Compound Japanese Bird Names
Examples of the straightforward use of characters to write a Japanese compound word
| Japanese word | Meaning | Characters used | Comment |
| umi-tsubame | 'sea swallow' = 'petrel' | 海燕 | Probably coined by the Japanese. |
| umi-suzume | 'sea sparrow' = 'murrelet, etc' | 海雀 | |
| ama-tsubame | 'rain swallow' = 'swift' |
雨燕 | Probably coined by the Japanese. |
| mizu-nagi-dori | 'water-shearing-bird' = 'shearwater' |
水薙鳥 | Looks like a loan-borrowing from English |
| umi-neko | 'sea-cat' = 'Japanese gull' |
海猫 | |
| aji-sashi | 'mackerel-stabber' = 'tern' |
鯵刺 | 'Mackerel stabber' is the etymology implied by the characters, but the true etymology may need further confirmation |
| kake-su | 'hang-nest' ='jay' |
懸巣 | |
| kashi-dori | 'oak bird' = 'jay' |
樫鳥 | 樫 is a Japanese creation. |
| 橿鳥 | |||
| koma-dori | 'pony bird' = 'Japanese robin' |
駒鳥 | Allegedly because the cry of the bird sounds like the neighing of a horse (?) |
| no-goma | 'field pony' = 'Siberian rubythroat' |
野駒 | |
| aka-hige | 'red-beard' = 'Ryukyu robin' |
赤髭 | |
| aka-hara | 'red-belly' = 'red-billed thrush' |
赤腹 | |
| shiro-hara | 'white-belly' = 'pale thrush' |
白腹 | |
| shiro-gashira | 'white head' = 'Chinese bulbul' |
白頭 | |
| yama-dori | 'mountain bird' = 'copper pheasant' |
山鳥 | |
| take-dori | 'bamboo bird' = 'rufous laughing thrush' |
竹鳥 | Used by Japanese on Taiwan? |
| yabu-dori | 'scrub bird' = 'Steere's liocichla' |
薮鳥 | Used by Japanese on Taiwan? |
| no-gan | 'field goose' = 'bustard' | 野雁 | is also used. |
