Formal or literary term for the lesser cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus). In everyday language, ホトトギス is more common.
See also: ホトトギス
The lesser cuckoo is celebrated in poetry as a bird that announces the arrival of summer.
Standard kanji spelling for the lesser cuckoo; a formal or literary term.
Kana spelling; may be used when the kanji is obscure or for clarity.
The kanji 子規 literally means 'child rule' or 'child standard', but the exact derivation of this spelling for the lesser cuckoo is uncertain; it is a conventional literary name for the bird.