Falconidae - 隼科 - ハヤブサ科

1. General names

Chinese: The Chinese term for 'falcon' is 隼 sǔn or zhǔn (the second reading is now used only in Taiwan). An old word for 'falcon' is 鹘 hú.

Japanese: The Japanese word for the falcons is ハヤブサ hayabusa, written with the Chinese character 隼. Unmodified, this refers to the Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus).

The name チョウゲンボウ chōgenbō, written 長元坊, is used for several members of the genus Falco, most notably the Common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).

Vietnamese: The Vietnamese name for the falcons is Cắt.

2. Species names

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Latin	English	Chinese (Mainland)	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Vietnamese	Other V
Polihierax insignis	White-rumped falcon Feilden's falconet	白腰侏隼 bái-yāo zhū sǔn 'white-rumped pygmy falcon' (ZGM) 缅甸侏隼 Miǎndiàn zhū sǔn 'Burmese pygmy falcon' (ChengW)			ハイイロヒメハヤブサ (灰色姫隼) hai-iro hime hayabusa 'grey-coloured princess hayabusa'
Microhierax caerulescens	Collared falconet Red-thighed falconet (Cheng)	红腿小隼 hóng-tuǐ xiǎo sǔn 'red-legged small falcon'			モモアカヒメハヤブサ (股赤姫隼) momo-aka hime hayabusa 'red-thighed princess hayabusa'		Cắt nhỏ họng trắng 'small white-throated falcon'
Microhierax fringillarius	Black-thighed falconet	黑腿小隼 hēi-tuǐ xiǎo sǔn 'black-legged small falcon'			モモグロヒメハヤブサ (股黒姫隼) momo-guro hime hayabusa 'black-thighed princess hayabusa'
Microhierax melanoleucos	Pied falconet White-legged falconet (Cheng)	白腿小隼 bái-tuǐ xiǎo sǔn 'white-legged small falcon' (ZGM, ChengW, Cheng, ZGMCh, M&P, Atlas) 小隼 xiǎo sǔn 'small falcon' (Viney. Alternative in Cheng, ChengW, Atlas)			マダラヒメハヤブサ (斑姫隼) madara hime hayabusa 'spotted princess hayabusa'		Cắt nhỏ bụng trắng 'small white-bellied falcon'
Falco naumanni	Lesser kestrel	黄爪隼 huáng-zhuǎ sǔn 'yellow-clawed falcon'			ヒメチョウゲンボウ (姫長元坊 ) hime chōgenbō 'princess chogenbo'
Falco tinnunculus	Common kestrel (Cheng) Eurasian kestrel Kestrel	红隼 hóng sǔn 'red falcon' (incl. Viney)	紅隼 hóng zhǔn 'red falcon'	茶隼 chá sǔn 'tea falcon' 红鹰 hóng yīng 'red hawk' 黄燕 huáng yàn 'yellow swallow' 红鹞子 hóng yàozi 'red yao'	チョウゲンボウ (長元坊) chōgenbō 'chogenbo'	マグソダカ (真糞鷹) ma-guso-daka 'true shit hawk'	Cắt lưng hung 'reddish-backed falcon'
Falco vespertinus	Red-footed falcon Western red-footed falcon Red-legged falcon (Cheng)	西红脚隼 xī hóng-jiǎo sǔn 'western red-footed falcon' (ZGM, ZGMCh) 红脚隼 hóng-jiǎo sǔn 'red-footed falcon' (ChengW, Cheng, M&P, Atlas)			ニシアカアシチョウゲンボウ (西赤足長元坊) nishi aka-ashi chōgenbō 'western red-legged chogenbo'
Falco amurensis (treated as subspecies of F. vespertinus in Cheng etc.)	Amur falcon Eastern red-footed falcon Manchurian red-footed falcon	红脚隼 hóng-jiǎo sǔn 'red-footed falcon' (ZGM, ZGMCh, Atlas, Viney) 阿穆尔隼 Āmū'ěr sǔn 'Amur falcon' (M&P)		黑花鹞 hēi huā yào 'black flowery yao' 蚂蚱鹰 màzha-yīng 'locust (dial.) hawk' -- also F. subbuteo. 青鹰 qīng yīng 'blue/black hawk' 青燕子 qīng yànzi 'blue/black swallow' 白指甲鹞 bái zhǐjia yào 'white nail yao' 红腿鴪隼 hóng-tuǐ yù-zhǔn 'red-legged falcon'	アカアシチョウゲンボウ (赤足長元坊) aka-ashi chōgenbō 'red-legged chogenbo'		Cắt Amur 'Amur falcon' (Nguyen, Le & Phillipps) Not found in Vo & Nguyen
