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Rallidae
Họ Gà nước

秧鸡科
yāng-jī kē

秧雞科
yāng-jī kē

クイナ科
kuina ka

วงศ์นกอัญชัน
nók an-cʰan

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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 Rallidae are known in Vietnamese by a number of names.

The rails are known simply as Gà nước 'water-fowl/chicken'.

The crakes are known as Cuốc (also Quốc), which derives from their cry of cuoc cuoc during the summer months. Curiously, the crakes are also known as Chim đỗ quyên, from Chinese 杜鵑 dùjuān meaning 'cuckoo'. Originally Đỗ quyên referred to the cuckoos in Vietnamese, but for some reason later came to be used for the crakes. The word đỗ vũ, borrowed from Chinese 杜宇 dùyǔ and also originally meaning 'cuckoo', suffered a similar fate.

Several species of rallid have their own individual names.

CULTURAL

Vietnamese has the expression Lủi như cuốc, 'Steal away like a crake', a reference to the quiet, secretive movements of these birds.

Ornithological naming

The names assigned by naturalists to rallid genera are as follows:

Vietnamese name Genera
Gà nước
'water-fowl/chicken'
Rails (Rallina, Gallirallus, Lewinia)
One type of crake (Amaurornis cinerea) (as per Nguyen, Le and Phillipps)
Cuốc Crakes (Zapornia, Amaurornis)
Gà đồng
'dong fowl/chicken'
Water Cock (Gallicrex)
Sâm cầm Black Coot (Fulica)
Xít Purple Swamp Hen (Porphyrio)
Kịch Moorhen (Gallinula)

Although the Purple Swamp Hen is normally known as the Trích, naturalists call it the Xít, possibly out of fear that Trích would be confused with Chích 'warbler', which has the same pronunciation in the standard Hanoi dialect.

Chữ Nôm

Characters used for rallids 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)
Gà nước chu nom for gachu nom for nuoc
Cuốc chu nom for cuoc; chu nom for cuoc; chu nom for cuoc
Trích chu nom for trich

Species names

› ABOUT THIS TABLE‹
RALLINAE
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN
VIETNAMESE
EAST ASIAN
S. E. ASIAN
Rallina
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malaysian
Indonesian
Rallina fasciata
link to photo
Red-legged crake
Red-legged banded crake

Râle barré
Gà nước họng nâu
'brown-throated water-fowl/chicken' (12, 34)
  红腿斑秧鸡
(紅腿斑秧雞)
hóng-tuǐ bān yāng-jī
'red-legged striped seedling-fowl/chicken'
Taiwan:
(红脚秧鸡)
紅腳秧雞
hóng-jiǎo yāng-jī
'red-legged seedling-fowl/chicken'
ナンヨウオオクイナ
(南洋大秧鶏 ~ 南洋大水鶏)
nan-yō ō kuina
'southern seas large rail'
นกอัญชันป่าขาแดง
nók an-cʰan pàa kʰăa-daeeŋ
'red-legged forest rail (bird)'
Burung Sintar Api
'fire rail (bird)' (old, 24, 25, 26, 28)
Burung Tikusan Ceruling
'ceruling mouse-bird'
Merah Mata Lurik (29) (error for Mata Merah Lurik 'streaked red-eye')
Rallina eurizonoides
link to photolink to photo
Slaty-legged crake
Banded crake

Râle de forêt
Gà nước họng trắng
'white-throated water-fowl/chicken' (12, 13, 34)
  白喉斑秧鸡
(白喉斑秧雞)
bái-hóu bān yāng-jī
'white-throated striped seedling-fowl/chicken'
Taiwan:
(灰脚秧鸡)
灰腳秧雞
huī-jiǎo yāng-jī
'grey-legged seedling-fowl/chicken'
オオクイナ
(大秧鶏 ~ 大水鶏)
ō kuina
'large rail'
นกอัญชันป่าขาเทา
nók an-cʰan pàa kʰăa-tʰaw
'grey-legged rail (bird)'
Burung Sintar Merah
'red rail (bird)' (old, 24, 25, 26, 28) (shared with Rallina fasciata)
Burung Tikusan Kaki-kelabu
'grey-legged mouse-bird'
Burung Tikusan Kaki Kelabu
'grey-legged mouse-bird' (29)
Rallus
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malaysian
Indonesian
Rallus indicus
link to photo
Eastern Water Rail
Brown-cheeked Rail

