large bird
General term for any physically large bird; can be used descriptively or in names.
A large bird was soaring in the sky.
peng (mythical giant bird)
Only when written 鵬
Chinese mythological creature said to transform from a fish; often written 鵬. Not used for ordinary large birds.
See also: 鵬 (ほう)
The peng is a legendary giant bird said to transform from a fish.
fenghuang (Chinese phoenix)
Only when written 鳳 / 凰
Mythical bird of Chinese lore; 鳳 is the male and 凰 the female. Often encountered in the compound 鳳凰.
See also: 鳳凰
The fenghuang is a sacred bird in Chinese mythology; 鳳 represents the male and 凰 the female.
General kanji spelling for 'large bird', also used as a cover term for mythical giant birds.
Refers to the male fenghuang; often paired with 凰.
Archaic or literary kanji for a large bird, especially a swan or wild goose; rarely used in modern Japanese.
Specifically refers to the peng of Chinese mythology; also read ほう.
Refers to the female fenghuang; often paired with 鳳.
The reading おおとり is a compound of 大 (おお, 'large') and 鳥 (とり, 'bird'). The kanji 鵬, 鳳, 凰, and 鴻 are Chinese characters adopted for specific mythical or large birds, each with their own Sino-Japanese readings, but here used as ateji for the native word おおとり.