinhoe Mandschurensumpfhuhn Белокрылый погоныш |
Porzana exquisita: シマクイナ (縞秧鶏 ~ 縞水鶏) shima kuina 'striped rail' |
Porzana exquisita: 花田鸡 (花田雞) 'flowery paddy-fowl/chicken' |
小翅田鸡 (小翅田雞) 'small-winged paddy-fowl/chicken' |
알락뜸부기 allak-tteumbugi 'spotted rail' |
||
Rallus | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
Rallus indicus |
Eastern Water Rail Brown-cheeked Rail Râle d'eau Wasserralle Пастушок |
Rallus aquaticus: クイナ (秧鶏 ~ 水鶏) kuina 'rail' |
フユクイナ (冬秧鶏 ~ 冬水鶏) fuyu kuina 'winter rail' |
Rallus aquaticus: 普通秧鸡 (普通秧雞) 'common seedling-fowl/chicken' Rallus aquaticus indicus: 东北亚种 (東北亞種) 'Northeastern (Manchurian) subspecies' (1) |
(秧鸡) 秧雞 'seedling-fowl/chicken' |
秋鸡 (秋雞) 'autumn fowl/chicken' 水鸡 (水雞) 'water-fowl/chicken' |
흰눈썹뜸부기 huin-nunsseop-tteumbugi 'white-eyebrowed rail' |
Hypotaenidia | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
Hypotaenidia okinawae Gallirallus okinawae Rallus okinawae |
Okinawa rail Râle d'Okinawa Okinawaralle Окинавский пастушок |
Rallus okinawae: ヤンバルクイナ (山原秧鶏 ~ 山原水鶏) yanbaru kuina 'Yanbaru rail' (Yanbaru is an area in Okinawa. The characters mean 'mountain field') |
Gallirallus okinawae: 冲绳秧鸡 (沖繩秧雞) 'Okinawan seedling-fowl/chicken' |
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Zapornia | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
Zapornia pusilla Porzana pusilla |
Baillon's crake Marouette de Baillon Zwergsumpfhuhn Погоныш-крошка |
Porzana pusilla: ヒメクイナ (姫水鶏 ~ 姫秧鶏) hime kuina 'princess rail' |
Porzana pusilla: 小田鸡 (小田雞) 'small paddy-fowl/chicken' |
Porzana pusilla: (小秧鸡) 小秧雞 'small seedling-fowl/chicken' |
Porzana pusilla: 쇠뜸부기 soe-tteumbugi 'small rail' |
||
Zapornia fusca Porzana fusca |
Ruddy-breasted crake Ruddy crake Marouette brune Zimtsumpfhuhn Красноногий погоныш |
Porzana fusca: ヒクイナ (緋秧鶏 ~ 緋水鶏) hi-kuina 'scarlet rail' |
クイナ (秧鶏 ~ 水鶏) kuina 'rail' (ancient literature) |
Porzana fusca: 红胸田鸡 (紅胸田雞) 'red-breasted paddy-fowl/chicken' |
Porzana fusca: (绯秧鸡) 緋秧雞 'scarlet seedling-fowl/chicken' |
Porzana fusca: 쇠뜸부기사촌 soe-tteumbugi-sachon 'small rail cousin' |
|
Amaurornis | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
Amaurornis phoenicurus |
White-breasted waterhen White-breasted water hen Râle à poitrine blanche Weißbrust-Kielralle Белогрудый погоныш |
シロハラクイナ (白腹秧鶏 ~ 白腹水鶏) shiro-hara kuina 'white-bellied rail' |
白胸苦恶鸟 (白胸苦惡鳥) 'white-breasted kǔ-è bird' (onomat.) |
(白腹秧鸡) 白腹秧雞 'white-bellied seedling-fowl/chicken' |
白胸秧鸡 (白胸秧雞) 'white-breasted seedling-fowl/chicken' (7, 31) 苦恶鸟 (苦惡鳥) 'kǔ-è bird' (onomat.) 白胸秧鸟 (白胸秧雞) 'white-breasted seedling-bird' 白脸秧鸡 (白臉秧雞) 'white-faced seedling-fowl/chicken' 白面鸡 (白面雞) 'white-faced fowl' 白胸黑水鸡 (白胸黑水雞) 'white-breasted black water-fowl/chicken' (='white-breasted moorhen') 姑恶鸡 (姑惡雞) 'mother-in-law evil fowl' (gū-è onomat.) |
흰배뜸부기 huin-bae-tteumbugi 'white-bellied rail' |
|
Amaurornis cinerea Porzana cinerea Poliolimnas cinereus |
White-browed crake White-browed rail Marouette grise Weißbrauen-Sumpfhuhn Белобровый погоныш |
Poliolimnas cinereus: マミジロクイナ (眉白秧鶏 ~ 眉白水鶏) mami-jiro-kuina 'white-eyebrowed rail' |
Porzana cinerea: 白眉田鸡 (白眉田雞) 'white-eyebrowed paddy-fowl/chicken' (2, 4) 白眉秧鸡 (白眉秧雞) 'white-eyebrowed seedling-fowl/chicken' (3) 灰田鸡 (灰田雞) 'grey paddy-fowl/chicken' (5) |
