Birds are everywhere you look. Their cheerful chirping in the morning and nesting habits in the spring is just a couple of our favorite things about birds. Teaching your preschooler about birds in Chinese can be fun too. A bird theme is a fun way to introduce nesting, laying eggs, migration, or spring. Children enjoy learning Chinese through the world around them and make connections with familiar topics. Chances are, they’ve seen many different birds in their neighborhood!
First, let introduce some popular birds in Chinese to your curious little ones.
Birds in Chinese for Kids:
Chicken 鸡 (jī)
Goose 鹅 (é)
Turkey 火鸡 (huǒ jī)
Duck 鸭子 (yā zi)
Pheasant 野鸡 (yě jī)
Eagle 鹰 (yīng)
Crow 乌鸦 (wū yā)
Owl 猫头鹰 (māo tóu yīng)
Pigeon 鸽子 (gē zi)
Sparrow 麻雀 (má què)
Hummingbird 蜂鸟 (fēng niǎo)
Canary 金丝雀 (jīn sī què)
Parrot 鹦鹉 (yīng wǔ)
Swallow 燕科 (yàn kē)
Ostrich 鸵鸟 (tuó niǎo)
Penguin 企鹅 (qì’é)
Peacock 孔雀 (kǒng què)
Flamingo 火烈鸟 (huǒ liè niǎo)
Swan 天鹅 (tiān’é)
Heron 苍鹭 (cāng lù)
Woodpecker 啄木鸟 (zhuó mù niǎo)
Start learning Chinese with birds that live in your area. Most children get really excited when they see an animal, so the next time you see a bird outside your window or during your daily outings, point them out to your child. Learning Chinese for kids can start with the names of birds that are common in your area and say the name of the birds whenever you and your child see those birds in your environment. If you’re not sure the names of the birds, you can do a quick internet search for birds and the name of your town or city.
You can even buy a small pair of binoculars to help your child see the birds more clearly. Talk about the color and size of the bird. Ask your child how the bird sounds and see if they can imitate the bird. If your child shows a lot of interest in birds or a particular bird, find some books in the library or bookstore about that bird. Draw pictures of birds and have your child make their own flashcards with paper, markers or colored pencils.
To teach the names of birds in Chinese that are not in your area, you can use books, flashcards, and videos of those birds in real life.
Your child’s journey of learning Chinese about birds can lead to curiosity about other topics as well, such as the parts of a bird, bird habitats, and even other species of animals. Your child can make their own bird nest using shredded paper and homemade dough eggs. They can even create their own paintings of their favorite birds.
It is also important to teach your child about bird conversation in Chinese and how to appreciate birds in a respectful way. Many people like to feed birds at the park but foods like bread and crackers are very processed and have ingredients that are bad for wild birds to eat. Also, keeping birds as pets is depressing for birds since cages are too small for them. A bird can fly many miles in one day, so even a big cage is not big enough to keep a bird happy. Birds are best left free and wild
Instead of feeding wild birds or keeping them in a cage, your child can appreciate birds by observing them with binoculars, taking pictures, or donating to a bird rescue organization.
Birds are beautiful creatures and they have some unique parts which no other animals have. If you wish to discuss birds in detail with your kids, then it is very important for them to know the Chinese words for different parts of a bird. This can be useful when trying to describe a particular bird.
Parts of a Bird in Chinese for Kids:
Beak 喙 (Huì)
Body 身体 (Shēntǐ)
Claw 爪 (Zhǎo)
Eye 眼睛 (Yǎnjīng)
Feather 羽毛 (Yǔmáo)
Head 头 (Tóu)
Leg 腿 (Tuǐ)
Tail 尾巴 (Wěibā)
Wing 翅膀 (Chìbǎng)
You can teach your child to make the parts of the bird using bird toys and photos. Ask your child what parts we have that birds also have and what parts are different. You can even play “guess the part” by drawing a different part of the bird on a white board or a sheet or paper and asking your child to guess what it is. Then they can draw and you can guess.
Through these fun activities, preschoolers will be able to name some popular birds and some might even be able to name the parts of a bird. Learning about birds is also great because it encourages you and your child to appreciate nature and its colorful inhabitants.
To learn to say Hello in Chinese or more about birds in Chinese for kids, you can download the Galaxy Kids app – the best Chinese learning app for kids!
