Gruidae
Họ Sếu

General

The following is based on analysis of dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections welcome. Malaysian names are now being updated. For consistency, Vietnamese bird names (except for ducks and chickens) are preceded by the word Chim meaning 'bird'. Ornithological lists mostly omit this as understood. 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 Vietnamese word for 'crane' is Chim sếu.

Traditionally the Chinese-derived name Chim hạc (鶴, Mandarin Chinese hè 'crane') was used for the cranes. However, Hạc is now commonly applied to the storks in Vietnamese.

In northern dialects, the cranes are also known as Chim cà kếu.

Cultural

The crane is a symbol of longevity in East Asian culture and is often depicted in traditional paintings and statues. In Vietnamese, tuổi hạc 'crane years' refers to old age, specifically the years over 60.

To describe extreme slimness, Vietnamese uses the expression Gầy như hạc 'slim as a crane' (which may also be interpreted as 'slim as a stork').

Chữ Nôm

The characters used for gruids in the now obsolete Chữ Nôm characters include:

Name	Chữ Nôm Images from the Vietnamese Nôm Preservation Foundation dictionary. (Errors are the sole responsibility of the author of this site)
Sếu	, ,
Hạc

Species names

GRUINAE
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN		VIETNAMESE		EAST ASIAN		S. E. ASIAN
Antigone
Latin	English/French	Vietnamese	Other V	Chinese	Japanese	Thai	Malaysian	Indonesian
Antigone antigone Grus antigone	Sarus crane Grue antigone	Grus antigone: Chim Sếu cổ trụi 'bare-necked crane (bird)' (12, 34) or Chim Sếu đầu đỏ 'red-headed crane (bird)' (12, 13, 34)		Grus antigone: 赤颈鹤 (赤頸鶴) chì-jǐng hè 'red-necked crane'	オオヅル (大鶴) ō-zuru 'large crane'	นกกระเรียนไทย nók krà-rian tʰay 'Thai crane (bird)'	Burung Keria 'crane (bird)' (25, 26) Burung Keria Timur 'eastern crane (bird)' (24)
Grus
Latin	English/French	Vietnamese	Other V	Chinese	Japanese	Thai	Malaysian	Indonesian
Grus grus	Common crane Grue cendrée	Chim Sếu cổ trắng 'white-necked crane (bird)' (12, 13, 34)		灰鹤 (灰鶴) huī-hè 'grey crane' Taiwan: (灰鹤) 灰鶴 huī-hè 'grey crane'	クロヅル (黒鶴) kuro-zuru 'black crane'	นกกระเรียนพันธุ์ยุโรป nók krà-rian pʰan yú-rôop 'European species crane (bird)'
Grus nigricollis	Black-necked crane Grue à cou noir	Chim Sếu xám 'grey crane (bird)' (12, 13, 34)	Chim Sếu cổ đen 'black-necked crane (bird)' (alt in 34)	黑颈鹤 (黑頸鶴) hēi-jǐng hè 'black-necked crane'	オグロヅル (尾黒鶴) o-guro zuru 'black-tailed crane'

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

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