Motacillidae

Sibley and Monroe class the Motacillinae (wagtails and pipits) as a subfamily of an enlarged Passeridae, which besides the Passerinae (sparrows and snowfinches), also includes the Estrildinae (waxbills, munias, parrot finches, mannikins, etc.), the Prunellinae (accentors), and the Ploceinae (weavers).

1. General names

Chinese: The Chinese name for the wagtails is 鹡鸰 jílíng, which can also be written 脊令 (the same characters minus the 'bird' radical 鸟). The pipits are known as 鹨 liù (a variant pronunciation, still recognised in Taiwan, is liào). For alternative names for the wagtails, see Notes.

Japanese: The Japanese word for the wagtails is セキレイ sekirei, written 鶺鴒 in Chinese characters. This is a direct borrowing from the Chinese. For alternative names, see Notes.

The pipits are known as タヒバリ ta-hibari or 'paddy larks' (written 田雲雀). Unqualified, the term タヒバリ ta-hibari refers to the Water pipit (Anthus spinoletta). The Oriental or Olive-backed tree pipit Anthus hodgsoni is known as ビンズイ binzui, written 便追 (origin unknown) or 木鷚 ('tree pipit') from the Chinese.

Vietnamese: The Vietnamese name for the wagtails is Chìa vôi. The pipits are known as Chim manh.

