This is a list of the English and French names of different kinds of common birds, rather than the species names. There are other resources on the web that give translations for the species names.
Here are some nice links, some of which I used as references:
Of course, the genetic accuracy of the generic terms in French is no greater than in English. Also, the groups are divided differently in French and English. It seems that French differentiates between Old World and New World species, whereas English typically does not. There are other distinctions I don’t understand.
I have indicated (unfortunately, non-natural) genders with the definite article, in all cases separated from the word to show the gender. (In French, if a word starts with a vowel, one normally elides the article, for example, l’aigle, but that hides the gender.)
Caveat: I am no expert on this subject, nor a native French speaker. I just collected the information and organized it to the best of my abilities.
| English | French | note |
|---|---|---|
| blackbird | le carouge | red-wing «carouge à épaulettes» and yellow-headed. Also see grackle. |
| le quiscale | grackle and others | |
| buzzard | la buse, le busard | also for many hawks. «buse» is the more general term? |
| cardinal | le cardinal | also for many grosbeaks |
| le gros-bec | grosbeak | |
| coot | la folque | |
| la gallinule | for gallinule, moorhen | |
| le râle | rail | |
| cormorant | le cormoran | |
| cuckoo | le coulicou | |
| le géocoucou | roadrunner | |
| crane | la grue | |
| creeper | le grimpereau | |
| crow | la courneille | |
| dove | la colombe | Columbus! |
| la tourterelle | for turtle-dove, etc. | |
| duck | le canard | for mallard, pintail, gadwall, wigeon |
| le plongeur | for many diving ducks | |
| le fuligule | scaup, canvasback, ring-neck, etc. | |
| la macreuse | scoter | |
| le garrot | goldeneye, bufflehead | |
| le harle | merganser | |
| la sarcelle | teal | |
| eagle | le aigle | |
| falcon | le faucon | |
| finch | le roselin | |
| le sizerin | siskin | |
| le bec-croisé | crossbill | |
| flycatcher | la moucherolle | also for phoebe |
| le pioui | pewee | |
| le tyran | kingbird; also for many flycatchers | |
| goose | la oie | |
| la bernache | brant; canada goose | |
| grebe | le grèbe | |
| grouse | le grouse, tétras | also «le coc de bruyère» |
| gull | le goéland
la mouette | |
| le sterne | tern | |
| hawk | le épervier | smaller hawks: sharp-shinned, cooper’s. Also see: buzzard |
| heron | le héron | |
| la aigrette | egret (“crest” or “tuft”) | |
| hummingbird | le oiseau-mouche | “fly-bird” (the insect “fly”, that is) |
| ibis | le ibis | |
| jay | le geai | |
| kingfisher | le martin-pêcheur | |
| kite | le milan | |
| lark | la alouette | |
| loon | le plongeon | “diver” |
| magpie | la pie | |
| mockingbird | le moqueur | also for catbird, thrasher |
| owl | la chouette | Used adverbially for “cool”, “neat” |
| le hibou | Many species are named «duc», “duke” | |
| nighthawk | le engoulevent | also nightjar, whip-poor-will. («goule» mouth, «vent» wind) |
| nuthatch | la sitelle | |
| oriole | la oriole | |
| partridge | la perdrix | |
| pelican | le pélican | |
| pheasant | le faisan | |
| pigeon | le pigeon | also for many doves |
| pipit | le pipit | |
| plover | le pluvier | also for killdeer |
| quail | la caille | |
| raven | le corbeau | |
| sandpiper | le chevalier | “knight”, also for yellowlegs, willet |
| le bécasseau | also for sanderling, knot, curlew | |
| le bécassin | woodcock, dowitcher | |
| la bécassine | snipe («bécasse» “goose, woodcock”) | |
| la avocette | avocet | |
| la barge, berge | godwit | |
| shrike | la pie-grièch | also see magpie |
| sparrow | le passereau | |
| le moineau | european house… | |
| le bruant | N. A. species including longspur, bunting. | |
| le tohi | towhee | |
| le junco | junco | |
| starling | le étourneau | european is «étourneau sansonnet» -- has no song of its own? |
| stork | la cigogne | |
| swallow | la hirondelle | |
| swan | le cygne | |
| swift | le martinet | |
| tanager | le tangara | |
| thrush | la grive | |
| le merlebleu | bluebird | |
| le merle | american robin (In Europe, refers to the european blackbird.) | |
| tit | la mésange | titmouse, bushtit, chickadee |
| vireo | le viréo | |
| vulture | le vautour
le urubu | |
| warbler | la paruline | |
| le gobemoucheron | gnatcatcher («gober» to gulp «moucheron» gnat) | |
| waxwing | le jaseur | («jaser» to chatter) |
| woodpecker | le pic | |
| wren | le roitelet | Also for kinglets. Used perjoratively: “petty king”. Many known by «le troglodyte» |