The most common way to say 'bird' in French is oiseau. It's the word you'll learn in any beginner's French class. But what if you're talking about a cute little chick, a majestic eagle, or even using a slang term? The French language, rich in nuance and imagery, offers a variety of words for our feathered friends. Whether you're a birdwatcher, a nature lover, or simply want to expand your French vocabulary, let's soar into the different ways to say 'bird' in French!

1. The general 'bird' – un oiseau

The most common and general French word for “bird” is un oiseau. This is the term you'll use most of the time when referring to any bird in a non-specific way.

Oiseau is a masculine noun, so you always use masculine articles and adjectives with it, such as un oiseau (a bird) or le bel oiseau (the beautiful bird).

The plural of oiseau follows a standard French grammar rule for words ending in -eau. The plural form is des oiseaux (birds). The pronunciation remains the same, which can be tricky for learners.

• Singular: un oiseau
• Plural: des oiseaux

The pronunciation can be challenging. It sounds like [wa-zo]. The 'oi' makes a 'wa' sound, and the 'eau' makes an 'o' sound. The final 'x' in the plural form oiseaux is silent.

Use oiseau when you don't know or don't need to specify the type of bird. It's the perfect default word, just like 'bird' in English. However, if you know the species, it is more natural to use the specific name (e.g., un pigeon, un moineau).

A very common French expression is à vol d'oiseau, which literally means 'at a bird's flight'. It is the equivalent of the English idiom 'as the crow flies', meaning the most direct distance between two points.

💡 * Un oiseau chante sur la branche de l'arbre. (A bird is singing on the tree branch.)

• J'aime écouter le chant des oiseaux le matin. (I like to listen to the birdsong in the morning.)
• Quel est cet oiseau coloré dans le jardin ? (What is that colorful bird in the garden?)
• Mon village est à dix kilomètres d'ici à vol d'oiseau. (My village is ten kilometers from here as the crow flies.)

The 'chick' or 'baby bird' – un oisillon

The French word for a baby bird, or a 'chick' in a general sense, is un oisillon.

This masculine noun comes directly from the word for bird, oiseau. The suffix -illon is a diminutive, so oisillon literally means 'little bird'.

Crucially, oisillon is a general term for the young of any bird species—from a sparrow to an eagle. It is the equivalent of a 'hatchling' or 'fledgling' in English.

Do not confuse un oisillon with un poussin. A poussin is specifically a baby chicken. So, while a poussin is a type of oisillon, the reverse is not true. If you see a baby robin, it's an oisillon, not a poussin.

The plural form is des oisillons. You would use this when talking about a nest full of baby birds, for example.

💡 * Un oisillon est tombé du nid. (A baby bird fell from the nest.)

• La mère oiseau protège ses oisillons des prédateurs. (The mother bird protects her chicks from predators.)
• J'entends le pépiement des oisillons chaque matin. (I hear the chirping of the baby birds every morning.)
• Il faut être prudent pour ne pas effrayer les oisillons. (You have to be careful not to frighten the fledglings.)

The slang 'birdie' – un piaf

While the standard French word for 'bird' is un oiseau, you'll often hear a more informal and endearing term in everyday conversation: un piaf.

Piaf is a colloquial, slang term that translates to 'bird' or 'birdie'. It's most often used for small birds, like sparrows (moineaux), and carries a familiar, affectionate tone. Think of it as the French equivalent of saying 'birdie' in English.

It's a masculine noun, so you always say un piaf. The plural form is regular: des piafs.

The word piaf is believed to be onomatopoeic, meaning it imitates the sound it represents—in this case, the chirping of a small bird. This origin makes it quite memorable.

You should use un piaf in informal, casual settings. It's perfect for a chat with friends but would be out of place in a formal essay or a scientific discussion, where un oiseau is the correct choice.

💡 * Regarde le petit piaf sur la branche ! (Look at the little birdie on the branch!)

• Il y a plein de piafs qui mangent les miettes de pain sur la terrasse. (There are lots of birdies eating the bread crumbs on the terrace.)
• J'ai entendu un piaf chanter devant ma fenêtre ce matin. (I heard a bird singing outside my window this morning.)
• Ce n'est pas un aigle, c'est juste un gros piaf. (That's not an eagle, it's just a big bird.)

