Vietnam Adventure Tours & Travel, Trekking, Bird Watching, Cycling Tours

Pheasant-tailed jacana 
(Gà lôi nước, Hydrophasianus chirurgus)

The pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is a jacana in the monotypic genus Hydrophasianus.

Jacana From specific name Parra jacana; Portuguese name Jaçana for the Wattled
Jacana.
The genus Hydrophasianus means "water pheasant".
chirurgus Latin chirurgus surgeon (Greek kheirourgos surgeon).

Pied kingfisher 
(Bói cá nhỏ, Ceryle rudis)

The pied kingfisher (Ceryle rudis) is a species of water kingfisher widely distributed across Africa and Asia.

Alcedo, Alcedinidae: Latin word for kingfisher. 
The genus Ceryle which is from Greek kerulos bird mentioned by Aristotle,.. but not further identified but probably mythical and associated with the halcyon, a kingfisher.
The specific epithet rudis is Latin for "wild" or "rude".

Pin-tailed snipe or pintail snipe (Rẽ giun Á châu, Gallinago stenura)

The pin-tailed snipe or pintail snipe (Gallinago stenura) is a species of bird in the family Scolopacidae, the sandpipers.
The bird breeds in northern Russia and migrates to spend the non-breeding season in southern Asia from Pakistan to Indonesia. 
This bird species is the most common migrant snipe in southern India, Sri Lanka and much of Southeast Asia. 

The term Charadriiformes comes from New Latin, combining the Greek word kharadrios ("a bird of river valleys" or "a bird of ravines") and the Latin suffix -formes meaning "forms" or "shaped like". Therefore, Charadriiformes translates to "birds shaped like or resembling the charadrius," which is a type of plover or stone curlew historically found in dry river beds or ravines. 

The word Scolopacidae is New Latin, derived from the genus name Scolopax (Latin for "snipe" or "woodcock") and the common zoological suffix for family names, -idae.

The genus name gallinago is Neo-Latin for a woodcock or snipe from Latin gallina, "hen" and the suffix -ago, "resembling".

stenura: From Ancient Greek στενός (stenós, “narrow”); -ouros -tailed.

Plaintive cuckoo 
(Tìm vịt, Cacomantis merulinus)

The plaintive cuckoo (Cacomantis merulinus) is a species of bird belonging to the genus Cacomantis in the cuckoo family Cuculidae. It is native to Asia, from India, Nepal and China to Indonesia.

The genus name Cacomantis is from the Greek kakos meaning evil or ill-boding and mantis for prophet. 
The name is associated with or supposed to be predicted "rains" as well as ill fortune and bad weather.
merulina, merulinus: Latin merulinus blackbird-like, thrush-like (> Latin merula blackbird).

Rain quail or black-breasted quail 
( Cay Ấn Độ or Cút mưa, Coturnix coromandelica)

The rain quail (Coturnix coromandelica) is a species of quail found in the Indian Sub-continent and South-east Asia.
The bird is found in Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

galliformes derives from "gallus", Latin for "rooster". 
Phasianidae from Phasianus: Latin for "pheasant", derived from the Ancient Greek φἀσιἀνος, phāsiānos, meaning "(bird) of the Phasis", the River Phasis (now the Rioni) in Colchis on the east coast of the Black Sea (now western Georgia).
Coturnix is the Latin for the common quail.

coromandelica: from the Coromandel Coast (India's southeastern coast).

Red collared dove 
(Cu ngói, Streptopelia tranquebarica), also known as the red turtle dove

The red collared dove (Streptopelia tranquebarica), also known as the red turtle dove, is a small pigeon which is a resident breeding bird in the tropics of Asia.

Columba, Columbidae: Latin columba (“dove, pigeon”). Ancient Greek κόλυμβος (kólumbos, “a diver”), from κολυμβάω (kolumbáō, “dive, plunge headlong, swim”).
The genus name Streptopelia is from Ancient Greek: streptos meaning "collar" and peleia meaning "dove". 
The specific epithet is from the town Tranquebar, now Tharangambadi, on the Coromandel Coast in southern India.

