親鳥(おやどり)

おやどり
noun
parent bird; adult bird; old hen (in cooking)
animal-birdfood
1. parent bird; adult bird
A bird that has offspring, or an adult bird as opposed to a chick. Used when discussing bird behavior, especially nesting and feeding.
親鳥(おやどり)がヒナに餌(えさ)を運(はこ)んでいる。
The parent bird is bringing food to the chick.
巣(す)の近(ちか)くに行(い)くと、親鳥(おやどり)が威嚇(いかく)してくる。
If you go near the nest, the parent bird will act aggressively.
親鳥(おやどり)は何度(なんど)も巣(す)と餌場(えさば)を往復(おうふく)して、ヒナを育(そだ)てる。
The parent bird raises its chicks by going back and forth between the nest and the feeding ground many times.
2. old hen; mature chicken (in cooking)
In cooking, a fully grown, older chicken as opposed to a young one (若鶏(わかどり)). The meat is tougher but more flavorful.
親鳥(おやどり)の肉(にく)は硬(かた)いが味(あじ)が濃(こ)い。
Old hen meat is tough but rich in flavor.
この店(みせ)では親鳥(おやどり)の炭火焼(すみびや)きが名物(めいぶつ)だ。
This restaurant is famous for its charcoal-grilled old hen.
親鳥(おやどり)は若鶏(わかどり)と違(ちが)って歯(は)ごたえがあるので、煮込(にこ)み料理(りょうり)に向(む)いている。
Unlike young chicken, old hen has a chewy texture, so it is suitable for stewed dishes.

A compound of 親(おや) (parent) and 鳥(どり) (bird), with rendaku on 鳥(とり). The two senses are used in quite different contexts: sense 1 in nature observation and biology, sense 2 in cooking and food. In some regions of Japan, particularly in Kagawa Prefecture's 骨付鳥(ほねつきどり), the distinction between 親鳥(おやどり) and 若鳥(わかどり) is an important menu choice.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 若鶏(わかどり): young chicken — tender, commonly used in cooking
  • ヒナ: chick; baby bird — the offspring that the 親鳥(おやどり) raises
  • 雛鳥(ひなどり): fledgling; young bird — a slightly more formal term for a baby bird

Related Words

Compare: 雛(ひな) (chick)
Compare: 雛鳥(ひなどり) (fledgling)
general
Added 2026.4.25 23:22 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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