The 'fowl' or 'poultry' – une volaille

The 'fowl' or 'poultry' – une volaille

Une volaille is a French culinary term that translates to 'poultry' or 'fowl' in English. It's a key vocabulary word for anyone interested in French cuisine.

This term is a general category that encompasses all domestic birds raised for their meat or eggs, such as chicken (poulet), turkey (dinde), duck (canard), and goose (oie).

You'll most often see volaille on a restaurant menu or at a butcher shop (boucherie) to refer to the category of poultry, distinguishing it from a specific bird like poulet (chicken).

💡 * Le chef prépare une volaille rôtie pour le dîner. (The chef is preparing a roasted poultry for dinner.)

• À la boucherie, je vais acheter de la volaille. (At the butcher shop, I'm going to buy some poultry.)
• Ce restaurant est spécialisé dans les plats de volaille. (This restaurant specializes in poultry dishes.)
• La dinde est une volaille populaire pour les fêtes. (Turkey is a popular poultry for the holidays.)

The 'bird of prey' – un rapace

The 'bird of prey' – un rapace

Un rapace is the general French term for a bird of prey, or raptor. It's a masculine noun (un) and serves as an umbrella term for birds like eagles (aigles), hawks (faucons), and owls (hiboux).

The word originates from the Latin rapax, meaning 'grasping' or 'greedy.' This connection to seizing and predation is central to its meaning, both literally for the bird and figuratively.

As an adjective, rapace describes someone who is predatory, greedy, or avaricious. You might hear of un financier rapace (a predatory financier), linking human greed to the bird's hunting instincts.

You will encounter un rapace in discussions about nature, ecology, and zoology. The plural form is les rapaces.

💡 * L'aigle est un rapace puissant et majestueux. (The eagle is a powerful and majestic bird of prey.)

• Attention, cet homme d'affaires est un vrai rapace ! (Watch out, that businessman is a real predator!)
• Nous avons vu plusieurs rapaces voler au-dessus de la montagne. (We saw several raptors flying above the mountain.)
• La protection des rapaces est essentielle pour l'écosystème. (The protection of birds of prey is essential for the ecosystem.)

The 'seabird' – un oiseau de mer

The French term for 'seabird' is a straightforward and literal translation: un oiseau de mer. This is the general term used to describe any bird that lives near the sea.

This phrase is a compound noun, literally meaning 'a bird of the sea.' It combines oiseau (bird) with mer (sea) using the preposition de (of). Because oiseau is a masculine noun, un oiseau de mer is also masculine. The plural form is des oiseaux de mer.

While oiseau de mer is a useful general term, it's also good to know the names of specific seabirds. For example, a seagull is une mouette, a puffin is un macareux, a cormorant is un cormoran, and an albatross is un albatros.

You can use un oiseau de mer exactly as you would use 'seabird' in English. It's perfect for situations where you see a bird by the ocean but don't know its specific species. It's commonly used in nature documentaries, conversations at the beach, and in literature describing coastal scenes.

💡 * Regarde ce bel oiseau de mer sur le rocher ! (Look at that beautiful seabird on the rock!)

• Les oiseaux de mer suivent les bateaux de pêche pour trouver de la nourriture. (Seabirds follow fishing boats to find food.)
• J'aime écouter le cri des oiseaux de mer le matin au bord de la plage. (I like to listen to the call of the seabirds in the morning at the beach.)
• La mouette est un oiseau de mer très commun sur cette côte. (The seagull is a very common seabird on this coast.)

The 'game bird' – un gibier à plumes

The French term for a 'game bird' is un gibier à plumes. This literally translates to 'game with feathers.' The word gibier refers to wild animals hunted for food or sport, and the qualifier à plumes (with feathers) distinguishes it from furred game, known as gibier à poil.

You will typically encounter this term in the context of hunting, butchery, or gastronomy. It's a common culinary term found on restaurant menus to describe dishes made from birds like pheasant (faisan), partridge (perdrix), wild duck (canard sauvage), or quail (caille).