2. Species names

SCIENTIFIC & ENGLISH		CHINESE			JAPANESE		VIETNAMESE
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Vietnamese	Other V
Dendronanthus
Dendronanthus indicus	Forest wagtail	山鹡鸰 shān jílíng 'mountain wagtail' or 林鹡鸰 lín jílíng 'forest wagtail' (Alternative in 1)	山鶺鴒 shān jílíng 'mountain wagtail'	树鹡鸰 shù jílíng 'tree wagtail' 刮刮油 guā guā yóu '(literally) skim off oil = accept bribes, etc.'	イワミセキレイ (石見鶺鴒) Iwami sekirei 'Iwami wagtail'		Chìa vôi rừng 'forest wagtail'
Motacilla
Motacilla flava	Yellow wagtail	黄鹡鸰 huáng jílíng 'yellow wagtail'	黃鶺鴒 huáng jílíng 'yellow wagtail'	黄马兰花 huáng mǎlán-huā 'yellow malan flower' (malan = medicinal herb) 黄颤儿 huáng chànr (zhànr?) 'yellow tremble / shiver'	ツメナガセキレイ (爪長鶺鴒) tsume-naga sekirei 'long-clawed wagtail'		Chìa vôi vàng 'golden wagtail'
Motacilla citreola	Citrine wagtail Yellow-headed wagtail (Cheng)	黄头鹡鸰 huáng-tóu jílíng 'yellow-headed wagtail'	黃頭鶺鴒 huáng-tóu jílíng 'yellow-headed wagtail'		キガシラセキレイ (黄頭鶺鴒) ki-gashira sekirei 'yellow-headed wagtail'		Chìa vôi đầu vàng 'gold-headed wagtail'
Motacilla cinerea	Grey wagtail	灰鹡鸰 huī jílíng 'grey wagtail'	灰鶺鴒 huī jílíng 'grey wagtail'	黄腹灰鹡鸰 huáng-fù huī jílíng 'yellow-bellied grey wagtail' 黄零(=鸰?) huáng líng 'yellow zero (ling)'	キセキレイ (黄鶺鴒) ki sekirei 'yellow wagtail'		Chìa vôi núi 'mountain wagtail'
Motacilla alba	White wagtail (Cheng) Pied wagtail	白鹡鸰 bái jílíng 'white wagtail'	白鶺鴒 bái jílíng 'white wagtail'	白脸鹡鸰 bái-liǎn jílíng 'white faced wagtail' 点水雀 diǎn-shuǐ què 'sip-water sparrow/finch' 白颤儿 bái chànr (zhànr?) 'white tremble / shiver' 濒鴒 (?) bīn-líng 'close to water ling' 白面鸟 bái-miàn niǎo 'white-faced bird' 白马兰花 bái mǎ lán-huā 'white horse orchid'	タイリクハクセキレイ (大陸白鶺鴒) tairiku haku-sekirei 'continental white wagtail'		Chìa vôi trắng 'white wagtail'
Motacilla alba personata	Masked Wagtail	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Motacilla alba lugens Motacilla lugens Note	Black-backed wagtail	黑背白鹡鸰 hēi-bèi bái jílíng 'black-backed white wagtail' (2, 4) 黑背鹡鸰 hēi-bèi jílíng 'black-backed wagtail' (3) Note	黑背白鶺鴒 hēi-bèi bái jílíng 'black-backed white wagtail' (Ding - tentative)		ハクセキレイ (白鶺鴒) haku-sekirei 'white wagtail' Note
Motacilla samveasnae	Mekong Wagtail
Motacilla grandis	Japanese pied wagtail Japanese wagtail (Cheng)	日本鹡鸰 Rìběn jílíng 'Japanese wagtail'	日本鶺鴒 Rìběn jílíng 'Japanese wagtail'		セグロセキレイ (背黒鶺鴒) se-guro sekirei 'black-backed wagtail'
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Vietnamese	Other V
Anthus
Anthus richardi	Richard's pipit	田鹨 tián liù 'field pipit' (1, 2, 4, 5) 理氏鹨 Lǐ-shì liù 'Mr Li's pipit' (3) Note	大花鷚 dà huā liào 'large flowery pipit'		マミジロタヒバリ (眉白田雲雀) mami-jiro ta-hibari 'white-eyebrowed field lark'		Chim manh lớn 'large pipit' Note
Anthus richardi rufulus Anthus rufulus	Paddyfield pipit Oriental pipit	东方田鹨 dōngfāng tián liù 'Oriental field pipit' (2, 4) 田鹨 tián liù 'field pipit' (3)		东方鹨 dōngfāng liù 'Oriental pipit' (7)	ヒメマミジロタヒバリ (姫眉白田雲雀) hime mami-jiro ta-hibari 'princess white-eyebrowed field lark' (Wikipedia)		Note
Anthus godlewskii	Blyth's pipit	布氏鹨 Bù-shì liù 'Mr Bu's pipit' (2, 4) 布莱氏鹨 Bùlái-shì liù 'Mr Bulai's pipit' (1, 3, 5)	布萊氏鷚 Bùlái-shì liù 'Mr Bulai's pipit'	平原鹨 píngyuán liù 'plains pipit' (7) Clashes with A. campestris above)	コマミジロタヒバリ (小眉白田雲雀) ko mami-jiro ta-hibari 'small white-eyebrowed field-lark'
Anthus campestris	Tawny pipit	平原鹨 píngyuán liù 'plains pipit'			ムジタヒバリ (無地田雲雀) muji ta-hibari 'plain field-lark'
Anthus similis	Long-billed pipit	长嘴鹨 cháng-zuǐ liù 'long-billed pipit'			ハシナガビンズイ (嘴長便追 or 嘴長木鷚) hashi-naga binzui 'long-billed binzui'
Anthus pratensis	Meadow pipit	草地鹨 cǎo dì liù 'meadow pipit'			マキバタヒバリ (牧場田雲雀) makiba ta-hibari 'meadow field-lark'
Anthus trivialis	Tree pipit	林鹨 lín liù 'forest pipit'			ヨーロッパビンズイ (ヨーロッパ便追 or ヨーロッパ木鷚) Yōroppa binzui 'European binzui'
Anthus hodgsoni	Olive-backed pipit Indian tree pipit Oriental tree pipit (Cheng)	树鹨 shù liù 'tree pipit'	樹鷚 shù liào 'tree pipit'	木鹨 mù liù 'tree pipit' 麦如蓝儿 / 麦如兰儿 màirúlánr 'mairulanr'(meaning of characters is 'grain like blue' or 'grain like orchid') 树鲁鴓 shù lǔ miè 'tree Shandong (?) warbler' 大鹨 dà liù 'large pipit' (also used for lark)	ビンズイ (便追 or 木鷚) binzui 'binzui' 1) 便 of indeterminate meaning, possibly phonetic, 追 = 'to chase'; 2) is from Chinese.	キヒバリ (木雲雀) ki-hibari 'tree lark'	Chim manh 'pipit'
Anthus gustavi	Pechora pipit Petchora pipit (Cheng)	北鹨 běi liù 'north pipit'	白背鷚 bái-bèi liào 'white-backed pipit'		セジロタヒバリ (背白田雲雀) sejiro ta-hibari 'white-backed field-lark'
Anthus roseatus	Rosy pipit Hodgson's pipit Roseate pipit (Cheng) Hodgson's rosy pipit	粉红胸鹨 fěn-hóng xiōng liù 'pink-breasted pipit'			チョウセンタヒバリ (朝鮮田雲雀) Chōsen ta-hibari 'Korean field-lark'		Chim manh hồng 'rosy pipit'
Anthus cervinis	Red-throated pipit	红喉鹨 hóng-hóu liù 'red-throated pipit'	赤喉鷚 chì-hóu liào 'red-throated pipit'		ムネアカタヒバリ (胸赤田雲雀) mune-aka ta-hibari 'red-breasted field-lark'		Chim manh họng đỏ 'red-throated pipit'
Anthus rubescens	Buff-bellied pipit or American pipit	黄腹鹨 huáng-fù liù 'yellow-bellied pipit' (2, 3, 4)	黃腹鷚 huáng-fù liào 'yellow-bellied pipit' (provisional - Ding)		アメリカタヒバリ (アメリカ田雲雀) Amerika ta-hibari 'American field-lark' (Wikipedia)		Chim manh lưng đỏ 'red-backed pipit' (13)
Anthus spinoletta	Water pipit (Cheng) Rock pipit	水鹨 shuǐ liù 'water pipit'	水鷚 shuǐ liù 'water pipit'		タヒバリ (田雲雀) ta-hibari 'field lark' (written 'field' + 'cloud' + 'sparrow')		Chim manh Nhật Bản 'Japanese pipit'
Anthus sylvanus	Upland pipit	山鹨 shān liù 'mountain pipit'			コウゲンタヒバリ (高原田雲雀) kōgen ta-hibari 'plateau field-lark'
Latin	English	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Japanese	Other J	Vietnamese	Other V

3. Note

1. The wagtails have a number of alternative names in Chinese. The significance of the characters used is not totally clear. Some are probably phonetic.

精列 jīng liè 'spirit row'

连钱 lián qián 'link money' (also 'bridle')

雪姑 xuě gū 'snow aunt'

雍渠 yōng qú

3. The wagtails also have a number of alternative names in Japanese:

イシタタキ ishi-tataki ('stone tapper') 石叩き

ニワタタキ niwa-tataki ('garden tapper') 庭叩き

トツギオシエドリ totsugi-oshie-dori ('marriage-disclosing-bird') 嫁ぎ教え鳥

コイオシエドリ koi-oshie-dori ('love-disclosing bird') 恋教え鳥

イモセドリ imo-se-dori ('man and wife bird') 妹背鳥 (also used for Cuculus poliocephalus or Small cuckoo)