Being a first language Welsh speaker and learning English later on in my childhood, aswell as having the benefit of speaking to the media and local birders through Welsh. Welsh names for wildlife, birds, in particular, has always been something I have been proud of knowing and often times that make me laugh or think about their meaning or logic behind their names. It’s not often that Welsh speakers will know the Welsh names for birds as it is a somewhat small niche but having that benefit has helped me and is something I aim to share with others. Therefore, I’m writing this to hopefully enthuse others about the very cool, if sometimes blatantly obvious or downright funny names that the Welsh have to offer to its birds. More often than not, Welsh names either follow the pattern of a literal description of the bird e.g Telor Pendu (Black Headed Warbler = Blackcap) or a description of the habitat you may find the bird in if it’s from a large family like waders.
Glas y Dorlan / Pibydd y Dorlan
These two may seem a bit odd to be placed together but they are very similar in some ways. Glas y Dorlan is the Welsh name for a Kingfisher and Pibydd y Dorlan is the Welsh name for Common Sandpiper, so what do these have in common bar the second part of their Welsh names? It’s the habitat you would likely find these two in! Dorlan in Welsh means hollow river bed, Kingfishers and Common Sandpipers are often found in streams or rivers with muddy banks making their names somewhat fitting. The ‘Glas’ from the Kingfisher name refers to the colouration of the bird (Glas meaning blue in Welsh) and Pibydd is Sandpiper in Welsh. The Kingfisher name as a literal translation doesn’t quite make sense Blue of the Riverbank but Sandpiper of the Riverbank is quite fitting.
Sgrech y Coed
This one is probably my favourite Welsh name for a bird. Sgrech is Welsh for either shriek or scream or screaming depending on the context, Coed is woods, tree or wood in general. Translating it literally gives you The Woods Screaming which sort of hints towards what bird it could be.. the Jay. This is an example of the outright funny names that once you hear it and think of the Welsh names, just makes me giggle as it is very fitting!
Tingoch
RedBottom. Yep. Tin is the Welsh for either bum or anus and basic Welsh means Coch is the colour red so adding the two together gives you Red Bottom – Redstart. As mentioned before, the Welsh sometimes like to name the birds after their description so calling a Redstart a RedBottom makes sense, if not a bit funny. Tin can also mean rump or tail which again fits the Redstart very well!
Cyffylog
Woodcock! Cyffylog has two meanings in the Welsh language, it could either be Woodcock or Coarse, it’s rather fitting given the Woodcock’s flying style or their call both of which are rather coarse and very non-elegant.
Coch Dan Adain
This name is more fitting than the English name for this species. Coch = Red, Dan = Under, Adain= Wing – Red Under Wing, it’s fairly easy to guess the species from here, Redwing. Another one that is named after a literal description of the appearance of the bird.
Pinc y Mynydd
Pinc is most commonly known in the Welsh language as the translation for the colour Pink, but its other meaning is Finch. Pinc y Mynydd is one of the names that describes where you are likely to see the bird, Pinc meaning Finch, and y Mynydd meaning the mountain, so Finch of the Mountains is the translation and the Welsh name for Brambling. It’s a name that is somewhat odd in that you don’t often see Brambling around the mountains of Wales but perhaps referring to the mountain-like forest they sometimes breed in?
There are a huge number of bird names that are still very interesting to know the history of why these names are what they are and their meanings to the birds. Some with lots more descriptions and some that are quite literal too. Hopefully, these bird names will encourage people to at least have an insight into the wonderful world of Welsh bird names and enjoy the diversity the UK has to offer in their languages and history.
Dan,
Hi. This is very apt. I moved to live in Harlech 6 days ago. I’ll await some more with interest. Which of course I’ll probably forget!
Ian B
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I’ll be sure to include some seabirds and coastal birds aswell that are interesting!
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Diolch am hwn. Wnes i ddim ond dysgu cymraeg fel oedolion yn diweddara. Mae’n ddiddoral iawn i dysgu mwy am y geiriau adar cymru.
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Dim problem o gwbl! Mae ‘na llwyth mwy o adar byddai’n rhoi mewn blog arall, efellai byddai’n cynnwys mwy o natur hefyd!
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Hwn yn dda, edrych yn saesneg, cliciwch ar ‘other names’ I cael y Cymraeg. https://www.bto.org/about-birds/birdfacts/other-languages/english
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A great help – I’m giving a talk on the wildlife of Wales to the local Merched y Wawr this week, and I’m only a Welsh learner. Dioch yn fawr iawn!
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Diddorol iawn, diolch.
I’ve tried to find the Welsh for House Martin but all I can find is Gwennol, which I understand is the translation of the (barn) Swallow. Any ideas most welcome, cheers.
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Tybed allwch chi fy helpu? Dw i’n ceisio dod o hyd i’r enw Cymraeg am y dryn “larch”
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They aren’t the ‘ Welsh name for….’they are the proper names but in higher language. There is a difference.
That implies that the English name is the proper name an the Welsh have a name for it!!
How about Brambling os the English name for the bird named Pinc y Mynydd.
Diolch am yr erthygl. Disgwyr ydw i hefyd.
Hwyl
Eric Llwyd Morgan
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Love this. Thanks Dan ! Not being a Welsh speaker, but living in North Wales, I’ve been watching Iolo Williams’ current S4C nature series Hydref Gwyllt Iolo (in Welsh but with English Subtitles). He said the Welsh for Goldfinch translates as ‘London Tailor’. I love the translations of some Welsh Idioms as well, like ‘he has a hedgehog in his pocket’, meaning tight with money! Dan you are perhaps right about Welsh bird names being niche-I tried the goldfinch name on one of my native Welsh-speaking friends and she’d never heard of it. Perhaps also there are local variations?
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This page really has all of the information I wanted about this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
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This website was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I have found something which helped me. Thanks a lot!
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Greetings! Very helpful advice in this particular post! It’s the little changes which will make the most significant changes. Many thanks for sharing!
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Pretty! This was an extremely wonderful post. Many thanks for providing these details.
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Diolch am y post, Dan! Hyfryd i weld.
Ydych chi’n gwybod yr enw Cymraeg am “lesser white throat” yn Saesneg? Gwelais i day ohynyn yn fy ngardd ag isio nodi yn y dyddiadur!
Diolch eto, meredith
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