Râle d'eau
Rallus aquaticus:
Gà nước Ấn Độ
'Indian water-fowl/chicken' (12, 34)
Gà nước
'water-fowl/chicken' (13)
Rallus aquaticus:
普通秧鸡
(普通秧雞)
pǔtōng yāng-jī
'common seedling-fowl/chicken'
Rallus aquaticus indicus:
东北亚种
(東北亞種)
dōng-běi yàzhǒng
'Northeastern (Manchurian) subspecies' (1)
Taiwan:
(秧鸡)
秧雞
yāng-jī
'seedling-fowl/chicken'
Rallus aquaticus:
クイナ
(秧鶏 ~ 水鶏)
kuina
'rail'
นกอัญชันอกสีไพล
nók an-cʰan òk-sĭi-pʰlay
'olivaceous-breasted rail (bird)'
Rallus aquaticus:
Burung Sintar Air
'water rail (bird)' (24)
 
Lewinia
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malaysian
Indonesian
Lewinia striata
Gallirallus striatus
Rallus striatus
link to photo
Slaty-breasted rail
Blue-breasted banded rail
Banded rail

Râle strié
Gallirallus striatus:
Gà nước vằn
'striped water-fowl/chicken' (12, 13, 34)
  Gallirallus striatus:
灰胸秧鸡
(灰胸秧雞)
huī-xiōng yāng-jī
'grey-breasted seedling-fowl/chicken' (2, 4)
蓝胸秧鸡
(藍胸秧雞)
lán-xiōng yāng-jī
'blue-breasted seedling-fowl/chicken' (1, 3, 5)
Taiwan:
Gallirallus striatus:
(灰胸秧鸡)
灰胸秧雞
huī-xiōng yāng-jī
'grey-breasted seedling-fowl/chicken'
Gallirallus striatus:
ミナミクイナ
(南秧鶏 ~ 南水鶏)
minami kuina
'southern rail'
นกอัญชันอกสีเทา
nók an-cʰan òk-sĭi-tʰaw
'grey-breasted rail (bird)'
Gallirallus striatus:
Burung Sintar
'rail (bird)' (old, 24, 26, 28)
Burung Sintar Biasa
'common rail (bird)' (25)
Gallirallus striatus:
Burung Mandar-padi Sintar
'rail paddy-swamphen (bird)'
Burung Mandar Padi
'paddy swamphen (bird)' (29)
Zapornia
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malaysian
Indonesian
Zapornia fusca
Porzana fusca
link to photolink to photo
Ruddy-breasted crake
Ruddy crake

Marouette brune
Porzana fusca:
Chim Cuốc ngực nâu
'brown-breasted crake' (onomat.) (12, 13, 34)
  Porzana fusca:
红胸田鸡
(紅胸田雞)
hóng-xiōng tián-jī
'red-breasted paddy-fowl/chicken'
Taiwan:
Porzana fusca:
(绯秧鸡)
緋秧雞
fēi yāng-jī
'scarlet seedling-fowl/chicken'
Porzana fusca:
ヒクイナ
(緋秧鶏 ~ 緋水鶏)
hi-kuina
'scarlet rail'
นกหนูแดง
nók nŭu daeeŋ
'red mouse-bird'
Porzana fusca:
Burung Sintar Belacan
'speckled rail (bird)' (24, 25, 26, 28)
Porzana fusca:
Burung Tikusan Merah
'red mouse-bird'
Burung Mata Merah
'red-eyed bird' (29) (conflicts with Lophura erythrophthalma (Phasianidae)
Zapornia paykullii
Porzana paykullii
Rallina paykullii
link to photo
Band-bellied crake
Chestnut-breasted crake

