Bird Names in Chinese

Learn common bird names in simplified Chinese: 鸟类 niǎolèi and 鸟名 niǎomíng, with pinyin, meanings, and real-life examples.

If you can say “sparrow,” “eagle,” and “penguin” in Chinese, you are already way past the textbook stage of “hello, I am a student.” Bird names are fun, useful, and weirdly memorable. Probably because birds themselves are weirdly dramatic.

This guide gives you 50 bird names in simplified Chinese, each with pinyin and clear meanings. You will also get example sentences, so these words do not just sit there looking pretty like a peacock: 孔雀 kǒngquè.

A Quick Word Before The Flock Takes Off

The general word for bird is 鸟 niǎo. In daily speech, Chinese usually names the exact bird instead. So yes, knowing “bird” is fine, but knowing 鹦鹉 yīngwǔ for “parrot” makes you sound like a person who has actually seen the outside world.

Bird Words You Will Use First

鸟 niǎo

bird

麻雀 máquè

sparrow

鸽子 gēzi

pigeon, dove

乌鸦 wūyā

crow

鹦鹉 yīngwǔ

parrot

猫头鹰 māotóuyīng

owl

孔雀 kǒngquè

peacock

企鹅 qǐ’é

penguin

Useful Bird Phrases And Real-Life Sentences

这是什么鸟？ zhè shì shénme niǎo? — What bird is this?
我看到一只麻雀。 wǒ kàndào yì zhī máquè. — I saw a sparrow.
树上有两只乌鸦。 shù shàng yǒu liǎng zhī wūyā. — There are two crows in the tree.
公园里有很多鸽子。 gōngyuán lǐ yǒu hěn duō gēzi. — There are many pigeons in the park.
这只鹦鹉会说话。 zhè zhī yīngwǔ huì shuōhuà. — This parrot can talk.
猫头鹰晚上活动。 māotóuyīng wǎnshang huódòng. — Owls are active at night.
孔雀的尾巴很漂亮。 kǒngquè de wěiba hěn piàoliang. — A peacock’s tail is very beautiful.
企鹅不会飞。 qǐ’é bú huì fēi. — Penguins cannot fly.
老鹰飞得很高。 lǎoyīng fēi de hěn gāo. — Eagles fly very high.
湖边有一群鸭子。 húbiān yǒu yì qún yāzi. — There is a group of ducks by the lake.
天鹅游得很安静。 tiān’é yóu de hěn ānjìng. — Swans swim very calmly.
我最喜欢的鸟是海鸥。 wǒ zuì xǐhuan de niǎo shì hǎi’ōu. — My favorite bird is the seagull.

Common Bird Names In Chinese

Below are the birds you are most likely to meet in daily life, on trips, in zoos, in storybooks, or in random conversations where someone points at the sky and expects you to keep up.

Everyday Birds

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
鸟	niǎo	bird	那只鸟很小。	nà zhī niǎo hěn xiǎo.	That bird is very small.
麻雀	máquè	sparrow	麻雀在窗边跳来跳去。	máquè zài chuāngbiān tiào lái tiào qù.	The sparrow is hopping by the window.
鸽子	gēzi	pigeon, dove	广场上有很多鸽子。	guǎngchǎng shàng yǒu hěn duō gēzi.	There are many pigeons in the square.
乌鸦	wūyā	crow	乌鸦的叫声很大。	wūyā de jiàoshēng hěn dà.	The crow’s call is loud.
喜鹊	xǐquè	magpie	喜鹊停在树枝上。	xǐquè tíng zài shùzhī shàng.	A magpie is resting on the branch.
燕子	yànzi	swallow	春天常常能看到燕子。	chūntiān chángcháng néng kàndào yànzi.	You can often see swallows in spring.
啄木鸟	zhuómùniǎo	woodpecker	啄木鸟在敲树干。	zhuómùniǎo zài qiāo shùgàn.	The woodpecker is pecking the tree trunk.
百灵鸟	bǎilíngniǎo	lark	百灵鸟唱得很好听。	bǎilíngniǎo chàng de hěn hǎotīng.	The lark sings beautifully.
画眉	huàméi	hwamei, laughingthrush	画眉的声音很清脆。	huàméi de shēngyīn hěn qīngcuì.	The hwamei has a crisp sound.
杜鹃	dùjuān	cuckoo	我在山里听到了杜鹃。	wǒ zài shān lǐ tīngdào le dùjuān.	I heard a cuckoo in the mountains.

