Australia and the World Past and Present

Among Japanese kanji, birds form their own group.

What they have is common is that they utilise the bird radical. A radical denotes the general category of kanji.

I have listed 32 bird kanji here and they are from level 1 of then kanji kentei examination.

Part of the problem for memorisation is that when you have a large number of kanji that look similar (because of the presence of the bird radical) it can be difficult to tell them apart.

Below, I show how to break these kanji down into their component parts in order to create mnemonics – small stories to aid memorisation.

By being able to deconstruct these kanji it is hoped that it will make memory recall easier.

1. 鳧 (かも) – kamo – duck = 鳥 – tori – bird + ⼏ -kinyou – table radical

‘the bird on the table is a duck’

2. 鳧 – keri – lapwing = 鳥 – tori – bird + ⼏ -kinyou – table radical

‘the bird on the table is a lapwing’

3. 鳰 – nio – grebe = ⼊ – iru – to enter + 鳥 – tori – bird

”a grebe is an entering bird (entering the water?)’

4. 鴉 – karasu – crow = 牙 – kiba – tusk / fang + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a crow is a bird with tusks’

5. 鴃 – mozu – a shrike = 鳥 – tori – bird + part of 決める – kimeru – to decide

‘a shrike is a deciding bird’

6. 鴆 – chin – mythical poison feather bird = part of shizumu? 沈む + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘that sinking bird has poisoned feathers’

7. 鷓鴣 – shako – partridge = 遮る – saegiru? – obstruct + 鳥 – tori – bird + 古い – furui + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a partridge is an obstructing, old bird’

8. 鴟 – tobi – a black kite = 氏 – uji – surname /clan + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a black kite is my clan’s bird’

9. 鴕鳥 – dachou – ostrich = 鳥 – tori – bird + ⼧ – ukanmuri – roof / house + ⼔ – saji – spoon + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘an ostrich is under the roof using a spoon with another bird’

10. 鶺鴒 – sekirei – wagtail = part of 脊柱 ? – sekichuu – spinal column + 鳥 – tori – bird + 令 – rei – command / order + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a wagtail is a spinal bird and also a bird that gives orders’

11. 鵄 – tobi – a kite = ⾄ – itaru – to reach + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a kite is a (hard to) reach bird’

12. 鴾 – toki – ibis = ⼛ – private / katakana mu + 牛 – ushi – cow + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘the moo cows are accompanied by a bird called an ibis’

13. 鵆 – chidori – plover = ⾏ – gyou gamae + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘the bird in the middle of going is a plover’

14. 鵇 – toki – ibis = 年 – toshi + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘the bird of the year is the crested ibis’

15. 鵝鳥 – gachou – goose = 我々 – wareware – we + 鳥 – tori – bird (x2)

‘if we were birds, we would be geese’

16. 鵤 – ikaru – hawkfinch = ⾓ – tsunohen – horn / corner + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘that horned bird in the corner is a hawkfinch’

17. 鵥 – kakesu – Eurasian Jay = ⼋ – hachigashira + 二 – ni – two + ⼁- tatebou – vertical stroke + ritou – sword + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘There are 8 + 2 Eurasian Jays in a vertical line swinging swords’

18. 鵲 – kasasagi – European magpie = 昔 – mukashi – olden times + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a European magpie is an olden times bird’

19. 鶉 – uzura – quail = ⼇ – nabebuta – lid + 口 – kuchi – mouth + 子 – ko – child + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a quail puts a lid on the mouth of a child’

20. 鵯 – hi / hiyodori – a bulbul = 卑しい – iyashii – humble / lowly + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a bulbul is a humble bird’

21. 鵺 – nue – white thrush = 夜 – yoru – night + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a white thrush is a night bird’

22. 鶍 – isuka – a crossbill = 易しい – yasashii – simple + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a crossbill is a simple kind of bird’

23. 鶎 – kikuitadaki – a goldcrest = 宗 – shuu – sect / denomination + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a goldcrest is a bird in a (religious) denomination’

24. 鶪 – mozu – a shrike = 目 – me + 犬 – inu – dog + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a shrike has an eye on the dog’

25. 鶤 – toumaru – songbird = ⼍ – wakanmuri – cover + 車 – kuruma – car + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘songbirds cover a car’

26. 鶩 – ahiru – domestic duck = ⽭ – hoko – halberd + ⺙ – bokuzukuri – to strike + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a domestic duck is striking with a halberd’

27. 鶫 – tsugumi – a thrush = 東 – higashi + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a thrush is an Eastern bird’

28. 鶲 – hitaki – a flycatcher = 翁 – okina – old man + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a flycatcher is the Old Man on the bird family’

29. 鶻 – hayabusa – falcon = 骨 – hone – bone + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a falcon likes bones’

30. 鶸 – hiwa – finch = 弱い – yowai – weak + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘a finch is a weak bird’

31. 鷭 – ban – waterhen = 番 – ban – a turn + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘It is your turn to catch the waterhen’

32. 鸛 – kou no tori – stork = ⺾ – kusakanmuri + 口 – kuchi – mouth (x2) + 隹 – furutori – bird (old version) + 鳥 – tori – bird

‘under the grass I can see the mouths of 2 two storks and an old-style bird’

I hope this helps you. Feel free to make up your own mnemonic devices. They can be unique to you and the main point is that you find them memorable.