Marouette mandarin
Rallina (Porzana) paykullii:
Chim Cuốc nâu
'brown crake (bird)' (onomat.) (12, 13, 34)
  Porzana paykullii:
斑胁田鸡
(斑脇田雞)
bān-xié tián-jī
'stripe-flanked paddy-fowl/chicken' (1, 2, 4, 5)
斑肋田鸡
(斑肋田雞)
bān-lèi tián-jī
'stripe-ribbed paddy-fowl/chicken' (3)
Taiwan:
(斑胁田鸡)
斑脇田雞
bān-xié tián-jī
'stripe-flanked paddy-fowl/chicken'
Porzana paykullii:
コウライヒクイナ
(高麗緋秧鶏 ~ 高麗緋水鶏)
kōrai hi-kuina
'Korean scarlet rail'
นกอัญชันจีน
nók an-cʰan ciin
'Chinese rail (bird)'
Porzana paykullii:
Burung Sintar Jalur
'striped rail (bird)' (26, 28)
Burung Sintar Berjalur
'striped rail (bird)' (24)
Burung Sintar Cina
'Chinese rail (bird)' (25)
Porzana paykullii:
Burung Tikusan Siberia
'Siberian mouse-bird'
Burung Tikusan Kaki Merah
'red-legged mouse-bird' (29)
Zapornia pusilla
Porzana pusilla
link to photo
Baillon's crake

Marouette de Baillon
Porzana pusilla:
Chim Cuốc lùn
'dwarf crake (bird)' (onomat.) (12, 13, 34)
  Porzana pusilla:
小田鸡
(小田雞)
xiǎo tián-jī
'small paddy-fowl/chicken'
Taiwan:
Porzana pusilla:
(小秧鸡)
小秧雞
xiǎo yāng-jī
'small seedling-fowl/chicken'
Porzana pusilla:
ヒメクイナ
(姫水鶏 ~ 姫秧鶏)
hime kuina
'princess rail'
นกอัญชันเล็ก
nók an-cʰan lék
'small rail (bird)'
Porzana pusilla:
Burung Sintar Kecil
'small rail (bird)' (24, 25, 26, 28) (shared with Porzana fusca, Porzana pusilla)
Porzana pusilla:
Burung Tikusan Kerdil
'dwarf mouse-bird'
Burung Tikusan Kaki Kuning
'yellow-legged mouse-bird' (29)
Zapornia bicolor
Porzana bicolor
Amaurornis bicolor
link to photo
Black-tailed crake
Elwes' crake
Rufous-backed crake

Râle bicolore
Amaurornis bicolor:
Chim Cuốc ngực xám
'grey-breasted crake (bird)' (onomat.) (12)
Amaurornis bicolor:
Chim Cuốc hai màu
'two-coloured crake (bird)' (onomat.) (34)
Porzana bicolor:
黑尾苦恶鸟
(黑尾苦惡鳥)
hēi-wěi kǔ-è-niǎo
'black-tailed kǔ-è bird' (onomat.) (2, 4)
棕背田鸡
(棕背田雞)
zōng-bèi tián-jī
'reddishbrown-backed paddy-fowl/chicken' (1, 3, 5)
Amaurornis bicolor:
オグロクイナ
(尾黒秧鶏 ~ 尾黒水鶏)
o-guro kuina
'black-tailed rail'
นกอัญชันหางดำ
nók an-cʰan hăaŋ-dam
'black-tailed rail (bird)'
   
Amaurornis
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malaysian
Indonesian
Amaurornis akool
link to photo
Brown crake
Crimson-legged crake

Râle akool
Chim Cuốc chân đỏ
'red-legged crake (bird)' (onomat.) (12, 13, 34)
  红脚苦恶鸟
(紅腳苦惡鳥)
hóng-jiǎo kǔ-è-niǎo
'red-legged kǔ-è bird' (onomat.)
Taiwan:
(红脚苦恶鸟)
紅腳苦惡鳥
hóng-jiǎo kǔ-è-niǎo
'red-legged kǔ-è bird' (onomat.)
チャバネクイナ
(茶羽秧鶏 ~ 茶羽水鶏)
cha-bane kuina
'brown-winged rail'
  Burung Sintar Coklat
'brown rail (bird)' (24)
 