Red-breasted merganser (Vịt cát ngực đỏ, Mergus serrator) 

The Red-breasted Merganser (Vịt mỏ nhọn ngực đỏ, Mergus serrator) is a diving duck, one of the sawbills. Its breeding habitat is freshwater lakes and rivers across northern North America, Greenland, Europe, and the Palearctic.

anas, anatis: Latin duck.
The genus name Mergus is a Latin word to refer to an unspecified waterbird.
Mergus is a Latin word meaning "diver" or "waterfowl," derived from the verb mergere, which means "to dip" or "plunge". It was used by ancient authors to refer to an unspecified diving seabird.

The term serrator is derived from the Latin word "serra," meaning "saw," and the related verb "serrare," meaning "to saw". In Latin, serrator can refer to a person who saws, or more commonly, it appears in the adjective form serratus, which means "sawed," "notched like a saw," or "toothed like a saw". 

Red-necked phalarope 
(Dẽ cổ đỏ, Rẽ cổ đỏ, Phalaropus lobatus), also known as the northern phalarope and hyperborean phalarope

Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus, Rẽ cổ đỏ) is a medium-sized wader, Scolopacidae family, Phalaropus genus.

This bird breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. 
It is migratory, unusually winters at sea on tropical oceans.

The bird is a pass-through winter bird, uncommonly sighted at the Xuan Thuy National Park.

The term Charadriiformes comes from New Latin, combining the Greek word kharadrios ("a bird of river valleys" or "a bird of ravines") and the Latin suffix -formes meaning "forms" or "shaped like". Therefore, Charadriiformes translates to "birds shaped like or resembling the charadrius," which is a type of plover or stone curlew historically found in dry river beds or ravines. 

The word Scolopacidae is New Latin, derived from the genus name Scolopax (Latin for "snipe" or "woodcock") and the common zoological suffix for family names, -idae.

Phalaropus (the genus name for phalaropes) comes from Ancient Greek: phalaris (meaning "coot") + pous (meaning "foot"), essentially translating to "coot-footed," because these birds have lobed toes like coots, a key feature for their swimming and feeding style. 

The English and genus names come through French phalarope.

Lobatus is a Latin term meaning "having lobes" or "lobed," derived from the Greek lobos (lobe, pod, earlobe), used in biology for organisms or parts with rounded, protruding divisions, like the lobed toes of a phalarope or the divisions in a conch shell, often describing a "tongue-shaped" or divided structure.

Ruddy turnstone (Rẽ khoang, Arenaria interpres)

The ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres) is a small cosmopolitan wading bird, one of two species of turnstone in the genus Arenaria.

Charadriidae, Charadrius: Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate; from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in ravines and river valleys (kharadra, "ravine").

The word Scolopacidae is New Latin, derived from the genus name Scolopax (Latin for "snipe" or "woodcock") and the common zoological suffix for family names, -idae.
The genus name arenaria is from Latin arenarius, "inhabiting sand", from arena, "sand".
The specific epithet interpres means "messenger".

Ruddy-breasted crake 
or ruddy crake
(Cuốc ngực nâu, Zapornia fusca)

The ruddy-breasted crake (Zapornia fusca), or ruddy crake, is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae.

Gruiformes, Gruidae: from the Latin word grus meaning "crane".
Rallidae: from rallus new Latin for rail, an aquatic bird.
The genus name Zapornia is an anagram of the genus Porzana which is from the specific name of a crake.
fusca: Latin fuscus brown.

Ruff (Rẽ lớn, Calidris pugnax)
formerly placed in different genera and was known as: Tringa pugnax, Philomachus pugnax

The ruff (Calidris pugnax) is a medium-sized wading bird that breeds in marshes and wet meadows across northern Eurasia.
The bird is migratory often found winering in southern and western Europe, Africa, southern Asia and Australia.

