noun
Japanese sparrowhawk (male); musket
Ornithological term for the male of the Japanese sparrowhawk (Accipiter gularis). The female is called 雀鷂 (つみ). Rare in everyday conversation; mainly used in birdwatching or specialized contexts.
See also: 雀鷂
バードウォッチング中にエッサイを見つけた。
I spotted a male Japanese sparrowhawk while birdwatching.
Refers to the female Japanese sparrowhawk, while 悦哉 (えっさい) is the male.
The origin of the reading えっさい is uncertain. The kanji 悦哉 are ateji (phonetic equivalents) and do not contribute to the meaning. The spelling 雀𪀚 uses bird-related characters but is also rare.