Amaurornis phoenicurus
link to photo
White-breasted waterhen
White-breasted water hen

Râle à poitrine blanche
Chim Cuốc ngực trắng
'white-breasted crake (bird)' (onomat.) (12, 13, 34)
  白胸苦恶鸟
(白胸苦惡鳥)
bái-xiōng kǔ-è-niǎo
'white-breasted kǔ-è bird' (onomat.)
Taiwan:
(白腹秧鸡)
白腹秧雞
bái-fù yāng-jī
'white-bellied seedling-fowl/chicken'
シロハラクイナ
(白腹秧鶏 ~ 白腹水鶏)
shiro-hara kuina
'white-bellied rail'
นกกวัก
nók kwàk
'kwàk bird' (onomat.)
Burung Ruak-ruak
'ruak-ruak bird' (onomat.) (old, 24, 25, 26, 28)
Burung Kareo Padi
'paddy waterhen (bird)'
Burung Kareo
'waterhen (bird)' (29)
Amaurornis cinerea
Porzana cinerea
Poliolimnas cinereus
link to photo
White-browed crake
White-browed rail

Marouette grise
Porzana cinerea:
Gà nước mày trắng
'white-eyebrowed water-fowl/chicken' (13)
  Porzana cinerea:
白眉田鸡
(白眉田雞)
bái-méi tián-jī
'white-eyebrowed paddy-fowl/chicken' (2, 4)
白眉秧鸡
(白眉秧雞)
bái-méi yāng-jī
'white-eyebrowed seedling-fowl/chicken' (3)
灰田鸡
(灰田雞)
huī tián-jī
'grey paddy-fowl/chicken' (5)
Taiwan:
Porzana cinerea:
(白眉秧鸡)
白眉秧雞
bái-méi yāng-jī
'white-eyebrowed seedling-fowl/chicken'
Porzana cinerea:
マミジロクイナ
(眉白秧鶏 ~ 眉白水鶏)
mami-jiro-kuina
'white-eyebrowed rail'
นกอัญชันคิ้วขาว
nók an-cʰan kʰíw-kʰăaw
'white-eyebrowed rail (bird)'
Porzana cinerea:
Burung Sintar Dahi Putih
'white-foreheaded rail (bird)' (24, 25, 28)
Burung Sintar Kening Putih
'white-eyebrowed rail (bird)' (26)
Porzana cinerea:
Burung Tikusan Alis-putih
'white-eyebrowed mouse-bird'
Burung Tikusan Alis Putih
'white-eyebrowed mouse-bird' (29)
Gallicrex
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malaysian
Indonesian
Gallicrex cinerea
link to photo
Watercock
Water cock

Râle à crête
Gà đồng
'dong fowl/chicken' (12, 13, 34)
Chim Cúm núm
'timorous' (bird)' (alt in 34)
  董鸡
(董雞)
dǒng-jī
'dong fowl/chicken'
Taiwan:
(董鸡)
董雞
dǒng-jī
'dong fowl/chicken'
ツルクイナ
(鶴秧鶏 ~ 鶴水鶏)
tsuru-kuina
'crane rail'
นกอีลุ้ม
nók ii-lúm
'watercock (bird)'
Burung Ayam-ayam
'diminutive-fowl/chicken (bird)' (diminutive reduplication) (old, 24, 25, 26, 28) (conflicts with Amaurornis phoenicurus)
Burung Mandar Bontod
'bontod swamphen (bird)'
Ayam-ayaman
'diminutive-fowl/chicken (bird)' (diminutive reduplication) (29)
Porphyrio
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malaysian
Indonesian
Porphyrio porphyrio
link to photolink to photo
Purple swamphen
Purple swamp hen
Purple moorhen
Sultan hen
Purple coot
Blue coot
Swamp hen
Purple gallinule