Charadriidae, Charadrius: Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate; from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in ravines and river valleys (kharadra, "ravine").

The word Scolopacidae is New Latin, derived from the genus name Scolopax (Latin for "snipe" or "woodcock") and the common zoological suffix for family names, -idae.

The genus name Calidris is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds.

The specific epithet refers to the aggressive behaviour of the bird at its mating arenas — pugnax from the Latin term for "combative".
The English name is derived from the ruff, an exaggerated collar fashionable from the mid-sixteenth century to the mid-seventeenth century, since the male bird's neck ornamental feathers resemble the neck-wear.

Saunders's gull 
(Mòng bể mỏ ngắn, Saundersilarus saundersi) or the Chinese black-headed gull
earlier placed in the genus Larus.

Saunders's gull (Saundersilarus saundersi) is a species of gull in the family Laridae. 
The bird is found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Macau, Russia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

The term Charadriiformes comes from New Latin, combining the Greek word kharadrios ("a bird of river valleys" or "a bird of ravines") and the Latin suffix -formes meaning "forms" or "shaped like". Therefore, Charadriiformes translates to "birds shaped like or resembling the charadrius," which is a type of plover or stone curlew historically found in dry river beds or ravines. 

The family name Laridae comes from the Latin word Larus, meaning "gull," which itself derives from the Ancient Greek word λάρος (laros), also meaning "gull" or a large seabird, sometimes described as "ravenous". So, Laridae essentially means "the gull family," encompassing gulls, terns, skuas, and skimmers.

Saundersilarus is a recently created genus name for Saunders's gull, combining the English name "Saunders" (honoring ornithologist William Saunders) with the Greek suffix -ilarus

The Saunders's gull is named after the British ornithologist Howard Saunders.

Sharp-tailed sandpiper 
(Rẽ đuôi nhọn, Calidris acuminata)

The sharp-tailed sandpiper (Calidris acuminata) is a small-medium migratory wader or shorebird, found mostly in Siberia during the summer breeding period (June to August) and Australia for wintering (September to March).

Charadriidae, Charadrius: Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate; from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in ravines and river valleys (kharadra, "ravine").

The word Scolopacidae is New Latin, derived from the genus name Scolopax (Latin for "snipe" or "woodcock") and the common zoological suffix for family names, -idae.

The genus name Calidris is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds.

The specific acuminata is from Latin acuminatus, 'sharp, pointed'.

Slaty-breasted rail (Gà nước vằn, Lewinia striata) 

The slaty-breasted rail (Lewinia striata) is a rail species native to the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

Gruiformes, Gruidae: from the Latin word grus meaning "crane".
Rallidae: from rallus new Latin for rail, an aquatic bird.
striata: striated, striped.

Solitary snipe (Gallinago solitaria)

The solitary snipe (Gallinago solitaria) is a small stocky wader of the family Scolopacidae. 
The bird is found in the Palearctic from northeast Iran to Korea and Japan.
The bird is sedentary in some regions and migratory in some other regions. The wintering grounds: northeastern Iran, Pakistan, northern India, Bangladesh, eastern China, Korea, Japan and Sakhalin...

The term Charadriiformes comes from New Latin, combining the Greek word kharadrios ("a bird of river valleys" or "a bird of ravines") and the Latin suffix -formes meaning "forms" or "shaped like". Therefore, Charadriiformes translates to "birds shaped like or resembling the charadrius," which is a type of plover or stone curlew historically found in dry river beds or ravines. 

The word Scolopacidae is New Latin, derived from the genus name Scolopax (Latin for "snipe" or "woodcock") and the common zoological suffix for family names, -idae.

The genus name gallinago is Neo-Latin for a woodcock or snipe from Latin gallina, "hen" and the suffix -ago, "resembling".

Solitaria comes from Latin, meaning "solitary," "alone," or "without a companion," derived from solitarius (the feminine form), stemming from solus ("alone"). 

