Cuculidae
ホトトギス科
hototogisu ka

General

Information is from dictionaries and other sources. Species list may not be current. Korean glosses are tentative. Comments and corrections welcome. Hover over Green Lettering Green lettering at this site hides a tool tip with glosses, further explanations, etc. Hover cursor to reveal. to see additional information.

There is a rich variety of names for the cuckoos in Japanese. This stems partly from a preoccupation with the cuckoo's distinctive calls in traditional culture, especially poetry. As in other cultures, names tend to reflect the cry of the birds. They include:

Name	Characters	Referent	Notes
カッコウ kakkō	郭公	General name for cuckoos.	Name borrowed from Chinese
ホトトギス hototogisu	時鳥, 杜鵑, 不如帰	Cuculus poliocephalus	Famous in traditional Japanese poetry as a bird of early summer. Cuculus poliocephalus has many literary names, some reflecting the belief that the bird crosses over from the afterworld
ツツドリ tsutsu-dori	筒鳥 'pipe bird'	Cuculus saturatus	So named because voice resembles the hitting of a pipe
ジュウイチ jū-ichi	十一 'eleven'	Cuculus fugax	Name reflects call

Many literary names of the cuckoos have been borrowed from Chinese (for examples, see the main table of species names).

CULTURAL

In Japanese haiku, the Lesser Cuckoo Cuculus poliocephalus or hototogisu is a season word for summer. Hototogisu is written with a variety of Chinese characters: 時鳥, 子規, 杜鵑, 不如帰, 郭公, mostly derived from Chinese.

The Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus, referred to as the 閑古鳥 kanko-dori, 郭公 kakkō, かっこ鳥 kakko-dori, or by other names, is also a season word for summer.

The forlorn cry of the cuckoo is the origin of the expression 閑古鳥が鳴いている kanko-dori ga naite iru 'The cuckoo is calling', used to describe a place (shop, theatre, etc.) that is deserted of visitors or customers.

