Understanding how to say “bird in Chinese” opens a window into nature, language, and cultural symbolism. In Mandarin, the word for bird is 鸟 (niǎo), and it’s one of the most visually expressive and frequently used animal-related characters in everyday Chinese vocabulary. Whether you're naming common species, grouping birds by habitat, or exploring poetic idioms that feature birds, a strong grasp of bird-related words will broaden both your fluency and your appreciation of nature in Chinese culture.

This complete guide will teach you more than fifty essential bird terms, taxonomic categories, and vivid expressions involving bird in Chinese language, showing you how they appear in speech, writing, and culture.

I. List of the Most Common Names of Bird in Chinese
II. Categorization of Names Bird in Chinese
III. Bird-Related Vocabulary in Chinese
IV. Chinese Idioms and Expressions Involving Birds
V. Conclusion

50+ Bird in Chinese Words: Species Names and Everyday Phrases

I. List of the Most Common Names of Bird in Chinese

To begin, here are foundational bird names you’ll commonly hear or use in daily conversation.

No.	Bird in Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning in English
1	鸟	niǎo	Bird (general term)
2	鸡	jī	Chicken
3	鸭	yā	Duck
4	鹅	é	Goose
5	乌鸦	wūyā	Crow
6	麻雀	máquè	Sparrow
7	鹤	hè	Crane
8	鹰	yīng	Eagle
9	鹦鹉	yīngwǔ	Parrot
10	燕子	yànzi	Swallow

While 鸟 (niǎo) is the general term, most bird names in the Chinese vocabulary for birds follow specific categories, often ending in 鸟 or using descriptive characters.

II. Categorization of Names Bird in Chinese

Bird names in Mandarin are often grouped by their environment, behavior, or role in human life. This helps both locals and learners remember and use bird vocabulary efficiently.

1. Water Bird in Chinese

Birds that live near water, wetlands, lakes, or rivers are commonly used in discussions around seasons, scenery, or ecology.

No.	Bird in Chinese	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	天鹅	tiān’é	Swan
2	野鸭	yěyā	Wild duck
3	鹈鹕	tíhú	Pelican
4	苍鹭	cānglù	Heron
5	海鸥	hǎi’ōu	Seagull
6	水鸟	shuǐniǎo	Waterfowl
7	绿头鸭	lǜtóuyā	Mallard
8	黑天鹅	hēi tiān'é	Black swan
9	雁	yàn	Wild goose
10	红嘴鸥	hóngzuǐ’ōu	Black-headed gull
11	白鹭	báilù	Egret
12	潜鸟	qiánniǎo	Loon
13	灰雁	huīyàn	Greylag goose
14	水雉	shuǐzhì	Pheasant-tailed jacana
15	翠鸟	cuìniǎo	Kingfisher

2. Birds of Prey

These are birds known for strength and hunting ability. In Chinese, they often symbolize bravery, alertness, or high status.

No.	Bird in Chinese	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	猛禽	měngqín	Raptor (general term)
2	老鹰	lǎoyīng	Eagle / hawk
3	隼	sǔn	Falcon
4	雕	diāo	Vulture / condor
5	猫头鹰	māotóuyīng	Owl
6	鱼鹰	yúyīng	Osprey
7	金雕	jīndiāo	Golden eagle
8	雀鹰	quèyīng	Accipiter (goshawk/sparrow-hawk)
9	苍鹰	cāngyīng	Northern goshawk
10	白头海雕	báitóu hǎidiāo	Bald eagle
11	雪鸮	xuěxiāo	Snowy owl
12	猃狁鹰	xiǎnyǔn yīng	Harrier
13	贝雕	bèidiāo	Bearded vulture
14	山鹰	shānyīng	Mountain hawk-eagle
15	夜鹰	yèyīng	Nightjar (goatsucker)

3. Songbirds & Decorative Bird in Chinese

These birds are typically raised for their beauty or voice. They'll often appear in nature poems or traditional Chinese paintings.

No.	Bird in Chinese	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	画眉鸟	huàméiniǎo	Thrush
2	黄鹂	huánglí	Oriole
3	燕子	yànzi	Swallow
4	百灵鸟	bǎilíng niǎo	Lark
5	火烈鸟	huǒlièniǎo	Flamingo
6	金丝雀	jīnsīquè	Canary
7	紫啸鸫	zǐxiàodōng	Chinese blue whistling thrush
8	山雀	shānquè	Tit (e.g., great tit)
9	斑文鸟	bānwénniǎo	Munia
10	鹦鹉	yīngwǔ	Parrot
11	爱唱鸟	àichàng niǎo	Songbird (generic expression)
12	绿绣眼	lǜxiùyǎn	Japanese white-eye
13	椋鸟	liángniǎo	Starling
14	雀鸟	quèniǎo	Finch
15	欧亚鸲	ōuyàqú	European robin

4. Domesticated Birds & Poultry

These birds are commonly found on farms or in backyards and sometimes used in idioms or cooking terms.

