lesser cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus)
Archaic poetic name for the lesser cuckoo, associated with classical Japanese literature. In modern Japanese, the bird is called 時鳥 (ほととぎす).
See also: ホトトギス
"Shide no taosa" was used as an elegant term for the lesser cuckoo in old waka poetry and similar contexts.
Modern common name for the lesser cuckoo; 死出の田長 is an archaic poetic synonym.
The exact derivation is uncertain; the kanji 死出 (death-departure) and 田長 (rice-field chief) may reflect poetic associations with the bird's call and seasonal migration in classical literature.