Porzana cinerea: (白眉秧鸡) 白眉秧雞 'white-eyebrowed seedling-fowl/chicken' |
|||
Gallicrex | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
Gallicrex cinerea |
Watercock Water cock Râle à crête Wasserhahn Камышница рогатая |
ツルクイナ (鶴秧鶏 ~ 鶴水鶏) tsuru-kuina 'crane rail' |
董鸡 (董雞) 'dong fowl/chicken' |
(董鸡) 董雞 'dong fowl/chicken' |
뜸부기 tteumbugi 'rail' |
||
Gallinula | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
Gallinula chloropus |
Common moorhen Moorhen Common gallinule Gallinule poule-d'eau Teichhuhn Камышница |
バン (鷭) ban 'moorhen' |
黑水鸡 (黑水雞) 'black water-fowl/chicken' or 红骨顶 (紅骨頂) 'red bone top' (alt in 1, 3, 5) |
(红冠水鸡) 紅冠水雞 'red-crested water-fowl/chicken' |
小鷭 (小鷭) 'small fan' |
쇠물닭 soe-mul-dalg 'small water-fowl/chicken' |
|
Fulica | |||||||
Latin |
Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru |
Japanese |
Other J |
Chinese |
Chinese (Taiwan) |
Other Ch |
Korean |
Fulica atra |
Common coot Eurasian coot Black coot Coot Foulque macroule Bläßhuhn Лысуха |
オオバン (大鷭) ō ban 'large moorhen' |
白骨顶 (白骨頂) 'white bone top' or 骨顶鸡 (骨頂雞) 'bone top fowl' (alt in 1, 3) |
(白冠鸡) 白冠雞 'white-crested fowl' |
大鷭 (大鷭) 'large fan' 水姑顶 (水姑頂) 'water mother-in-law top' (northern) 水姑丁 (水姑丁) 'water mother-in-law ding' (northern) 冬鸡 (冬雞) 'winter fowl' (southern) (31) |
물닭 mul-dalg 'water-fowl/chicken' |
To write the word クイナ kuina, Japanese simply takes over one of the equivalent Chinese names, 秧雞 'seedling fowl/chicken' or 水雞 'water fowl/chicken'. This practice of reading Chinese compound-words (multi-character words) with single Japanese readings is known as 熟字訓 jukuji-kun.
This onomatopoeic bird name is based on the similarity of the birds' call to the Chinese word 苦恶 kǔ'è 'bitter evil'.
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 2000
中国鸟类分类与分布名录 主编:郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2005年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of China Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2005
中国鸟类野外手册(中文版)约翰・马敬能、卡伦・菲利普斯,合作者:荷芬奇,翻译:卢和芬 湖南教育出版社 长沙 2000年
A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Chinese translation) by John MacKinnon, Karen Phillipps, in collaboration with He Fen-qi, translated by Lu Hefen, Hunan Jiaoyu Chubanshe (Hunan Educational Press) Changsha 2000
世界鸟类分类与分布名录 主编:郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2002年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of the World Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2002
世界鸟类名称(拉丁文、汉文、英文对照)第二版 郑作新等 科学出版社 北京 2002年
Birds of the World (Latin, Chinese and English Names) 2nd ed. by Cheng Tso-Hsin et al, Science Press, Beijing 2002
香港及華南鳥類(第六版)(翻譯成中文及重新修訂) 尹璉、費嘉倫、林超英 香港性徵特區政府新聞處政府印務局 1994年
Birds of Hong Kong and South China (6th edition, translated into Chinese and newly revised) by Clive Viney, Karen Phillipps, Lin Chaoying, Hong Kong Govt. Press 1994
汉蒙名词术语分类词典(自然科学部分) Mongolian (Cyrillic): Хятад Монгол нэр томъёоны зүйл хуваасан толь (байгалийн шинжлэх ухааны бүлэг) (Chinese-Mongolian classified terminological dictionary, natural sciences part) by 《汉蒙名词术语分类词典》编纂委员会 Mongolian (Cyrillic): "Хятад Монгол нэр томъёоны зүйл хуваасан толь" найруулах комисс (Chinese-Mongolian classified terminological dictionary editorial committee), Inner Mongolian People's Press, Hohhot 1990