Anatidae

General

Information is from dictionaries and other sources. Comments and corrections welcome. All Malaysian and Indonesian names in the process of conversion into modernised spelling only. 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.

Anatidae naming has been strongly affected by the ancient introduction of exotic domestic or captive species, primarily the domestic duck (Anas), but also geese (Anser), swans (Cygnus); and since the early colonial period, domestic Muscovy ducks (Cairina).

All native Anatidae species are popularly considered to be kinds of ducks, together with superficially duck-like species in at least three other families (Pocipedidae, Sulidae, and Heliornithidae).

Perceived similar but larger aquatic birds are popularly considered to be kinds of geese, including not only swans, but also goose-like species in at least two other families (Sulidae and Pelicanidae).

EARLY GENERAL NAMES

General Name	Conventional English Equivalent	Maximum Extent of Current Range of Meaning	Current Narrow Meaning
belibis	tree-duck	tree-ducks, pygmy-geese	Lesser Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna javanica)
itik	duck	domestic ducks, (farmed domestic waterfowl); all other ducks, also grebe, finfoot, booby, etc.	domestic duck
(g)angsa	goose	geese, swans (both non-native), also booby, pelican, etc.	goose (including swan)

Belibis (written variously as belibis, meliwis, mliwis, and probably also belabas, belebas) is an old name for Dendrocygna tree-ducks. The m-forms represent Javanese pronunciation and are typically only common in Indonesia. Belabas as Nettapus comes from a single old record which has never been independently confirmed. Belebas is only in an old copying error of that same record.

Itik (formerly also itek) 'duck' is found in both Malaysian and Indonesian. In addition Indonesian has an exact synonym, bebek (from Jakartanese/Javanese). Both names are probably onomatopoetic in origin. Popularly, itik/bebek correspond closely to the meaning of English 'duck' in that they can be used in referring to any of the native species, or to the family as a whole. Without modifiers, itik/bebek mean 'domestic duck; domestic waterfowl', and names based on domestic species names do not take a pre-posed burung 'bird'. Only itik variants are listed here, but in popular Indonesian bebek may be freely substituted.

Itik air 'wild duck' (literally 'water duck') has always included not only wild ducks (Anatidae), but also grebes (Podicipedidae), finfoots (Heliornithidae), and other birds popularly perceived to be duck-like. Since this is a very general descriptive name, it may be recorded as an alternate name for a wide range of genera or individual species. Identifications of itik air as particular names for individual species of Nettapus, Aythya, and Heliopais represent misunderstandings of the actual scope of the name. Similarly, itik laut 'wild duck' (literally 'sea duck') has also been used for other wild ducks (e.g. mallard, Anas playtyrhynchos), but today usually refers to seabirds such as boobies (Sulidae) (see below).

Itik surati 'duck from Surat' (from its supposed introduction via India) is an old name for the domestic Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata. The name was initially respelt by (24) as serati and subsequently copied elsewhere as that version. Indonesian also has an exact synonym borrowed from Javanese and Sundanese, mentok (variously written mentok, mentog, entok, entog). Both serati and mentok have been adapted with a modifier meaning 'wild' to refer to the similar-appearing native wood-duck Asarcornis scutulata. The Muscovy duck also has a borrowed name which is not applied to the native woodduck, itik/bebek manila~menila 'Manila duck' (from its supposed introduction via the Philippines). It is also called Manila Duck locally in English.

All of the other names for the various native species of Anas and Aythya are modern ornithological constructs in both languages. The Malaysian names for extralimital Anatidae genera are similarly new.

Although there are no native geese or swans, these birds have been familiar from domestic and ornamental stock for centuries. Swans are popularly considered to be geese, and a very old borrowed name, (g)angsa 'goose' (from Sanskrit), is used for both. (The name has been reborrowed many times and is written variously as angsa, gangsa, hangsa, rangsa, kangsa, and ansa.)   

An unusual name for 'swan' is angsa undan 'pelican-goose' (from perceived resemblance of ornamental swans to the large, white native species of pelican). Angsa laut 'wild goose (literally 'sea goose') is also used as a name for a pelican, Pelecanus onocrotalus.

Angsa-kerdil 'dwarf-goose' is occasionally encountered as an ornithological loan translation of English 'pygmy-goose' and used for Nettapus.