Falco columbarius	Merlin	灰背隼 huī-bèi sǔn 'grey-backed falcon' (incl. Viney)	灰背隼 huī-bèi zhǔn 'grey-backed falcon'		コチョウゲンボウ (小長元坊) ko chōgenbō 'small chogenbo'		Cắt lưng xám 'grey-backed falcon'
Latin	English	Chinese (Mainland)	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Vietnamese	Other V
Falco subbuteo	Eurasian hobby Northern hobby (Cheng) Hobby	燕隼 yàn-sǔn 'swallow falcon' (incl. Viney)	燕隼 yàn-zhǔn 'swallow falcon'	土鹘 tǔ-hú 'dirt hu' (old name) 儿隼 ér-sǔn 'child falcon' 青条子 qīng-tiáozi 'black/green stripe' 虫鹞 chóng yào 'insect yao (sparrowhawk)' 蚂蚱鹰 màzha-yīng 'locust (dial.) hawk'	チゴハヤブサ (稚児隼) chigo hayabusa 'child hayabusa'		Cắt Trung Quốc 'Chinese falcon'
Falco severus	Oriental hobby	猛隼 měng-sǔn 'savage falcon' (incl. Viney)			ミナミチゴハヤブサ (南稚児隼) minami chigo hayabusa 'southern child hayabusa'		Cắt bụng hung 'reddish-bellied falcon'
Falco jugger	Laggar falcon	印度猎隼 Yìndù liè-sǔn 'Indian hunting falcon'			ラガーハヤブサ (ラガー隼) ragā hayabusa 'laggar hayabusa'		Cắt Ấn Độ 'Indian falcon'
Falco cherrug	Saker falcon	猎隼 liè-sǔn 'hunting falcon' (incl. Viney)			セーカーハヤブサ (セーカー隼) sēkā hayabusa 'saker hayabusa'
Falco altaicus (Howard & Moore 2003 treat F. altaicus as a morph of F. cherrug milvipes)	Altai falcon	阿尔泰隼 Ā'ěrtài sǔn 'Altai falcon' (ZGM, ZGMCh)			-		-
Falco rusticolus/ Falco gyrfalco	Gyr falcon	矛隼 máo-sǔn 'lance falcon'			シロハヤブサ (白隼) shiro hayabusa 'white hayabusa'
Falco peregrinus	Peregrine falcon	游隼 yóu sǔn 'roaming falcon' (incl. Viney)	遊隼 yóu zhǔn 'roaming falcon' or 隼 zhǔn 'falcon'	鹘 hú 'hu' (old) 鸭虎 yā-hǔ 'duck tiger' (old) 鸭鹘 yā-hú 'duck falcon' 花梨鹰 huā-lí yīng 'flowery pear hawk' 黑背花梨鸭 hēi-bèi huā-lí yā 'black-backed flowery pear duck'	ハヤブサ (隼) hayabusa 'hayabusa'		Cắt lớn 'large falcon'
Latin	English	Chinese (Mainland)	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Vietnamese	Other V

3. Notes

The distribution of the Falconidae in East Asia can be found at Tzung-Su Ding's Distribution of Falconides in East Asia.

Even in the West, 'falcons' and 'hawks' have not always been properly distinguished. Indeed, the so-called sport of falconry uses both falcons and hawks to hunt prey. The confusion between them is not unique to English, as can be seen from the Chinese and Japanese alternative names.

4. Cultural Notes

1. In Japanese haiku, the Peregrine falcon, 隼 hayabusa, is a season word for winter.

2. The Vietnamese expression nhanh như cắt 'quick as a falcon' means 'quick as a flash'. The Vietnamese word cắt, pronounced with a short, sharp rise in intonation, gives a greater impression of briskness and speed than English 'falcon'.