Spanish Concerning Birds
Español de los pájaros
people and birds / los hombres y los pájaros
An excellent on-line translator: elmundo.es Traductor
| bird-watcher | observador(a) de aves |
| birdhouse, bird cage, aviary | pajarera |
| bird cage, aviary | pajarera, aviario |
| coop | gallinero |
about birds / sobre los pájaros
| fowl, bird | la ave | |
| nest | nido, nidal | “nidal„ is special for hens |
| to nest | anidar | |
| roost | gallinero | |
| to perch | posarse | |
| aerie (of an eagle) | ||
| beak, bill | pico | |
| craw | ||
| gizzard | ||
| feather | pluma | |
| to pluck | desplumar | |
| fledge | ||
| to moult | mudar | |
| down | plumón, flojel? | |
| wing | ala | |
| foot | ||
| crest, comb | cresta | |
| fledgling | pajarito | |
| to flock | ||
| flock | bandada | |
| flight | vuelo | |
| to fly | volar | |
| to flutter | revolotear | |
| soaring | remontar el vuelo | |
| to migrate | emigrar | |
| to peck | picar | |
| to dabble | ||
| to preen | arreglarse las plumas | |
| to lay eggs | poner huevos | |
| to hatch | empollar | |
| to brood | empollar | |
| clutch |
bird sounds / los gritos de pájaros
| caw | graznar | ||
| coo | arrullar | ||
| cry | grito | a generic bird sound | |
| cackle | cacarear | cacareo | |
| cluck | cloquear | cloqueo | |
| chatter | parlotear | parloteo | |
| hoot | ulular | ululato | |
| honk | graznar | ||
| gobble | gluglutear | ||
| moan | gemir | gemido | as doves ? |
| screech | chillar | chillido | |
| tweet; peep; twitter | piar | pío | |
| chirp; warble | gorjear | gorjeando | |
| quack | graznar | graznido | |
| whistle | silbar | silbido |
domestic fowl / aves doméstica
| goose | el ganso | |
| el ansarón | “gosling” | |
| turkey | pavo | |
| chicken | el pollo | |
| la gallina | “hen” | |
| el gallo | “rooster” | |
| la polluelo | “chick” | |
| duck | anade | “drake” |
| pata | “duck” | |
| pato | “drake” | |
| el anadón, patito | “duckling” | |
| guinea hen | gallina de Guinea |
zoo birds / aves del zoo
| flamingo | flamenco | |
| ostrich | la avestruz | |
| parrot | loro, papagayo | |
| peacock | pavo real |
sayings involving birds / dichos de los aves
Got some of this from
English Idioms including animals and a selection of idiomatic expressions, by José Yñesta C.
Text in quotes indicates a term or phrase in common use in the language. Other text is translation or explanation.
| una joven hermana | “a bird” (referring to a person) |
| una persona tonto | “bird-brain” |
| sin valor | “for the birds” |
| “matar dos pájaros de una pedrada„ | “to kill two birds with one stone” |
| “más vale pájaro en mano que ciento volando„ | “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” |
| “cada quien con su cada cual„ | “birds of a feather flock together” |
| “al que madruga Dios lo ayuda„ | “the early bird gets the worm” |
| libre como un pájaro | “free as a bird” |
| en línea recta | “as the crow flies” |
| no hay que vender la piel del oso antes de haberlo matado | “don’t count your chickens before they are hatched” |
| calvo como un huevo | “to be bald as an egg” |
| ser cubierto en burla | “to have egg on one’s face” |
| “like walking on eggshells” | |
| ud no puede hacer una tortilla sin romper huevos | “you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs” |
| una vista panorámica | “bird’s-eye view” |
| ojo de lince | “eagle-eye” |
| “carne de gallina„ | “goose pimples” |
| “matar la gallina de los huevos de oro„ | “to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs” |
| muy raro (o inexistente) | “like hen’s teeth” |
| temprano por la mañana | “when the cock crows” |
| … no es una cabrita | “… no spring chicken” |
| “una golondrina no hace el verano„ | “one swallow doesn’t make a summer” |