Boobies (genus Sula, Sulidae) are popularly classified as a kind of duck or goose. In addition to itik laut 'sea duck', (g)angsa laut 'sea goose' and (g)angsa batu 'rock goose' are also names for boobies.

Ornithological naming

Malaysian

Form of Name	Literal Meaning	Ornithological Malaysian
itik	'(domestic) duck'	Dendrocygna, Sarkidiornis*, Tadorna*, Asarcornis, Aix*, Nettapus, Anas, Netta*, Aythya, Mergus*
itik air	'water (=wild) duck'	Nettapus, Aythya*, Heliopais (Heliornithidae)
belibis	'treeduck'	Dendrocygna
belabas	'treeduck'	Nettapus
itik serati hutan	'forest (=wild) Surat duck'	Asarcornis
angsa	'goose'	Anser*

*extralimital

Indonesian

Form of Name	Literal Meaning	Ornithological Indonesian
itik	'(domestic) duck'	Anas
belibis	'treeduck'	Dendrocygna
mentok rimba	'jungle (=wild) Muscovy-duck'	Asarcornis
trutu	'pygmygoose'	Nettapus
kambangan	'divingduck'	Aythya

Species names

DENDROCYGNINAE
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN		MALAY			OTHER S. E. ASIAN		EAST ASIAN
Dendrocygna
Latin	English	Malaysian	Other M	Indonesian	Thai	Vietnamese	Chinese	Japanese
Dendrocygna arcuata	Wandering Whistling Duck Wandering Whistling-Duck	Burung Belibis Merantau 'migrant treeduck (bird)' (28)		Burung Belibis Kembang 'flower treeduck (bird)' (kembang from Javanese) (29, 30)			斑胸树鸭 (斑胸樹鴨) bān-xiōng shù-yā 'stripe-breasted tree-duck' (4) 胸斑树鸭 (胸斑樹鴨) xiōng-bān shù-yā 'breast-striped tree-duck' (5)	オオリュウキュウガモ (大琉球鴨) ō-ryūkyū-gamo 'large Ryukyu wildduck'
Dendrocygna javanica	Lesser whistling duck Lesser whistling-duck Whistling teal Lesser treeduck Indian whistling duck	Burung Belibis 'treeduck (bird)' (old, 24, 26) (same as Nettapus coromandelianus) Burung Belibis Kecil 'small treeduck (bird)' (28) Itik Belibis 'treeduck duck' (25)	Burung Bebenyut 'treeduck (bird)' Itik Danu/Danau 'lake duck' (old) Itik Hulu 'upstream duck' (old)	Burung Belibis Polos 'plain treeduck (bird)' (30) Burung Belibis Kecil 'small treeduck (bird)' (29)	เป็ดแดง pèt-daeeŋ 'red duck'	Le nâu 'brown wildduck' (12, 13, 34)	栗树鸭 (栗樹鴨) lì shù-yā 'chestnut tree-duck' Taiwan: (树鸭) 樹鴨 shù-yā 'tree-duck'	リュウキュウガモ (琉球鴨) ryūkyū-gamo 'Ryukyu wildduck'
ANATINAE
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN		MALAY			OTHER S. E. ASIAN		EAST ASIAN
AYTHYINI
Asarcornis
Latin	English	Malaysian	Other M	Indonesian	Thai	Vietnamese	Chinese	Japanese
Asarcornis scutulata Cairina scutulata	White-winged duck White-winged wood duck	Cairina scutulata: Itik Serati Hutan 'forest (=wild) Surat duck' Burung Serati Hutan 'forest (=wild) Surat bird' (24, 26, 28)		Cairina scutulata: Mentok Rimba 'jungle (=wild) Muscovy-duck' (30) Itik Sayap Putih 'white-winged duck' (29)	เป็ดก่า pèt kàa 'kàa duck' (onomat.) Taxonomy	Cairina scutulata: Ngan cánh trắng 'white-winged woodduck' (12, 13, 34) Taxonomy	Cairina scutulata: 白翅栖鸭 (白翅栖鴨 or 白翅棲鴨) bái-chì qī-yā 'white-winged roosting duck'	Cairina scutulata: ハジロモリガモ (羽白森鴨) ha-jiro mori-gamo 'white-winged forest wildduck'
Aythya
Latin	English	Malaysian	Other M	Indonesian	Thai	Vietnamese	Chinese	Japanese