Spoon-billed sandpiper 
(Rẽ mỏ thìa, Calidris pygmaea)

Spoon-billed sandpiper (Rẽ mỏ thìa, Calidris pygmeus, Calidris pygmaea), a critically threatened species, is a small wader which breeds in north-eastern Russia and winters in Southeast Asia. 

The bird is frequently sighted birds at the Xuan Thuy National Park in winter.

Charadriidae, Charadrius: Late Latin word for a yellowish bird mentioned in the fourth-century Vulgate; from Ancient Greek kharadrios a bird found in ravines and river valleys (kharadra, "ravine").

The word Scolopacidae is New Latin, derived from the genus name Scolopax (Latin for "snipe" or "woodcock") and the common zoological suffix for family names, -idae.

The genus name Calidris is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds.

Pygmaea comes from Greek pygmaîos (πυγμαῖος) and Latin pygmaeus, meaning "dwarfish," "undersized," or "fist-sized," derived from pygmē (πυγή) meaning "fist" or a measure of forearm length (elbow to knuckle). It's used in scientific names to denote something very small. Latin adoption is pygmaeus (dwarf, dwarfish).

Spot-billed duck (Vịt giời, Vịt mỏ đốm, Anas poecilorhyncha) is a large dabbling duck that is a non-migratory breeding duck throughout freshwater wetlands in the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the red spot at the base of the bill that is found in the mainland Indian population.

Spot-billed pelican 
(Bồ nông chân xám, Pelecanus philippensis) or gray pelican 

The spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis) or gray pelican is a member of the pelican family Pelicanidae.
The bird breeds in southern Asia from southern Iran across India east to Indonesia.
This bird species is not migratory but is known to make local travel and is more widely distributed during the non-breeding season.

Pelecaniformes, Pelecanidae, Pelecanus
 Pelecanus: Greek pelekan, pelekanos pelican.
 Greek pelekan (πελεκάν), meaning "pelican" or related to "axe" (pelekys).
 From pelekys (πέλεκυς), meaning "axe," likely due to the shape of the bill.

Philippensis in Latin is an adjective meaning "of the Philippine Islands" or "from the Philippines".

Spotted dove (Cu gáy, Cu đất, Spilopelia chinensis)
Another name was Streptopelia chinensis.
Formerly included in the genus Streptopelia with other turtle-doves, but studies suggest that they differ from typical members of that genus. 

The spotted dove or eastern spotted dove (Spilopelia chinensis) is a small and long-tailed pigeon, a common resident across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in East and Southeast Asia.

Columba, Columbidae: Latin columba (“dove, pigeon”). Ancient Greek κόλυμβος (kólumbos, “a diver”), from κολυμβάω (kolumbáō, “dive, plunge headlong, swim”).
The name Spilopelia combines the Ancient Greek spilos meaning "spot" and peleia meaning "dove".

Spotted redshank 
(Choắt chân đỏ, Tringa erythropus)

Spotted Redshank (Choắt chân đỏ, Tringa erythropus) is a wader (shorebird) in the large bird family Scolopacidae.

The bird breeds in northern Scandinavia, the northern Palearctic, and migrates south to the Mediterranean, the southern British Isles, France, tropical Africa, and tropical Asia for the winter.

The term Charadriiformes comes from New Latin, combining the Greek word kharadrios ("a bird of river valleys" or "a bird of ravines") and the Latin suffix -formes meaning "forms" or "shaped like". Therefore, Charadriiformes translates to "birds shaped like or resembling the charadrius," which is a type of plover or stone curlew historically found in dry river beds or ravines. 

The word Scolopacidae is New Latin, derived from the genus name Scolopax (Latin for "snipe" or "woodcock") and the common zoological suffix for family names, -idae.

The name Tringa is the Neo-Latin name given to the green sandpiper based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle.

The specific erythropus is from Ancient Greek eruthros, "red", and pous, "foot".