Species names

CUCULINAE
SCIENTIFIC & WESTERN		JAPANESE		CHINESE			KOREAN
PHAENICOPHAEINI
Clamator
Latin	Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru	Japanese	Other J	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Korean
Clamator coromandus	Chestnut-winged cuckoo Red-winged crested cuckoo Coucou à collier Koromandelkuckuck	カンムリカッコウ (冠郭公) kanmuri kakkō 'crested cuckoo' (onomat. 'cuckoo', characters mean = 'city outer wall' + 'public')		红翅凤头鹃 (紅翅鳳頭鵑) hóng-chì fèng-tóu juān 'red-winged phoenix-headed cuckoo'	(冠郭公) 冠郭公 guān guōgōng 'crested guogong' (onomat.)	红翅凤头郭公 (紅翅鳳頭郭公) hóng-chì fèng-tóu guōgōng 'red-winged phoenix-headed guogong' (onomat.) (FS)	밤색날개뻐꾸기 bamsaeng-nalgae-ppeokkugi 'chestnut-winged cuckoo'
CUCULINI
Surniculus
Latin	Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru	Japanese	Other J	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Korean
Surniculus lugubris	Drongo Cuckoo Asian Drongo-Cuckoo Drongo-cuckoo Coucou surnicou Drongokuckuck	オウチュウカッコウ (烏秋郭公) ōchū kakkō 'drongo cuckoo' (onomat., 'cuckoo' characters mean = 'city outer wall' + 'public')		乌鹃 (烏鵑) wū-juān 'dark cuckoo'	(乌鹃) 烏鵑 wū-juān 'dark cuckoo'	卷尾鹃 (卷尾鵑) juǎn-wěi-juān 'curl-tailed(=drongo) cuckoo' (FS) 乌喀咕 (烏喀咕) wū-kēgū (wū kāgū) 'dark (or crow) cuckoo' (FS)	검은두견이 geomeun-dugyeoni 'black dugyeoni' ( dugyeoni from Chinese)
Hierococcyx
Latin	Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru	Japanese	Other J	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Korean
Hierococcyx sparverioides Cuculus sparverioides	Large Hawk Cuckoo Large Hawk-cuckoo	オオジュウイチ (大十一) ō jū-ichi 'large ju-ichi' (onomat.) (ju-ichi written 'eleven')		鹰鹃 (鷹鵑) yīng-juān 'hawk cuckoo'	(鹰鹃) 鷹鵑 yīng-juān 'hawk cuckoo'	鹰头杜鹃 (鷹頭杜鵑) yīng-tóu dùjuān 'hawk-headed cuckoo' (FS) 大鹰鹃 (大鷹鵑) dà yīng-juān 'large hawk cuckoo' (FS) 子规 (子規) zǐguī 'zigui' (FS) 佛鴂 (佛鴂) fójué 'buddhist jue' (FS) 大鹰喀咕 (大鷹咯咕) dà yīng kāgū ~ kēgū 'large hawk cuckoo'	큰매사촌 keun-mae-sachon 'large hawk cousin'
Hierococcyx hyperythrus Cuculus hyperythrus	Northern Hawk-cuckoo Rufous Hawk-Cuckoo Coucou de Chine Fluchtkuckuck-hyperythrus	キタジュウイチ (北十一) kita jū-ichi 'north ju-ichi' (onomat.) (ju-ichi written 'eleven')		北棕腹杜鹃 (北棕腹杜鵑) běi zōng-fù dù-juān 'north reddishbrown-bellied cuckoo' (2)	(北方杜鹃) 北方鷹鵑 běifāng dù-juān 'northern cuckoo'		매사촌 mae-sachon 'hawk cousin'
Cuculus
Latin	Eng, Fr, Ger, Ru	Japanese	Other J	Chinese	Chinese (Taiwan)	Other Ch	Korean
Cuculus micropterus	Indian cuckoo Short-winged cuckoo Coucou à ailes courtes Kurzflügelkuckuck Индийская кукушка	セグロカッコウ (背黒郭公) se-guro kakkō 'black-backed cuckoo' (onomat. 'cuckoo', characters mean = 'city outer wall' + 'public')		四声杜鹃 (四聲杜鵑) sì-shēng dù-juān 'four-voiced cuckoo'	(四声杜鹃) 四聲杜鵑 sì-shēng dù-juān 'four-voiced cuckoo'	布谷 (布穀) bùgǔ 'bùgǔ' (onomat.) 光棍好过 (光棍好過) guānggùn hǎo guò 'bachelor lives well' 光棍背钮 (光棍背鈕) guānggùn bèi niu 'bachelor back button ?' (onomat.) 快快割麦 (快快割麥) kuài kuài gē mài 'hurry and reap the wheat' (onomat.) 花喀咕 (花喀咕) huā kēgū (huā kāgū) 'flowery kegu/kagu' (onomat.) 印度喀咕 (印度喀咕) yìndù kēgū (yìndù kāgū) 'Indian kegu/kagu' (onomat.) 刮锅 (刮鍋) guā guō 'scrape pot' (onomat.)	검은등뻐꾸기 geomeun-deung-ppeokkugi 'black-backed cuckoo' (onomat.)
Cuculus canorus	Common cuckoo Eurasian cuckoo Cuckoo Coucou gris Kuckuck Обыкновенная кукушка	カッコウ (郭公) kakkō 'cuckoo'(onomat., characters mean = 'city outer wall' + 'public')	カンコドリ (閑古鳥) kanko-dori 'kanko bird' (characters mean 'idle' + 'old') ガッポウドリ (合法鳥) gappō-dori 'gappo bird' (onomat., written 'accord with-the-law bird') カッコウドリ (郭公鳥) kakkō-dori 'cuckoo bird' See Hiraizumi	大杜鹃 (大杜鵑) dà dùjuān 'large cuckoo'	(大杜鹃) 大杜鵑 dà dùjuān 'large cuckoo' Taiwan formerly: (布谷) 布穀 bùgǔ 'bùgǔ' (onomat.)	布谷鸟 (布穀鳥) bùgǔ-niǎo 'bùgǔ bird' (onomat.) 布谷 (布穀) bùgǔ 'bùgǔ' (onomat.) (31) 郭公 (郭公) guōgōng 'guōgōng' (onomat.) (characters mean 'city outer wall' + 'public') (FS) 杜鹃 (杜鵑) dùjuān 'cuckoo' 鸤鸠 (鳲鳩) shì jiū 'shi dove' (FS) 喀咕 (喀咕) kēgū (kāgū) 'kegu/kagu' (onomat.) (FS)	뻐꾸기 ppeokkugi 'cuckoo' (onomat.)
Cuculus saturatus	Himalayan cuckoo East Asian cuckoo Coucou gris Hopfkuckuck Глухая кукушка	ツツドリ (筒鳥) tsutsu-dori 'tube bird' (cry resembles sound of hitting a tube or pipe) (shared with Cuculus optatus)	ポンポンドリ (ぽんぽん鳥) ponpon-dori 'ponpon bird' (onomat.) See Hiraizumi	中杜鹃 (中杜鵑) zhōng dù-juān 'medium cuckoo'	(中杜鹃) 中杜鵑 zhōng dù-juān 'medium cuckoo' Taiwan formerly: (筒鸟) 筒鳥 tǒng-niǎo 'tube bird'	中喀咕 (中喀咕) zhōng kēgū (zhōng kāgū) 'medium kegu/kagu' (onomat.) (FS) 蓬蓬鸟 (蓬蓬鳥) péng-péng-niǎo 'dishevelled bird' (FS) 山郭公 (山郭公) shān guōgōng 'mountain guōgōng' (onomat.) (characters mean 'city outer wall' + 'public') (FS)	벙어리뻐꾸기 beongeori-ppeokkugi 'mute cuckoo' (onomat.)
Cuculus poliocephalus	Lesser cuckoo Small cuckoo Petit Coucou Gackelkuckuck Малая кукушка	ホトトギス (時鳥, 子規, 杜鵑, 不如帰, 郭公) hototogisu 'hototogisu' (written 1. 'time bird, 2. shiki (from Chinese), 3. token, from Chinese, 4. funyoki = better-go-back', 5. kakko, see Cuculus canorus above).	アヤメドリ (文目鳥) ayame-dori 'fine pattern bird' イモセドリ (妹背鳥) imo-se-dori 'man and wife bird' (court women's language) タソガレドリ (黄昏鳥) tasogare-dori 'twilight bird' タマサカドリ (偶鳥) tamasaka-dori 'occasional bird' ウヅキドリ (卯月鳥) uzuki-dori 'fourth month bird' サナエドリ (早苗鳥) sanae-dori 'rice sprouts bird' カンノウチョウ (勧農鳥) kannō-chō 'promote agriculture bird' タマムカエドリ (魂迎え鳥) tama-mukae-dori 'spirit-greeting bird' (refers to a traditional custom of greeting returning spirits during summer) シデノタオサ (死出田長) shi-de no ta-osa 'king of the fields of the road to death' タオサドリ (田長鳥) ta-osa-dori 'king of the fields bird' トウ (杜宇) to-u 'to-u' (from Chinese) ショッコン (蜀魂) shokkon 'spirit of Shu' (ancient kingdom of China) シキ (子規) shiki 'shiki' (from Chinese) トケン (杜鵑) token 'token' (from Chinese) See Hiraizumi	小杜鹃 (小杜鵑) xiǎo dù-juān 'small cuckoo'	(小杜鹃) 小杜鵑 xiǎo dù-juān 'small cuckoo'	小郭公 (小郭公) xiǎo guōgōng 'small guōgōng' (onomat.) (characters mean 'city outer wall' + 'public') (FS) 点灯捉虼蚤 (點燈捉虼蚤) diǎn-dēng zhuō gèzǎo 'light the lamp catch a flea' (onomat.) (Sichuan dialect) (FS)	두견이 dugyeoni 'dugyeoni' (from Chinese)