Aythya fuligula	Tufted duck	Itik Jambul 'crested duck' (24, 26, 28) Itik Berjambul 'crested duck' (25) (conflicts with Netta rufina)		Kambangan Hitam 'black divingduck'	เป็ดเปีย pèt pia 'tufted (rear of head) duck'	Vịt mào 'crested duck' (12, 13, 34)	凤头潜鸭 (鳳頭潛鴨) fèng-tóu qián-yā 'phoenix-headed diving-duck' Taiwan: (风头潜鸭) 鳳頭潛鴨 fèng-tóu qián-yā 'phoenix-headed diving-duck'	キンクロハジロ (金黒羽白) kin-kuro ha-jiro 'gold-black white-wing'
ANATINI
Spatula
Latin	English	Malaysian	Other M	Indonesian	Thai	Vietnamese	Chinese	Japanese
Spatula querquedula Anas querquedula	Garganey	Anas querquedula: Itik Kening Putih 'white-eyebrowed duck' (28) Itik Garganey 'garganey duck' (garganey from English) (26) Itik Gargany 'garganey duck' (gargany respelt from English) (24) Itik Berkik 'snipe duck' (25) (conflicts with alternative name of Nettapus coromandelianus)		Anas querquedula: Itik Jurai 'bunchfringed duck' (30) Itik Alis Putih 'white-eyebrowed duck' (29)	เป็ดลาย pèt laay 'striped duck'	Anas querquedula: Mòng két mày trắng 'white-eyebrowed teal wildduck' (12, 13, 34)	Anas querquedula: 白眉鸭 (白眉鴨) bái-méi yā 'white-eyebrowed duck' Taiwan: Anas querquedula: (白眉鸭) 白眉鴨 bái-méi yā 'white-eyebrowed duck'	Anas querquedula: シマアジ (縞味 ~ 島味) shima-aji 'striped teal' (written 'striped flavour'. 味 'flavour' is used solely for pronunciation. Also written with the specially created character 䳑 aji)
Spatula clypeata Anas clypeata	Northern shoveller Shoveller Common shoveller Red shoveller	Anas clypeata: Itik Paruh Bajak 'plough-billed duck' (25, 28) Itik Paruh Sudu 'spoon-billed duck' (26) Itik Sudu 'spoon duck' (24)			เป็ดปากพลั่ว pèt pàak-pʰlûa 'shovel-billed duck'	Anas clypeata: Vịt mỏ thìa 'spoon-billed duck' (12, 13, 34)	Anas clypeata: 琵嘴鸭 (琵嘴鴨) pí-zuǐ yā 'spatula-billed duck' Taiwan: Anas clypeata: (琵嘴鸭) 琵嘴鴨 pí-zuǐ yā 'spatula-billed duck'	Anas clypeata: ハシビロガモ (嘴広鴨) hashi-biro-gamo 'broad-billed wildduck'
Mareca
Latin	English	Malaysian	Other M	Indonesian	Thai	Vietnamese	Chinese	Japanese
Mareca strepera Anas strepera	Gadwall	Anas strepera: Itik Kelabu 'grey duck' (28) Itik Bemban 'bemban duck' (24)			Anas strepera: เป็ดเทาก้นดำ pèt tʰaw kôn-dam 'black-vented grey duck'	Anas strepera: Vịt cánh trắng 'white-winged duck' (12, 13)	Anas strepera: 赤膀鸭 (赤膀鴨) chì-bǎng yā 'red-winged duck' Taiwan: Anas strepera: (赤膀鸭) 赤膀鴨 chì-bǎng yā 'red-winged duck'	Anas strepera: オカヨシガモ (丘葦鴨) oka yoshi-gamo 'hill reed-wildduck'
Mareca penelope Anas penelope	Eurasian wigeon European wigeon Wigeon	Anas penelope: Itik Bersiul 'whistling duck' (28) Itik Wigeon 'wigeon duck' (wigeon from English) (26) Itik Eurasia 'Eurasian duck' (24) Itik Puteri 'princess duck' (25)		Anas penelope: Itik Bungalan 'buff duck'	Anas penelope: เป็ดปากสั้น pèt pàak-sân 'short-billed duck'	Vịt đầu vàng 'golden-headed duck' (from Cites list on Internet)	Anas penelope: 赤颈鸭 (赤頸鴨) chì-jǐng yā 'red-necked duck' Taiwan: Anas penelope: (赤颈鸭) 赤頸鴨 chì-jǐng yā 'red-necked duck'	Anas penelope: ヒドリガモ (緋鳥鴨) hi-dori-gamo 'scarlet-bird wildduck'
Anas
Latin	English	Malaysian	Other M	Indonesian	Thai	Vietnamese	Chinese	Japanese
