French Names for Kinds of North American Birds
Noms Français des types des oiseaux nord américaines

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:

NeilyWorld Bird Names Page

Birds of Britsh Columbia

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.

wild birds / oiseaux sauvages
EnglishFrenchnote
blackbird le carouge red-wing «carouge à épaulettes» and yellow-headed. Also see grackle.
le quiscalegrackle and others
buzzard la buse, le busard also for many hawks. «buse» is the more general term?
cardinal le cardinalalso 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»