Learn Italian with Larry

In this video, we’ll learn how to say various bird names in Italian—the Italian names for seven familiar birds, along with their English meanings and simple pronunciation guides.

Do you know how to say swan, duck, rooster, hen, flamingo, penguin, and seagull in Italian?

Birds are a fun way to expand your Italian vocabulary, and these seven words are useful for beginners who want to talk about animals, nature, travel, and everyday life in Italian.

🦢 1. Swan — Il cigno

Italian: il cigno
English: swan
Pronunciation: CHEEN-nyoh

Example:
Il cigno è sul lago.
The swan is on the lake.
The plural is cigni — swans.

🦆 2. Duck — L’anatra

Italian: l’anatra
English: duck
Pronunciation: ah-NAH-trah

Example:
L’anatra nuota nel lago.
The duck swims in the lake.

The plural is anatre — ducks.

In this video, taken in Tampa, Florida, you notice two ducks swimming in a pool!
Two ducks are swimming in a pool.
Due anatre nuotano in una piscina.

To indicate something is unusual or unexpected, you can say che pazzesco!

🐓 3. Rooster — Il gallo

Italian: il gallo
English: rooster
Pronunciation: GAHL-loh

Example:
Il gallo canta la mattina.
The rooster crows in the morning.

The word gallo can also be used in expressions and is an important Italian vocabulary word to remember.
The rooster in this video is shown in the historical district of Ybor City, in Tampa, Florida.

🐔 4. Hen — La gallina

Italian: la gallina
English: hen
Pronunciation: gah-LEE-nah

Example:
La gallina mangia il grano.
The hen eats the grain.

The plural is galline — hens.
Notice the connection between gallo (rooster) and gallina (hen).

The baby chicks seen in this video are called pulcini.

🦩 5. Flamingo — Il fenicottero

Italian: il fenicottero
English: flamingo
Pronunciation: feh-nee-koh-TEHR-roh

Example:
Il fenicottero è rosa.
The flamingo is pink.

The plural is fenicotteri — flamingos.

🐧 6. Penguin — Il pinguino

Italian: il pinguino
English: penguin
Pronunciation: peen-GWEE-noh

Example:
Il pinguino vive in un ambiente freddo.
The penguin lives in a cold environment.

The plural is pinguini — penguins.

🐦 7. Seagull — Il gabbiano

Italian: il gabbiano
English: seagull
Pronunciation: gahb-BYAH-noh

Example:
Il gabbiano vola sopra il mare.
The seagull flies above the sea.

The plural is gabbiani — seagulls.

This is especially useful vocabulary if you’re traveling to Italy’s coastal towns and cities, where you’re likely to see plenty of gabbiani!

Italian Bird Vocabulary at a Glance

English	Italian	Pronunciation
Swan	il cigno	CHEEN-nyoh
Duck	l’anatra	ah-NAH-trah
Rooster	il gallo	GAHL-loh
Hen	la gallina	gah-LEE-nah
Flamingo	il fenicottero	feh-nee-koh-TEHR-roh
Penguin	il pinguino	peen-GWEE-noh
Seagull	il gabbiano	gahb-BYAH-noh

Practice Your Italian!

Now that you’ve learned seven new Italian bird names, try saying them without looking at the English translations.

Il cigno — l’anatra — il gallo — la gallina — il fenicottero — il pinguino — il gabbiano

How many can you remember?

Learning vocabulary in groups is a great way to build your Italian word bank. Try using these words in simple sentences of your own, especially when talking about animals, nature, travel, or places you’ve visited.

Watch the video and practice along! And if you’re learning Italian, be sure to check out the other Italian vocabulary lessons on the blog for more useful words and expressions.