noun
wagtail (Motacillidae, excluding pipits)
Rare classical term for wagtails and similar birds; the cross-reference 鶺鴒 (せきれい) is the modern common name.
See also: 鶺鴒
古い和歌では「妹背鳥」が鶺鴒を指すことがある。
In old waka poetry, 妹背鳥 can refer to the wagtail.
noun
lesser cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus)
Rare classical term for the lesser cuckoo; the cross-reference ホトトギス is the common modern name.
See also: ホトトギス
「妹背鳥」はホトトギスの古名としても使われた。
妹背鳥 was also used as an old name for the lesser cuckoo.
The derivation is uncertain; the kanji 妹背 (husband and wife) may reflect a poetic association with paired birds.