Anas acuta	Northern pintail Pintail	Itik Ekor Runcing 'sharp-tailed duck' (26, 28) Itik Muara 'estuary duck' (24, 25)		Itik Lancip 'acute duck' (tapering to a point) (30) Itik Ekor Lonjong 'tapering-tailed duck' (lonjong from Javanese) (29)	เป็ดหางแหลม pèt hăaŋ-lăeem 'point-tailed duck'	Vịt mốc 'stake duck' (12, 13, 34)	针尾鸭 (針尾鴨) zhēn-wěi yā 'needle-tailed duck' Taiwan: (尖尾鸭) 尖尾鴨 jiān-wěi yā 'sharp-tailed duck'	オナガガモ (尾長鴨) o-naga-gamo 'long-tailed wildduck'
Anas crecca	Common teal or Green-winged teal Teal	Itik Kecil 'small duck' (28) Itik Teal 'teal duck' (teal from English) (26) Itik Eropah 'European duck' (24, 25)			เป็ดปีกเขียว pèt pìik-kʰĭaw 'green-winged duck'	Mòng két 'teal wildduck' (12, 13, 34)	绿翅鸭 (綠翅鴨) lǜ-chì yā 'green-winged duck' Taiwan: (小水鸭) 小水鴨 xiǎo shuǐ-yā 'small water duck'	コガモ (小鴨) ko-gamo 'small wildduck'
GENERA INCERTAE SEDIS
Nettapus
Latin	English	Malaysian	Other M	Indonesian	Thai	Vietnamese	Chinese	Japanese
Nettapus coromandelianus	Cotton teal or Indian pygmy-goose Cotton pygmy-goose	Itik Kapas 'cotton duck' (24, 25, 26, 28) or Itik Air 'water (=wild) duck' (old, alt in 26, 28) (error from misunderstanding of Robinson) (conflicts with Aythya baeri and Heliopais personatus) or Burung Belabas 'treeduck (bird)' (alt in 26, 28) (same as Dendrocygna javanica)	Itik Berkik 'snipe duck' (conflicts with Anas querquedula) (old)	Trutu Hijau 'green pygmygoose' (30) Itik Putih 'white duck' (29)	เป็ดคับแค pèt kʰáp-kʰaee 'kʰáp-kʰaee duck' (onomat.?)	Le khoang cổ 'streak-necked wildduck' (12, 13, 34)	棉凫 (棉鳧) mián fú 'cotton wildduck' Taiwan: (棉鸭) 棉鴨 mián yā 'cotton duck'	ナンキンオシ (南京鴛鴦) nankin oshi 'Nanjing mandarinduck'

Belibis (written variously as belibis, meliwis, mliwis, and probably also belabas, belebas) is an old name for Dendrocygna tree-ducks. Belabas comes from a single old record which was never independently confirmed. Belebas is only found in an old copying error of that same record.

Itik surati 'duck from Surat' (from its supposed introduction via India) is an old name for the domestic Muscovy Duck Cairina moschata. The name was initially respelt as serati by (24) and subsequently copied elsewhere. Serati has been adapted with a modifier meaning 'wild' to refer to the similar-appearing native wood-duck Asarcornis scutulata.

Mentok (variously written mentok, mentog, entok, entog) is an old name for the the introduced domestic Muscovy or Manila Duck Cairina moschata. The name has been adapted with a modifier meaning 'wild' to refer to the similar-appearing native wood-duck Asarcornis scutulata.

Belabas comes from a single old record which was never independently confirmed. Belebas is only in an old copying error of that same record. Belabas is probably the same name as belibis (written variously as belibis, meliwis, mliwis), an old name for Dendrocygna tree-ducks.

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

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
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Chim Việt Nam Nguyễn Cử, Lê Trọng Trải, Karen Phillipps; Nhà Xuất Bản Lao Động - Xã Hội, 2000

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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

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