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Woodblock print of the Zhen from the Sancai Tuhui.

Zhenniao (Chinese: 鴆鳥; pinyin: zhènniǎo) or sometimes translated as Zhen or Poisonfeather Birds, are poisonous birds referenced in many Chinese myths, annals and poetry.


Etymology

The male in the species is called Revolving Sun (Chinese: 迴陽; pinyin: huíyáng) and the female is called Yin Harmony (Chinese: 阴氳; pinyin: yīnyūn).


Description

In Guo Pu's (郭璞) commentaries of the Shanhaijing, he describes this bird as having a purple abdomen and green tipped feathers with a long neck and a scarlet beak. Another description of the Zhen however appears in the Song Dynasty dictionary Piya (Chinese: 埤雅; pinyin: Píyǎ), describing it as being goose like, colored dark-purple and having a beak 7‑8 cun long and copper-colored.


Places

The Shanhaijing Chapter 5: Classic of the Mountains: Central describes the Zhen as resembling an eagle living in Girl's Tabletop Mountain, Lutemute Mountain and Jade Mountain in Southern China.


Powers

Zhenniao acquires its poisonous attributes from devouring poisonous viper heads. As described in the Piya, from its very veins to the tips of its feathers, the Zhen's body is said to be tainted with an unparalleled poison referred to as Zhendu (Chinese: 鴆毒; pinyin: zhèndú) or Zhen poison. The Zhen's feathers were often dipped into liquor to create a poisonous draught that that was often used to carry out assassinations. Its meat however was said to be overtly toxic and gave off a gamy odor that it rendered it inadequate for surreptitious use and the Zhen's excrement could dissolve stone. The Zhen's poison was said to be so deadly that it needed only to pass through one's throat kill a person. In the Baopuzi (Chinese: 抱朴子; pinyin: Bàopǔzǐ) by Taoist adept Ge Hong, the only thing that was said to be able to neutralize the Zhen's poison was the horn of Xiniu (犀牛) - or the rhinoceros. Xiniu horns would be made into hairpins and when used to stir poisonous concoctions would foam and neutralize the poison.


Theories

Chinese ornithologist have often theorized that the Zhen was similar to secretary bird or the crested serpent eagle (which happens to live in Southern China) and gained their toxicity from ingesting poisonous snakes, similar to how the poison dart frogs produce poison by ingesting poisonous insects. As a consequence, in some illustrated books, pictures very similar to the these two birds have been used to depict the Zhen. But throughout most modern history, zoologist knew of no poisonous birds and presumed the Zhen to be a fabulous invention of the mind. But in 1992, an article was published in Science reporting that the Hooded Pitohui of New Guinea has poisonous feathers. A recent article in China has been published bringing up the question if the Zhen bird could have really exists.