Colorful And Pet Birds

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
鹦鹉	yīngwǔ	parrot	鹦鹉会学人说话。	yīngwǔ huì xué rén shuōhuà.	Parrots can imitate human speech.
孔雀	kǒngquè	peacock	孔雀开屏了。	kǒngquè kāipíng le.	The peacock spread its tail.
金丝雀	jīnsīquè	canary	金丝雀的颜色很亮。	jīnsīquè de yánsè hěn liàng.	The canary’s color is bright.
文鸟	wénniǎo	Java sparrow	文鸟很适合当宠物鸟。	wénniǎo hěn shìhé dāng chǒngwùniǎo.	Java sparrows make suitable pet birds.
虎皮鹦鹉	hǔpí yīngwǔ	budgerigar, budgie	我朋友养了两只虎皮鹦鹉。	wǒ péngyou yǎng le liǎng zhī hǔpí yīngwǔ.	My friend keeps two budgies.
相思鸟	xiāngsīniǎo	lovebird	相思鸟常常成对出现。	xiāngsīniǎo chángcháng chéng duì chūxiàn.	Lovebirds often appear in pairs.
火烈鸟	huǒlièniǎo	flamingo	火烈鸟的腿很长。	huǒlièniǎo de tuǐ hěn cháng.	Flamingos have long legs.
鸳鸯	yuānyāng	mandarin duck	湖里有一对鸳鸯。	hú lǐ yǒu yí duì yuānyāng.	There is a pair of mandarin ducks in the lake.
蜂鸟	fēngniǎo	hummingbird	蜂鸟飞得特别快。	fēngniǎo fēi de tèbié kuài.	Hummingbirds fly especially fast.
巨嘴鸟	jùzuǐniǎo	toucan	巨嘴鸟的嘴很大。	jùzuǐniǎo de zuǐ hěn dà.	A toucan has a very big beak.

Water Birds

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
鸭子	yāzi	duck	鸭子在水里游泳。	yāzi zài shuǐ lǐ yóuyǒng.	Ducks are swimming in the water.
鹅	é	goose	那只鹅走得很神气。	nà zhī é zǒu de hěn shénqì.	That goose walks very proudly.
天鹅	tiān’é	swan	天鹅在湖面上慢慢移动。	tiān’é zài húmiàn shàng mànmàn yídòng.	The swan moves slowly across the lake.
海鸥	hǎi’ōu	seagull	海鸥跟着船飞。	hǎi’ōu gēnzhe chuán fēi.	Seagulls fly alongside the boat.
鹈鹕	tíhú	pelican	鹈鹕的嘴袋很特别。	tíhú de zuǐdài hěn tèbié.	A pelican’s throat pouch is unusual.
鹤	hè	crane	鹤站在浅水里。	hè zhàn zài qiǎnshuǐ lǐ.	A crane is standing in shallow water.
白鹭	báilù	egret	白鹭在河边找鱼。	báilù zài hébiān zhǎo yú.	An egret is looking for fish by the river.
鹳	guàn	stork	鹳的腿很长。	guàn de tuǐ hěn cháng.	Storks have long legs.
鸬鹚	lúcí	cormorant	鸬鹚在水边张开翅膀。	lúcí zài shuǐbiān zhāngkāi chìbǎng.	A cormorant spreads its wings by the water.
企鹅	qǐ’é	penguin	企鹅走路很可爱。	qǐ’é zǒulù hěn kě’ài.	Penguins walk very cutely.

Birds Of Prey And Strong Flyers

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
老鹰	lǎoyīng	eagle	老鹰在天空中盘旋。	lǎoyīng zài tiānkōng zhōng pánxuán.	An eagle is circling in the sky.
鹰	yīng	hawk, eagle	那只鹰的眼睛很锐利。	nà zhī yīng de yǎnjing hěn ruìlì.	That hawk has sharp eyes.
隼	sǔn	falcon	隼飞行的速度很快。	sǔn fēixíng de sùdù hěn kuài.	Falcons fly at great speed.
秃鹰	tūyīng	vulture	秃鹰在高处休息。	tūyīng zài gāochù xiūxi.	A vulture is resting high up.
猫头鹰	māotóuyīng	owl	猫头鹰的眼睛很大。	māotóuyīng de yǎnjing hěn dà.	Owls have big eyes.
雕	diāo	eagle, large raptor	雕的翅膀非常有力。	diāo de chìbǎng fēicháng yǒulì.	A large eagle has very powerful wings.
秃鹫	tūjiù	condor, large vulture	秃鹫看起来很威严。	tūjiù kàn qǐlái hěn wēiyán.	The condor looks very majestic.
夜鹰	yèyīng	nightjar	夜鹰黄昏时出来活动。	yèyīng huánghūn shí chūlái huódòng.	Nightjars come out at dusk.
军舰鸟	jūnjiànniǎo	frigatebird	军舰鸟飞得很轻松。	jūnjiànniǎo fēi de hěn qīngsōng.	Frigatebirds fly effortlessly.
信天翁	xìntiānwēng	albatross	信天翁能飞很远。	xìntiānwēng néng fēi hěn yuǎn.	Albatrosses can fly very far.

