How to Write 鹙 (qiū) — Meaning “adjutant bird; marabou stork”

Imagine an "autumn bird" — a large, solemn stork standing in a harvested field. The top part 秋 reminds you of autumn and the bottom 鸟 is bird, so remember "autumn bird" for the marabou stork.

Write the top part 秋 first (9 strokes, with 禾 on the left and 火 on the right), then the bottom 鸟 (5 strokes). Common mistakes include making the bird component too large or misplacing the dot in 鸟, which should sit neatly under 秋 without extending beyond its width.

鹙 (qiū) has 秋 on top and refers to large storks, while 鹁 (bó) has 孛 and means pigeon, and 鹂 (lí) has 丽 and means oriole. All share the bird radical, but the top components differ in both shape and meaning, so pay attention to the specific phonetic part.

鹙 is a rare character found mainly in ornithology or classical texts, appearing in words like 秃鹙 (marabou stork) and 大秃鹙 (Greater adjutant). You are unlikely to see it in daily conversation, but you may encounter it in bird-watching guides or nature documentaries about large Asian storks.

Common words containing 鹙 include: 秃鹙 (tū qiū) — marabou stork; 鹙鸟 (qiū niǎo) — adjutant bird; 大秃鹙 (dà tū qiū) — Greater adjutant (stork).