Talève sultane
Chim Xít
'xít bird' (onomat.) (12, 13, 34)
Chim Cuồng
'cuồng bird' (onomat.) (alt in 34)
Chim Trích
'trich bird'
紫水鸡
(紫水雞)
zǐ shuǐ-jī
'purple water-fowl/chicken'
Taiwan:
(紫水鸡)
紫水雞
zǐ shuǐ-jī
'purple water-fowl/chicken'
セイケイ
(青鶏)
seikei
'blue fowl/chicken' (Chinese-style compound)
นกอีโก้ง
nók ii-kôoŋ
'swamphen (bird)'
Burung Pangling Ungu
'purple swamphen (bird)' (28)
Burung Pangling
'swamphen (bird)' (24, 25, 26)
Burung Mandar Besar
'large swamphen (bird)'
Burung Mandar Besar
'large swamphen (bird)' (29)
Gallinula
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malaysian
Indonesian
Gallinula chloropus
link to photo
Common moorhen
Moorhen
Common gallinule

Gallinule poule-d'eau
Chim Kịch
'kịch bird' (onomat.) (12, 13, 34)
  黑水鸡
(黑水雞)
hēi shuǐ-jī
'black water-fowl/chicken'
or
红骨顶
(紅骨頂)
hóng gǔ-dǐng
'red bone top' (alt in 1, 3, 5)
Taiwan:
(红冠水鸡)
紅冠水雞
hóng-guān shuǐ-jī
'red-crested water-fowl/chicken'
バン
()
ban
'moorhen'
นกอีล้ำ
nók ii-lám
'moorhen (bird)'
Burung Pangling Kecil
'small swamphen (bird)' (28)
Burung Tiong Air
'water myna (bird)' (24, 25, 26, alt in 28)
Burung Mandar Batu
'rock swamphen (bird)'
Burung Mandar Batu
'rock swamphen (bird)' (29)
Burung Cemperlali
'swamphen (bird)' (29)
Fulica
Latin
English/French
Vietnamese
Other V
Chinese
Japanese
Thai
Malaysian
Indonesian
Fulica atra
link to photolink to photo
Common coot
Eurasian coot
Black coot
Coot

Foulque macroule
Chim Sâm cầm
'sâm cầm bird' (cầm = 'bird') (12, 13, 34)
  白骨顶
(白骨頂)
bái gǔ-dǐng
'white bone top'
or
骨顶鸡
(骨頂雞)
gǔ-dǐng jī
'bone top fowl' (alt in 1, 3)
Taiwan:
(白冠鸡)
白冠雞
bái-guān jī
'white-crested fowl'
オオバン
(大鷭)
ō ban
'large moorhen'
นกคู้ต
nók kʰúut
'coot (bird)'
Burung Pangling Hitam
'black swamphen (bird)' (24, 25, 26, 28)
Burung Mandar Hitam
'black swamphen (bird)'
Burung Mandar Hitam
'black swamphen (bird)' (29)

นกคู้ต nók kʰúut 'coot' is a pre-ornithological Thai name. It is convergent on the English name, but it was independently created from the call and is not borrowed from English.

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'.

ไพล pʰlay (Zingiber cassumunar, Zingiber montanum, or Zingiber purpureum) is a plant in the ginger family (Zingiberidae) widely used in traditional Thai medicine. Extracts typically have a greenish yellow to brown colour, and the name is used here as a colour word equivalent to English 'olivaceous'.

Mostly from Robinson (& Chasen) 1927-1939 v1-4; additions from Madoc 1947 (et.seq.), and Glenister 1951 (both mostly names copied from Robinson)

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

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

A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore (second edition) by Jeyarajasingham, Allen, Illustrations by Alan Pearson, Oxford University Press, Oxford 2012

A Field Guide to the Birds of Java and Bali (second edition) by MacKinnon, John, Gadjah Mada University Press, Yogyakarta 1990

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