中国鸟类种和亚种分类名录大全（修订版） 郑作新 著 科学出版社 北京 2000年
A Complete Checklist of Species and Subspecies of the Chinese Birds (Revised Edition) by Cheng Tso-Hsin, Science Press, Beijing 2000

中国鸟类分类与分布名录 主编：郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2005年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of China Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2005

中国鸟类野外手册（中文版）约翰・马敬能、卡伦・菲利普斯，合作者：荷芬奇，翻译：卢和芬 湖南教育出版社 长沙 2000年
A Field Guide to the Birds of China (Chinese translation) by John MacKinnon, Karen Phillipps, in collaboration with He Fen-qi, translated by Lu Hefen, Hunan Jiaoyu Chubanshe (Hunan Educational Press) Changsha 2000

世界鸟类分类与分布名录 主编：郑光美 科学出版社 北京 2002年
A Checklist on the Classification and Distribution of the Birds of the World Chief editor: Zheng Guangmei, Science Press, Beijing 2002

世界鸟类名称（拉丁文、汉文、英文对照）第二版 郑作新等 科学出版社 北京 2002年
Birds of the World (Latin, Chinese and English Names) 2nd ed. by Cheng Tso-Hsin et al, Science Press, Beijing 2002

汉蒙名词术语分类词典（自然科学部分） Mongolian (Cyrillic): Хятад Монгол нэр томъёоны зүйл хуваасан толь (байгалийн шинжлэх ухааны бүлэг) (Chinese-Mongolian classified terminological dictionary, natural sciences part) by 《汉蒙名词术语分类词典》编纂委员会 Mongolian (Cyrillic): "Хятад Монгол нэр томъёоны зүйл хуваасан толь" найруулах комисс (Chinese-Mongolian classified terminological dictionary editorial committee), Inner Mongolian People's Press, Hohhot 1990