Archaic poetic term for a bird that calls out, especially the cuckoo (most often the lesser cuckoo, Cuculus poliocephalus). Found in classical Japanese literature and waka poetry.
The common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus); 呼子鳥 may sometimes refer to cuckoos in general, but is most strongly associated with the lesser cuckoo in classical usage.
Etymology
From 呼ぶ (yobu, 'to call') + 子 (ko, 'child') + 鳥 (tori, 'bird'), literally 'bird that calls out'. The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the name reflects the bird's distinctive vocalizations.