The noun gibier is always masculine, so it is referred to as un gibier or le gibier. This remains true even when the term collectively refers to multiple birds. The adjective or description that follows will agree with the specific bird if mentioned.

💡 * Le chasseur est revenu avec un beau gibier à plumes. (The hunter came back with a fine game bird.)

• Ce restaurant est réputé pour ses plats de gibier à plumes en automne. (This restaurant is famous for its game bird dishes in the fall.)
• La perdrix est un gibier à plumes à la chair délicate. (Partridge is a game bird with delicate meat.)
• Pour le dîner de fête, nous allons cuisiner un gibier à plumes. (For the holiday dinner, we are going to cook a game bird.)

The 'migratory bird' – un oiseau migrateur

The “migratory bird” – un oiseau migrateur

This term is a direct translation. Oiseau means 'bird,' and the adjective migrateur means 'migratory.' It's used to describe birds that travel seasonally between breeding and wintering grounds.

The adjective agrees with the noun it modifies. While oiseau is masculine (un oiseau migrateur), you would use the feminine form, migratrice, for a feminine noun, such as une espèce migratrice (a migratory species).

The related verb is migrer (to migrate). The noun for the journey itself is la migration. This vocabulary is essential when discussing animal behavior and seasonal changes in French.

💡 * Les hirondelles sont des oiseaux migrateurs qui annoncent le printemps. (Swallows are migratory birds that announce spring.)

• Chaque année, nous observons le vol des oiseaux migrateurs vers le sud. (Every year, we observe the flight of migratory birds to the south.)
• La conservation des zones humides est vitale pour de nombreux oiseaux migrateurs. (The conservation of wetlands is vital for many migratory birds.)

1. The 'wading bird' – un échassier

The primary French term for a 'wading bird' is un échassier. This word is derived from les échasses, which means 'stilts'. This connection is very visual, as wading birds are characterized by their long, thin legs that resemble stilts, allowing them to walk through shallow water.

It is important to remember that un échassier is a masculine noun. Consequently, you must use masculine articles and adjectives when referring to it, such as un bel échassier (a beautiful wading bird) or l'échassier (the wading bird).

The plural form follows the standard rule, becoming des échassiers. You use this form when talking about more than one wading bird. For example, a birdwatcher might say, 'J'ai photographié des échassiers dans le marais' (I photographed some wading birds in the marsh).

Many well-known birds fall into this category. Common types of échassiers include herons (les hérons), storks (les cigognes), flamingos (les flamants roses), and cranes (les grues).

💡 * L'échassier se tenait immobile au bord du lac, cherchant des poissons.

• Les cigognes sont de grands échassiers migrateurs.
• Nous avons observé plusieurs échassiers pendant notre promenade dans la réserve naturelle.
• Le flamant rose est un échassier reconnaissable à sa couleur unique.

Are there other ways to say 'bird' in French?

So, are there other ways to say “bird” in French?

Our list features the most essential ways to say “bird” in French, but the language is incredibly rich with specific terms. Beyond the general oiseau, there are hundreds of names for different species, as well as colloquialisms and more poetic terms.

If you're curious about a specific species, you can easily search online for “comment dire robin en français” or “traduction de pigeon en français” to expand your vocabulary.

You might hear informal words like un piaf (a common, small bird like a sparrow). When you learn a new term, always try to see it used in context to understand its specific connotation before using it yourself.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to French content. Nature documentaries, poems, and even songs will introduce you to a vast and beautiful avian vocabulary.

For a deeper dive into related vocabulary, including expressions and compound words, the WordReference entry for oiseau is an excellent and reliable resource to explore.

I hope this guide has helped your vocabulary take flight! Let's finish with a beautiful quote from Victor Hugo: “Soyez comme l'oiseau, posé pour un instant sur des rameaux trop frêles, qui sent plier la branche et qui chante pourtant, sachant qu'il a des ailes.” (Be like the bird who, pausing in her flight on a branch too slight, feels it give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing she has wings.)