1.
summer bird; summer visitor; migratory bird that arrives in summer
A bird species that migrates to Japan (or another region) to breed during spring and summer, then returns south for winter. Contrasts with 冬鳥, which arrives for winter.
Compound of 夏 ('summer') and 鳥 ('bird'). A term from ornithology and birdwatching used to classify migratory birds by the season they spend in Japan. Birds are categorized as 夏鳥 (summer visitors), 冬鳥 (winter visitors), 留鳥 (resident birds), and 旅鳥 (passage migrants).
Usage
- Commonly used in nature writing, birdwatching guides, and environmental education
- In Japan, well-known summer birds include ツバメ (swallows), カッコウ (cuckoos), and ホトトギス (lesser cuckoo)
- The arrival of summer birds is considered a sign of the changing seasons
Common collocations
- 夏鳥が飛来する: summer birds arrive
- 夏鳥を観察する: to observe summer birds
- 代表的な夏鳥: a typical summer bird
- 夏鳥の渡り: summer bird migration