Breakdown of Какая там птица?
там
there
птица
bird
какой
which/what kind of (m, sister forms: какая, какое)
Questions & Answers about Какая там птица?
Why do we use Какая instead of Какой here?
Какая is an interrogative word meaning "what kind of" or "which". In Russian, it has to match the gender of the noun it asks about. Because птица (bird) is a feminine noun ending in -а, we use the feminine form Какая instead of the masculine Какой.
Is it okay to put там at the end, like Какая птица там?
Yes, you can absolutely say Какая птица там? However, putting the location right after the question word (Какая там...) is a very common and natural word order in spoken Russian.
Why is there no word for "is" in this sentence?
In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" is almost always left out. Instead of saying "What kind of bird is over there?", you just say "What kind there bird?".
Does Какая mean "what kind of" or "which"?
It can mean both! It usually asks for a description ("what kind of"), but it can also ask you to point out a specific item ("which"). Here, you are likely asking for the description or species of the bird over there.
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