No.	Bird in Chinese	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	鸡	jī	Chicken
2	母鸡	mǔjī	Hen
3	公鸡	gōngjī	Rooster
4	小鸡	xiǎojī	Chick
5	鸭	yā	Duck
6	鹅	é	Goose
7	鸽子	gēzi	Dove / pigeon
8	火鸡	huǒjī	Turkey
9	珍珠鸡	zhēnzhūjī	Guinea fowl
10	斑鸠	bānjiū	Turtledove
11	番鸭	fānyā	Muscovy duck
12	绿头鸭	lǜtóuyā	Mallard (domesticated form)
13	长尾公鸡	chángwěi gōngjī	Long-tailed rooster
14	鸡雏	jīchú	Young chick
15	棕胸鹑	zōngxiōng chún	Chinese quail

5. Unique & Exotic Bird in Chinese

These birds symbolize luck, power, or beauty and are often considered rare or exceptional in the bird in Mandarin Chinese vocabulary.

No.	Bird in Chinese	Pinyin	English Meaning
1	凤凰	fènghuáng	Phoenix (mythical bird)
2	白鹭	báilù	Egret
3	雉鸡	zhìjī	Pheasant
4	珠鸡	zhūjī	Guinea fowl
5	犀鸟	xīniǎo	Hornbill
6	朱鹮	zhūhuán	Crested ibis
7	鹤顶红	hèdǐnghóng	Red-crowned crane
8	金翅鸟	jīnchìniǎo	Golden-winged bird (Buddhist symbol)
9	乐鸟	yuèniǎo	Bird of paradise
10	蓝孔雀	lán kǒngquè	Blue peacock
11	绿孔雀	lǜ kǒngquè	Green peafowl
12	金沙鸟	jīnshā niǎo	Greater bird-of-paradise
13	火凤	huǒfèng	Fire phoenix (mythical variation)
14	五色鸟	wǔsèniǎo	Taiwan barbet (five-colored bird)
15	啄木鸟	zhuómùniǎo	Woodpecker

III. Bird-Related Vocabulary in Chinese

To talk fluently about bird in Chinese, it’s essential to use vocabulary that describes bird biology, habitats, and behavior.

No.	Bird in Chinese	Pinyin	Meaning in English
1	羽毛	yǔmáo	Feather
2	鸟巢	niǎo cháo	Bird’s nest
3	鸟蛋	niǎo dàn	Bird egg
4	飞行	fēixíng	Flight / to fly
5	鸟群	niǎo qún	Flock of birds
6	鸟鸣	niǎo míng	Birdsong / chirping
7	翅膀	chìbǎng	Wings
8	喙	huì	Bird’s beak
9	飞翔	fēixiáng	To soar / glide
10	鸟类	niǎolèi	Bird species / avian class

These support clear communication when talking about nature documentaries, describing a scene, or learning biology in Mandarin.

IV. Chinese Idioms and Expressions Involving Birds

Many idioms in Chinese reflect cultural values through animals. Birds often represent beauty, movement, change, and wisdom.

No.	Idiom about Bird in Chinese	Pinyin	Literal Meaning	Figurative Meaning
1	一箭双雕	yī jiàn shuāng diāo	One arrow, two eagles	Kill two birds with one stone
2	鸟语花香	niǎo yǔ huā xiāng	Birdsong and fragrant flowers	A beautiful spring scene
3	引吭高歌	yǐn háng gāo gē	Open the throat and sing loudly	Sing at the top of your voice, often joyfully
4	鸟尽弓藏	niǎo jìn gōng cáng	Bow hidden once birds are gone	Talents discarded when no longer needed
5	凤毛麟角	fèng máo lín jiǎo	Phoenix feathers and unicorn horns	Extremely rare people or things
6	鸟兽散	niǎo shòu sàn	Birds and beasts scattered	Disperse in chaos; everyone fleeing
7	鹤立鸡群	hè lì jī qún	A crane among chickens	Someone outstanding in a crowd
8	群鸟飞翔	qún niǎo fēixiáng	Flock of birds soaring	Used to describe collective grace/movement
9	鹰击长空	yīng jī cháng kōng	Eagle strikes through the vast sky	Great ambition or unstoppable force
10	画龙点睛	huà lóng diǎn jīng	Paint the dragon, dot the eyes	Add the finishing touch (includes phoenix context in extended form)

Each of these offers figurative depth and helps you unlock the metaphorical heart of Chinese expression.

V. Conclusion

Learning how to say and use bird in Chinese goes far beyond memorizing the word 鸟 (niǎo). With over 50+ words, categories, and idioms, you now have a rich toolkit of vocabulary linked to nature, symbolism, and language history. Whether you're exploring birds as part of travel, poetry, ecology, or education, this knowledge helps you engage more fully with Chinese communication and cultural beauty.

To continue learning, practice pairing species names with real bird images, label feathers and body parts, and memorize key idioms using flashcards or example sentences.

50+ Bird in Chinese Vocabulary and Expressions Inspired by Nature

I. List of the Most Common Names of Bird in Chinese