Farm, Forest, And Large Ground Birds

Hanzi	Pinyin	Meaning	Example (ZH)	Example (Pinyin)	Translation (EN)
鸡	jī	chicken	农场里有很多鸡。	nóngchǎng lǐ yǒu hěn duō jī.	There are many chickens on the farm.
公鸡	gōngjī	rooster	公鸡一大早就叫。	gōngjī yí dà zǎo jiù jiào.	The rooster crows early in the morning.
母鸡	mǔjī	hen	母鸡在照顾小鸡。	mǔjī zài zhàogù xiǎojī.	The hen is taking care of the chicks.
火鸡	huǒjī	turkey	火鸡比鸡大很多。	huǒjī bǐ jī dà hěn duō.	Turkeys are much bigger than chickens.
鹌鹑	ānchún	quail	鹌鹑个子很小。	ānchún gèzi hěn xiǎo.	Quail are very small.
鸵鸟	tuóniǎo	ostrich	鸵鸟不会飞，但是跑得快。	tuóniǎo bú huì fēi, dànshì pǎo de kuài.	Ostriches cannot fly, but they run fast.
孔鸡	kǒngjī	guineafowl	孔鸡的羽毛有斑点。	kǒngjī de yǔmáo yǒu bāndiǎn.	Guineafowl have spotted feathers.
雉鸡	zhìjī	pheasant	雉鸡从草丛里跑出来了。	zhìjī cóng cǎocóng lǐ pǎo chūlái le.	A pheasant ran out of the grass.
松鸡	sōngjī	grouse	松鸡生活在林地里。	sōngjī shēnghuó zài líndì lǐ.	Grouse live in woodland.
鹧鸪	zhègū	partridge	鹧鸪常在地面活动。	zhègū cháng zài dìmiàn huódòng.	Partridges often move around on the ground.

Quick Variants And Useful Notes

Word	Pinyin	Use	Note
鸟	niǎo	bird	The general word. Use it when you do not know the species yet.
飞鸟	fēiniǎo	flying bird	More literary. Not the first word to learn for daily speech.
家禽	jiāqín	domestic fowl, poultry	Useful for farm or food topics, not for wild birds in general.
小鸟	xiǎoniǎo	little bird	Very common and natural in everyday speech.
一只鸟	yì zhī niǎo	one bird	Use 只 zhī as the most common measure word for birds.
一群鸟	yì qún niǎo	a flock of birds	Use 群 qún for a group or flock.

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

Do not say every bird is 鸟 niǎo when you know the actual bird. Use 麻雀 máquè, 乌鸦 wūyā, or 鹦鹉 yīngwǔ when possible.
Remember 只 zhī for counting birds: 一只猫头鹰 yì zhī māotóuyīng, not just 一猫头鹰. Chinese likes measure words. It really does.
Watch out for 鹅 é and 饿 è. 鹅 é means goose. 饿 è means hungry. One is a bird. The other is probably you after class.
Do not confuse 鸭子 yāzi and 鸳鸯 yuānyāng. A mandarin duck is not just any duck. Nature loves extra detail. Chinese noticed.

Practice With Bird Names In Chinese

Try saying these out loud. The goal is not poetic greatness. The goal is not freezing the next time you see a seagull.

I saw an owl.
我看到一只猫头鹰。
wǒ kàndào yì zhī māotóuyīng.
There are many ducks in the lake.
湖里有很多鸭子。
hú lǐ yǒu hěn duō yāzi.
My favorite bird is the parrot.
我最喜欢的鸟是鹦鹉。
wǒ zuì xǐhuan de niǎo shì yīngwǔ.
The eagle is flying very high.
老鹰飞得很高。
lǎoyīng fēi de hěn gāo.
What bird is that?
那是什么鸟？
nà shì shénme niǎo?

Quick Reference Summary

鸟 niǎo = bird
只 zhī = common measure word for birds
群 qún = flock, group
Best starter bird words: 麻雀 máquè, 鸽子 gēzi, 乌鸦 wūyā, 鹦鹉 yīngwǔ, 猫头鹰 māotóuyīng, 鸭子 yāzi, 天鹅 tiān’é, 老鹰 lǎoyīng, 企鹅 qǐ’é, 海鸥 hǎi’ōu
Best starter sentence: 这是什么鸟？ zhè shì shénme niǎo? = What bird is this?

Final Yak Box

Bird names are one of the easiest ways to make your Chinese feel more alive. Start with 10 common ones, use 只 zhī when counting, and say the words out loud with the examples. Tiny steps, steady practice, fewer blank stares at pigeons.