also: ほととぎす
A bird species (Cuculus poliocephalus) known for its distinctive call, often associated with early summer in Japanese poetry. Usually written in kana.
When I hear the call of the lesser cuckoo, I feel the arrival of summer.
The lesser cuckoo lays its eggs in the nests of other birds, such as the Japanese bush warbler.
Katakana spelling is standard for this bird name; usually written in kana.
Literary kanji form, also used as a pen name (e.g., Masaoka Shiki).
Hiragana spelling, also common.
Literary kanji form; the reading is a jukujikun.
Search-only kanji form.
Ateji spelling with poetic associations; also the title of a famous novel.
Rare kanji form.
Rare kanji form; can also be read かっこう (cuckoo).
The name ホトトギス is of Japanese origin, likely onomatopoeic from the bird's call. The kanji forms are mostly ateji or literary borrowings from Chinese.