Lesser cuckoo
| Lesser cuckoo | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Cuculiformes |
| Family: | Cuculidae |
| Genus: | Cuculus |
| Species: | C. poliocephalus |
| Binomial name | |
| Cuculus poliocephalus Latham, 1790 | |
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Song of the lesser cuckoo
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The lesser cuckoo (Cuculus poliocephalus) is a species of cuckoo in the Cuculidae family.
It is found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kenya, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Malawi, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Thailand, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
In Japan, the bird is called hototogisu (ホトトギス?)
and is frequently praised for its song, and ranked as her favorite bird by Sei Shonagon in her account of court life in Heian Japan, The Pillow Book. It is also a pivotal image in poem 81 of the Hyakunin Isshu poetry anthology.
In Korean literature, song of lesser cuckoo represents sound of sadness.
References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Cuculus poliocephalus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
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