Imperial Edition of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries

Compendium of Materia Medica, Volume 49

Birds, Part 3 Forest Birds: 27 species, with 2 appended

The "Forest Birds" (Linqin) category focuses on birds that primarily inhabit wooded areas and have practical or medicinal uses in traditional Chinese medicine.

Spotted Dove Song Dynasty; Jiayou Era

The Spotted Dove (Spilopelia chinensis) has been documented in medical texts since the Jiayou period (1056–1063) of the Song Dynasty. It is known for its distinctive plumage and gentle cooing.

Compendium of Materia Medica, Volume 49

【Explication of Names】 Spotted Zhui pronounced zhui, Brocade Dove referenced by Fan Wang, Falcon Dove referenced in the Zuo Zhuan, Invoker Dove.
Li Shizhen explains that the names of these birds are derived from their sounds, their appearance, or their historical roles in ritual and literature.
Shizhen says: "Jiu" (Dove) mimics its sound. "Ban" (Spotted) and "Jin" (Brocade) refer to the patterns on its feathers. "Zhui" is a specific name for doves with short tails. In ancient times, the ritual chefs prepared these birds for the master of ceremonies (known as the shizhu or "corpse-invoker") to place upon the sacrificial vessels; hence, they were called "Zhujiu" (Invoker Doves). These names all refer to the larger varieties of doves that possess spotted markings. Those that are smaller and lack spots are referred to as zhui, Chaff Doves, Mallow Doves, Thorn Doves, or Bush Doves. The young of the dove are called yanjiu, yijiu, jidiao, or bidiao. The various doves listed in Yang Xiong’s Fangyan are mixed together haphazardly and are not a reliable basis for classification.

Compendium of Materia Medica The Bencao Gangmu (本草綱目), compiled by Li Shizhen in the 16th century, is the most influential encyclopedia of traditional Chinese medicine.
Li Shizhen Li Shizhen (1518–1593) was a polymath and naturalist who revolutionized the classification of plants, animals, and minerals for medicinal use.
Zuo Zhuan One of the earliest Chinese historical narrative texts, dating back to the 4th century BCE, often cited for its descriptions of ancient customs and nature.
Fangyan The first Chinese dictionary of regional dialects, traditionally attributed to the Han dynasty scholar Yang Xiong.